Standing about 11 metres (36 feet) high, the Cenotaph is built out of granite decorated with glazed ceramic tiles depicting two angels raising the soul of a dead soldier.

The vivid color of the figurative decoration makes the Cenotaph possibly unique among World War I memorials of its kind.

The ceramics were made in England by Harold and Phoebe Stabler of the Poole Pottery, and shipped to Durban for assembly: because this process took some time, the memorial was only unveiled in 1926.

[1][2] The stone parts of the monument are handsomely designed in neoclassical style: pillars supporting electric torches and granite urns surround the main structure.

The entrance to the garden, and the view of the front of the memorial, is guarded by a remarkable pair of large snarling Art Deco lions on high plinths.