The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a public university formed in 2004 from the merger of the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. The contact details below were read from the UKZN website on 1 September 2026.
Official contact channels
- Durban switchboard: +27 31 260 1111
- Pietermaritzburg switchboard: +27 33 260 5111
- Voice-prompt enquiry line: +27 31 260 8596
- Website queries: [email protected]
UKZN publishes two switchboards because it operates across two cities. Use the 031 number for Durban campuses and 033 for Pietermaritzburg; the 031 260 8596 line is menu-driven and routes you by voice prompt rather than to a person directly.
The webmaster address is for website faults only. It is not a student enquiry route, and academic questions sent there are not actioned.
Admissions and student support
UKZN is organised into four colleges, each publishing its own contact list rather than routing through a single central desk:
- Agriculture, Engineering and Science – caes.ukzn.ac.za
- Health Sciences – chs.ukzn.ac.za
- Humanities – coh.ukzn.ac.za
- Law and Management Studies – clms.ukzn.ac.za
Going to the college that owns your programme is usually faster than the switchboard. UKZN also publishes a full telephone directory and a directory of experts on its site.
Two current points worth knowing: UKZN states its registration site is zero-rated, so it can be used without data charges, and it has discontinued the acceptance of offer fee. Anyone asking you to pay to accept a UKZN offer is not acting for the university.
Campus and address information
UKZN operates five campuses across two cities – Howard College, Westville, the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine and Edgewood in the Durban area, and the Pietermaritzburg campus.
The university publishes campus routes, building guides and a virtual tour. Check which campus your college sits on before travelling – Durban’s campuses are some distance apart, and Pietermaritzburg is roughly 80km inland.
Switchboard operating hours are not published.
Escalation routes
Start with your college office, quoting your student number, and keep any reference you are given. Funding questions belong with NSFAS or the funder rather than with UKZN, even when the symptom is a UKZN registration block.
UKZN runs Tip-offs Anonymous through its forensic services unit for reporting fraud and misconduct – an independent channel, separate from academic complaints.
If the university does not resolve a matter internally, students may approach the Council on Higher Education on quality and standards, or the Public Protector, since UKZN is a public institution.
Sources
- ukzn.ac.za, read 1 September 2026