Multimillion rand projects planned for Durban
FINANCIAL investments
planned over the next
few years to rejuvenate
Durban, will see the
city receive a significant
facelift as part of an urban
renewal programme, while
millions will be invested in
extending the promenade
and developing the
northern coast.
The eThekwini urban
renewal programme
has started and work
will happen in three
stages. “The first stage
is dealing with derelict
buildings in the city. The
second stage is dealing
with cleanliness and
safety, particularly in The
Point precinct at the back
of the beachfront. July 1
will see the start of the
clean-up stage. The third
stage, is the relocation of
street hawkers to make
space for pedestrians,”
Phillip Sithole, head
of Durban Tourism,
announced at the recent
Indaba show.
Phillip also touched on
major developments that
will take place in the city,
such as the two- to threekilometre
extension of the
beachfront promenade; the
investment is estimated to
total about R200m.
Further north
The north of Durban,
particularly the Umhlanga
precinct, will see the
introduction of new
international hospitality
brands, including Radisson.
The planned Kings Estate
initiative is a development
project that would see
621 hectares of land being
transformed into a mixeduse
development featuring
offices, retail and hotels.
This is a private sector
investment estimated to
cost R46bn. “If you come
to Durban in three years,
the north of Durban will be
completely different,” said
Phillip.
Another five years of Indaba in Durban
AT THE recent Tourism Indaba
in Durban, it was announced
that the South African
Tourism board had selected
Tourism KwaZulu Natal as the
successful bidder to host the
newly rebranded Africa’s Travel
Indaba until 2022.
This followed a
comprehensive bidding
process which started with an
expression of interest to all
provinces.
Africa’s Travel Indaba will
be hosted at the Inkosi
Albert Luthuli ICC through
a province-city partnership
between KwaZulu Natal and
Durban in May every year for
the next five years, with an
option to extend the hosting
agreement for a further five
years.
Speaking on the sidelines
of the show, Sihle Zikalala,
KZN MEC for Economic
Development, Tourism and
Environmental Affairs, said
the return on investment
received into Durban after the
Indaba is estimated to about
R50m. “Retaining Indaba will
help Durban Tourism to plan
for the long term,” he said,
adding that this would assist
with infrastructure planning
and strategic interventions.
Phindile Ngcobo, coo of
Tourism KZN, said one of the
key priorities for the show
in the coming years will be
to make sure people “feel
Indaba beyond the confines
of the ICC”. She added that
Tourism KZN’s mandate is
to promote the whole of the
province and that plans are
in place with SA Tourism and
local partners to take Indaba
to the rest of KZN through
pre- and post-tours.
Cruise terminal to break ground next year
KWAZULU Cruise Terminal
has been selected as the
preferred bidder for the
Durban Cruise Terminal
at the Port of Durban.
Construction is expected
to begin in May 2018, with
it due to begin operations
from October 2019.
The announcement was
made by Transnet National
Ports Authority (TNPA) ce,
Richard Vallihu.
KwaZulu Cruise Terminal is
a joint venture between MSC
Cruises SA (a subsidiary
of Mediterranean Shipping
Company SA) and Africa
Armada Consortium (a black
empowerment partner).
“As the terminal operator,
our aim is to immediately
establish Durban as a
credible cruise destination
recognised globally so
that we can attract cruise
holidaymakers from all over
the world. The new cruise
terminal will become the
first point for the rest of
South Africa,” said Mxolisi
Nkululeko Mchunu, director
of KwaZulu Cruise Terminal.
KwaZulu Cruise Terminal is
responsible for the design,
financing, construction,
operation, maintenance
and transfer of a cruise
terminal facility for a 25-year
concession period. The
terminal will be operated on
a seasonal basis in line with
the cruise liner schedules.
To ensure consistent use,
during the off season the
terminal would need to be
able to house meetings,
conferences and exhibitions.
“Despite the pressures of
the global economic climate
on disposable income, the
global luxury cruise sector
remains one of the fastest
growing segments in the
tourism industry and has
the potential to grow the
economy and create jobs,”
said Richard.
The parties involved
will be entering into a
negotiation phase until
October, for the complete
terminal operator
agreement. The terminal will
comprise a multipurpose
single-storey building with
a design to accommodate
a future second floor with
space for retail and ancillary
services, simultaneous
handling of two vessels,
concurrent embarkation
and disembarkation of
passengers, as well as
energy-efficient solutions.
The terminal will also
house governmental bodies
such as SAPS, customs,
Home Affairs and other
government departments.
Three new and upgraded properties
• The Beverly Hills Hotel
in Umhlanga Rocks is
being extended with the
construction of a new area
to the north of the existing
hotel. The project will include
new restaurants, meeting
facilities, spa treatment
centre, the conversion of
130 guest rooms into suites,
as well as a sky bar and
function venue. It will also
include the construction
of two levels of basement
parking. The areas will be
linked through a central
atrium.
• The new Radisson Blu
Hotel, Durban, Umhlanga,
is under construction and is
due to open in 2019. The
hotel will form part of the
Oceans Umhlanga mixeduse
development. This
will be the first Radisson
Blu property in Durban,
featuring 207 rooms as well
as high-speed Internet, an
all-day restaurant, lobby bar
and coffee shop, rooftop
outdoor bar and terrace, spa,
gym, swimming pool and a
business-class lounge.
There will also be almost
1 200sqm of meeting space.
• Isibindi Africa’s Thonga
Beach Lodge on KZN’s
Elephant Coast is undergoing
refurbishments. All the
rooms and bathrooms will be
upgraded. The refurbishment
is expected to be complete
by the end of June.
Isibindi Zulu Lodge is also
undergoing refurbishments
with an expected completion
date of the end of July. All
the rooms and bathrooms
will be upgraded.
When will KZN get a major resort?
DISCUSSIONS around the
development of a major
beach resort in KwaZulu
Natal have been ongoing
for several years, but at the
recent Tourism Indaba in
Durban, Phindile Ngcobo
of Tourism KZN hinted that
this may come to fruition
sooner rather than later.
“One of the insights
received during our
engagement with tour
operators as we try to
increase arrivals into the
province, is that while KZN
is a coastal destination
with warm Indian Ocean
waters, we still don’t have
big beach resorts,” she
said.
“Good work is being
done with landowners
and our hope is that at
next year’s Indaba we’ll
be able to make a major
announcement on new
developments that will be
happening in the process
to get beach resorts
developed. This is one of
the biggest challenges in
positioning KZN, and now
there is an opportunity for
us to act on that missing
link,” she said.
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