About Us

The KwaZulu-Natal Canoe Union, or KNCU, is the biggest province in terms of number of registered paddlers with a big river marathon paddling community.

The province has always been one of the major canoeing provinces in South Africa with some of the most popular races, including the Dusi, Umkomaas, and Drak Challenge two- or three-day races, as well as many more one-day events.

There is also a very strong ocean racing or surfski racing community as well as sprint and flatwater marathon events. The province has a history of slalom & wild water canoeing and a strong canoe polo structure.

The Union was formed after the inaugural Dusi marathon in 1951, and over the years has seen the likes of Ernie Pearce, Charlie Mason, Fox Ledeboer, Paul Chalupsky, Robbie Stewart, Geoff Dyer, Des Park, Mark Conway, Ivan Levinson, Hugh Cocksedge, Paul Zimmerman, Niel Tupper, Kevin Trodd, Mark Lynn and Tim Cornish as chair of the Union.

Many of the development initiatives are based along the Pietermaritzburg to Durban corridor. The Nagle Dam project, founded by the late Robert Lembethe is still active, and there are also thriving initiatives at Dusi Bridge, Mkhambathini, Thousand Hills Canoe Club, Inanda Dam, Shongweni Dam and Siyaphambili on the South Coast.

The Union also has a strong schools program. This is administered by the Schools Committee and consists of an annual series of events, offering an introduction to the different disciplines of canoeing as well as both individual and inter-school competitions.