THE city of Durban is known for its many attractions and this addition to the must-see places in eThekwini is setting social media alight and has Durbanites as well as visitors roaring with excitement.

Covered in gold pearl and sitting pretty at the entrance, the shimmering, majestic and roaring mascot of The Lion Match Company has become an internet sensation. “We have tourists that come to see the statue now, he is a big deal in Durban, that is for sure,” said The Lion Match Company’s facility manager, Devon Singh, who oversees the smoothing running of the attraction and building located at 20 Mahatma Gandhi Road.

The fibreglass lion roars on the hour, from 06:00 to 22:00, seven days a week. The roar is an added feature to the lion that has been the company’s mascot for over 100 years.

@caxtonlocalmedia Durban’s ROARING attraction is turning heads and shaking social media! Meet the golden lion at The Lion Match Company, not just a statue, but a majestic mascot that ROARS on the hour from 06:00 to 22:00 daily. Snap a selfie, hear the roar, and soak in the golden glow at this Insta-worthy hotspot near the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal. #RoarInDurban #LionMatchCompany #DurbanHotspot #TourDurban #DurbanTikTok #GoldenLion #DurbanVibes #BereaMail ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia

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“It’s not the same lion that we had at the old office building on Umgeni Road, we had to leave that one behind because the building is a heritage site,” said Singh. “This lion is made of fibreglass and has a fountain around it. He roars on the clock which is monitored by a data logger which was a little off but has since been repaired.”

At the moment the water feature has been switched off because of strong winds blowing the water on visitors. Singh said the fountain will be switched back on once upgrades are complete.

“We are looking to cover the feature with glass so that our visitors don’t get wet when they pose with the lion. It is a beautiful piece, one that does draw attention. The idea of adding the roar was from our director, who had a vision of how he wanted the building to look and feel,” said Singh.

The office building is located opposite the Nelson Mandela cruise terminal at the Durban Harbour. The gold lion statue is on the outside, at the corner of the building.

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