Progress through TARGETED PARTNERSHIPS

Alongside its public and private sector partners, eThekwini Muncipality is engaged in numerous projects and interventions intended to improve socio-economic development – and thereby the lives of residents – within the region.

To accelerate economic growth, eThekwini has a number of catalytic projects at various stages of implementation, designed to build upon its key competitive advantages. Thus, there are several large warehousing and logistics parks being developed to support the more efficient and greater movement of containers from the Port of Durban, particularly in light of plans to extend the capacity of the port.

The Metro is also improving its tourism offering with the construction of a cruise ship terminal and the redevelopment of the harbour and beachfront areas. There are also new mixeduse developments, which will form the backbone of urban housing and development, underway, as well as a new transport system to link the various parts of the Metro.

In line with national government’s commitment to infrastructure investment (as per the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Programme) to serve as the backbone of a thriving economy – as a key driver for economic growth and job creation – the Municipality has identified key catalytic projects in the inner city, rural and township areas. These strategic projects will be used to grow the economy, create jobs and, most importantly, fast-track radical socioeconomic transformation.

The Municipality has planned some investment projects in partnership with the private sector, to ensure that it develops the necessary capacity to maintain Durban as a global city and Africa’s leading tourism and investment destination. There are ambitious plans to transform Durban’s skyline and increase the City’s rates base.

Precinct management

In order to manage existing, strategic and prioritised economic precincts, and to retain and grow investment through the promotion and encouragement of public and private precinct management partnership arrangements, Council has adopted a Precinct Management Framework (PMF) for priority economic areas.

The PMF aims to achieve the following objectives:

• to retain existing investment, business and jobs

• to encourage investment, economic growth and job creation

• to drive spatial transformation through precinct management

• to grow the rates base and arrest the decline in particular economic precincts.

The success of the PMF is dependent upon sound partnership between the Municipality and other stakeholders, including internal stakeholders, other spheres of government, the private sector, civil society organisations, as well as academic and any other voluntary organisations. This partnership will enable parties to influence decisions that affect their respective precinct within the eThekwini Municipal Area.

The Economic Development Unit is making strides in providing specialised economic services for priority sectors through its Sector Development Programmes Department. The Sector Development Programmes Department is doing good work in identifying sectors in the City and adequately equipping them to compete in the global market. This, in turn, improves competitiveness and attracts investment to the City.

To increase energy supply in the Municipal Area, Council adopted the Energy Transition Policy to mitigate the impact of load-shedding on the local economy. In order to increase water supply to the Durban Heights Reservoir, which supplies water to the largest part of the municipality, plans have been finalised for the construction of the uMkhomazi Dam. In the interim, investments will be made over the next few years to improve water infrastructure.

The eThekwini Municipal Area remains the gateway of the province of KwaZuluNatal. Hence, the Municipality plays a critical role to promote economic growth, thereby benefitting the entire province. With eThekwini being strategically positioned in the coastline area, conscious efforts have been made to use this as a differentiating factor and drive maritime and Durban harbour activities. Areas of cooperation have been identified and partnership agreements have been entered into, to drive economic growth and attract international investors into the province.

Major projects

The city of Durban is poised for growth from several major catalytic projects over the next few years, which will create investment and employment opportunities, with some of them set to transform the city’s landscape forever, while cementing Durban’s economic status globally. There are other major projects the Municipality is embarking on which are still in the planning phases as part of the City’s list of catalytic projects.

Upon the completion of these projects, Durban will certainly claim its rightful position as Africa’s leading tourism and investment destination. There are a good number of catalytic projects, with some of standout developments being the Point Waterfront, Brickworks, uMhlanga Oceans Development, Sibaya Development, Rivertown Precinct Upgrade, Ntshongweni mixed-use development, Dube TradePort, the Cato Ridge Dry Port, and the Illovo Auto Supplier Park.

A major revamp of the Mahatma Gandhi Road Precinct is underway by the City, with the rejuvenation project tackling bad, abandoned or derelict buildings, which are being revamped while ploughing millions into various infrastructure upgrades. These strides aim to transform the precinct into space for investment opportunities. The area is a strategic location for catalytic development, and the City is fast-tracking this to stimulate economic growth, international investment, job creation and tourism. Some of the work undertaken includes the extension of the promenade, the public realm upgrade and the successful problem buildings programme, plus the attraction of foreign direct investment.

With bustling lanes filled with boutique shops, galleries and art performances,

Durban’s Rivertown

Precinct has already undergone the first phase of a facelift through the completion of a R44 million public realm beautification project. The latter involved widening and new pavement walkways, new street furniture and some elements of greening. The project, once all the phases have been fully implemented, will bridge the space between the City’s iconic Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre (Durban ICC) and the Durban Beachfront. The regeneration of the inner city is important to drive further growth and halt decline, with Rivertown being one of the projects aimed at stimulating investment and development of the area. The City’s vision is to regenerate the area with a mix between creative and commercial ventures. With the iconic Durban Beachfront being considered a ‘platinum’ area, there was a notable link missing between the Durban ICC and the beachfront. Rivertown is now set to bridge that gap.

Aerotropolis

Following the unveiling of the 50year Durban Aerotropolis Master Plan (DURAMP) detailing a purpose-built city in extent of 32 000 hectares around King Shaka International Airport, the implementation of some of the elements of the master plan is underway. The work around the Dube TradePort node is being accelerated, while the R6 billion Whetstone development, a light industry node, has kicked off. This futuristic hub of commerce and industry will create 750 000 jobs and have an investment potential of R1 trillion. This development aims to enhance urban, regional and national competitiveness through improved multimodal transport access and planned, coordinated, aviationlinked commercial development and make KwaZulu-Natal more economically efficient, sustainable and attractive to investment.

The Durban Aerotropolis has the potential to catalyse social, spatial and economic transformation as well as localise the benefits of global trends though a robust and flexible master plan framework.

The development of the aerotropolis is one of the catalytic projects that have been identified by the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy to achieve the province’s vision of strengthening its gateway into South Africa and the entire African continent. The plan reflects the importance of the KZN economy and the particular advantages of the aerotropolis site in its ability to attract development and investment. It is also a key project within the National Development Plan Strategic Infrastructure Programme.

The completion of the Point Promenade, which resulted in the extension of the beachfront promenade, has already elevated the attractiveness of the southern beachfront infrastructure. This has been done in anticipation to the muchawaited multibillion-rand skyscrapers that will be home to a hotel, offices and residential apartments. The City is awaiting confirmation from the investor for the foreign direct investment. The new cruise terminal at the Point waterfront has already been completed and officially opened in December 2021.

All these developments are going to change the skyline of Durban while also helping the City to cement its place in the country and the wider continent as a tourist mecca. The proximity of this development to uShaka Marine World is going to help to inject life into this world-class facility, to the benefit of all in the region. The City’s investment has also spurred investment into the Point precinct, as partners prepare to launch Phase 1 of the developments planned within this precinct. These developments include a 29-storey residential development, hotel development and a retail mall with a combined estimated market value of R3.5 billion.

Townships and transport

Midway Crossing, a township development project, is deemed to be the biggest investment made into the township economy in South Africa. This catalytic project, together with the adjacent C3 GO!Durban rapid transit route, are set to kickstart further investment in the area. This transportoriented development is the first of many investment projects in the area. The City is expecting to see the development of manufacturing hubs, entertainment, and tourist hotspots. The three-storey centre, which is valued at over R800 million and located in the heart of Newlands, opened its doors in 2021. It is home to extensive retail outlets, as well as municipal services, including a clinic and the GO!Durban head office.

The City has invested billions in transport infrastructure to ensure a world-class transport system with a public transport focus. The majority of eThekwini’s residents use public transport daily. The Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN) known as GO!Durban is one way of achieving this. GO!Durban is one of the City’s biggest catalytic projects and will change the face of public transport within the eThekwini Municipal Area. The main focus has been building a safe, efficient and affordable public transport system. GO!Durban comprises nine main routes – eight dedicated bus lanes and one rail route that connect to all areas of the City. The delivery of the network will transform Durban’s public transport sector by introducing safer, more efficient, reliable and customercentral public transport services.

While the City has an extensive economic plan to regenerate, attract and retain investments to stimulate the economy, it is hoped that these will be a catalyst for growth and job creation, which is the biggest challenge facing the country. The City aims to provide the kindling to the fires of progress and act as a facilitator that drives extensive investment from the private sector and foreign direct investors. www.bcindustrial.co.za

Of course, the ever-present coronavirus pandemic has left a lasting impact on the economies of almost every country globally, while locally, it also has a devastating impact on economic development and tourism – not to mention South Africa’s wider energy challenges. Through various successfully executed interventions entailed in Phase 1 of the Economic Recovery Plan crafted by the City, the way is being paved for the commencement of Phase 2, which is the Economic Recovery and Shared Growth Path (ERSG) – a framework for collective action to rebuild and regenerate the eThekwini economy. It is hoped that such steps will serve to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic in particular.

That said, the recent floods across the KwaZulu-Natal province caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the city, impacting on residents and the local economy, which necessitated the reprioritisation of certain projects with possible delays in some. However, all efforts are being made to ensure repairs are undertaken and services are restored, working with national government bodies as well as partners in the private sector.

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