Scottburgh is situated on the South Bank of the Mpambinyoni River, a short river that culminates in a lagoon. The Mpambinyoni mouth has fluctuated in surface area and volume dramatically over the years, largely due to the frequent droughts, occasional cyclones, and other extreme weather conditions that can affect KwaZulu-Natal.
Most notorious of the above-mentioned cyclones was Cyclone Demoina of 1984 and the floods of 1987 which resulted in widespread flooding and infrastructural damage, including the destruction of the Old Main Road bridge from Durban and Umkomaas
