The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with eThekwini Municipality and Trade & Investment, KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), hosted an Investment and Business Roadshow in Durban on 17 and 18 September 2014.
Local and international qualified private and institutional investors were invited to attend this event to become acquainted with a number of investment opportunities which have been identified for their accessibility and their potential. The event aimed to establish a global bilateral or multilateral intercommunication platform among international and South African corporations, private equity funds, government agencies, financial institutions and investment service suppliers in the Durban area, in order to provide real investment opportunities in what the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index (2012) rated as the “fastest-growing city in Africa in terms of visitor numbers”.
The Investment Vision
The event was well attended and a wide range of investors and property professionals were treated to some highly informative presentations by the various project owners invited to present their investment projects to the delegation.
After the opening comments from Andrew Layman, CEO of the Durban Chamber, the programme commenced with powerful presentations by both TIKZN (Kanyi Ntoko-Gasa, executive manager: Investment Promotion) and Durban Investment Promotion (Russell Curtis, HOD), who both outlined and reinforced KwaZulu-Natal investment intent, vision and values that aim to attract the national and international investor community to our province.
This was followed by an update on the Durban Dig-Out Port project by Irvindra Naidoo (GM: Group Strategy, Transnet). The presentation outlined the critical need for this catalytic project to proceed, in the context of the anticipated logistics growth anticipated over the next 20-30 years, with slides showing anticipated port layouts and statistical projections to support the need for the development.
A Journey of Investments
Delegates were then transported by bus from the Elangeni Hotel on the Durban Beachfront to Dube City, where Tim Hudson (project manager, Dube TradePort) provided a highly informative presentation regarding the various leasehold investment opportunities currently on offer as well as an expansive pipeline of projects coming on stream shortly.
This was followed by a trip to the highly impressive Cornubia Industrial Business Estate, a THD development under construction, with over 90% of phase one already sold out. Greg Veerasamy (development executive, Tongaat Hulett), outlined the overall project status, being a joint venture between THD and the Ethekwini Municipality, with the first phase of the low cost housing component also being visited.
Tongaat Hulett head office was the next destination, where further presentations were given regarding the Aerotropolis development plans the JSE listed company has, which include the Bridge City mixed-use node, the soon to be launched Sibaya and the uShukela Business Park adjacent to the King Shaka International Airport.
Developments and Demands
Day two commenced with a presentation from Pat Conway (project manager, KDC Projects and Developments), who presented his Kings Estate mixed-use industrial, commercial and residential development, also located within the Airtropolis node on the North Coast.
This was followed by a slick and dynamic presentation by Dr Sharron McPherson on behalf of the Finningley Joint Venture Development Company. The Finningley Growth Sphere is located on the Durban South Coast and already has investment support from the USA in its quest to offer a substantive, unique and innovative sustainable development model to the province.
The Clairwood Racecourse redevelopment project then followed, presented by TC Chetty from Capital Projects. The development will offer much needed back of port logistics space in anticipation of a surge in demand with the Transnet port expansion plans and will come online as soon as various approvals have been completed.
Commercial Investment Opportunities
LIV Village showed a short video clip on its groundbreaking community initiative based in Tongaat on the North Coast, and its investment needs were strongly endorsed by both Russell Curtis and Andrew Layman as a great CSI opportunity for local and international businesses, grants and funds to participate in.
The final leg of the roadshow involved heading off to the KwaMnyandu Town Centre Development in Umlazi. Project manager Vuyo Jayiya gave a presentation on the commercial investment opportunities that will be coming online, following the successful development of the KwaMnyandu retail mall, with the development heralded as a groundbreaking initiative regarding previously disadvantaged township redevelopment in the region. Delegates then headed off to the Mpumalanga Town Centre Development on the N3 Corridor, heralded as KwaZulu-Natal’s future version of Gauteng’s economic powerful corridor, Midrand. Here, Peter Gilmore (project manager, eThekwini Municipality) gave a breakdown of the industrial and commercial investment opportunities available in the node following the successful development of the Mpumalanga retail shopping mall.
Two Days of Well-Organised Site Visits, Presentations & Entertainment
To end off a highly informative day, a tired and satisfied group of delegates were then treated to sundowners and snacks at the Pot & Kettle in Hillcrest (on the world renowned Comrades Marathon route), before heading back to the hotel and drop off.
The Durban Investment and Business Road Show provided two days of well-organised site visits and entertainment along with some exceptional presentations. The message that KwaZulu-Natal, and Durban in particular, is an investment destination that stands head and shoulders above most other developing countries around the globe was put across in no uncertain terms.
Potential investors/interested parties wishing to attend future investor roadshows (TBC), need to please email James Arnott to register their interest.
For further information on investment projects available for investment, please visit the project listing portal, www.kwazuluinvestor.co.za
Contact Details:
- James Arnott: james@arnottconsulting.co.za, +27(0)83 6258078
- Kwazulu Investors: www.kwazuluinvestor.co.za
