[2] The name of the area is derived from the long bluff - two ancient sand dunes on which most of the suburbs lie.

The Bluff promonotory is a remnant of an extensive coastal dune system that formed along the shoreline of KwaZulu-Natal between two and five million years ago.

The area is bordered by the port’s Island View section to the north-west, the defunct Durban International Airport and SAPREF Petrochemical Refinery to the south, and the suburbs of Mobeni, Bayhead, and Clairwood further southwest and west.

The Bluff is a popular holiday destination, with extensive accommodation and plentiful seaside recreation.

Interspersed among the houses are a number of industries, including two of South Africa's largest oil refineries (Sapref and Engen facilities), the Mondi Paper Mill and other smaller factories.

The mixture of residential homes and large industries in the basin creates a challenge for all those who live and work in the area.

Within the Bluff, major suburban roads include Marine Drive, a coastal route connecting Merebank with Treasure Beach, Brighton Beach, and Ocean View, and Tara Road, an inland route linking Merebank with Jacobs, Wentworth, Grosvenor, and Fynnlands.