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KwaZulu-Natal Business 2017-18 edition

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KwaZulu-Natal Business 2017/18 is the ninth edition of this highly successful publication that has, since its launch in 2008, established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The 2017/18 edition includes special features on the Richards Bay area and its increasingly important Industrial Development Zone, the investment appeal of Durban and the growing maritime economy. Up-to-date overviews on the province’s economic sectors provide unique insights. Global Africa Network Media (www.gan.co.za), the publisher of KwaZulu-Natal Business, specialises in business-to-business print and electronic publications, producing a series of region-specific, annual print journals. Every province in South Africa is covered by this unique range of journals and websites, complemented by a national business guidebook, South African Business.

INTERVIEW Msunduzi

INTERVIEW Msunduzi Municipality: City of Pietermaritzburg Executive Mayor of the Msunduzi Municipality, Councillor Themba Njilo, explains why investors are heading for this well-resourced city. Cllr Themba Njilo What are the goals of your municipality? We aim to be a safe, vibrant city in which to live, learn, raise a family, work, play and do business. Our goal is to have a well serviced city with the necessary infrastructure, accessibility and connectivity to attract investment and development that will result in jobs being created to reduce poverty and unemployment. Our goal is make the city safe, clean and friendly, and to strive for financial viability and good governance. Do you have specific projects under way to improve the city? One of the biggest projects is the Integrated Rapid Passenger Transport Network (IRPTN) which is going to revolutionise public transport. Other planned projects include the Youth Enterprise Park in Imbali, a Light Industrial Park, a Technology Hub and a huge project in Edendale, the Town Centre development. The project includes rezoning for business, land acquisition, road improvements and landscaping. BIOGRAPHY Councillor Themba Njilo is a reputable businessman and passionate community activist who is the founder of Themba Njilo Foundation that is involved in developing the community and assisting the underprivileged. The institution runs many drug rehabilitation programmes. He is the owner of Induduzo Funeral Homes and the founder of UHOLOGO Productions that manages many recording artists. Councillor Njilo holds a Diploma in Marketing and Sales Management. What are the economic strengths of the area? The services and government sectors remain very strong but the manufacturing sector is robust, with a number of big manufacturing enterprises, and retail and wholesale also contribute substantially to the city’s GDP. The city is home to the KZN Provincial Government, the Umgungundlovu District government, the provincial Deeds Office and the Supreme Court, all of which makes investment and development easier. Pietermaritzburg is a centre of educational excellence. How important is the municipality’s location on the N3? The N3 is the key transportation corridor connecting Gauteng with the Durban harbour. We have already seen major investments and development along the N3 including Motor City and two new hotels. Please tell us about other recent investments. The city has attracted large scale investments from the private sector and national government. Liberty Midlands Mall is now expanding and further down the N3 the Phase 1 of the Ibhubesi Industrial Park is now complete, both multi-million rand investments. KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2017/18 28

Richards Bay holds great promise for growth in multiple sectors Richards Bay plays a vital role in South Africa’s economy as a port, a mining destination and as a growing centre of large-scale industrial development, but it also a hub for tourism and leisure serving the Zululand tourism region, with the St Lucia wetlands and the Elephant Coast just a short distance away to the north. The City of uMhlathuze encompasses the two main centres of Richards Bay and Empangeni as well as a number of smaller settlements and traditional councils. With a population of about 350 000, the area has good communications (the Port of Richards Bay, the N2 highway and an airport), the headquarters of the University of Zululand and several campuses of the uMfolozi TVET College. Richards Bay has its own tourism attractions, which include the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront and game fishing. The hills of Zululand host many cultural villages where traditional culture can be experienced, and where the sites can be seen of old battles between Zulu, Boer and Brit. Wonderful safaris are on offer at Thanda, Thula Thula, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, Ithala, Opathe and the Zululand Rhino Reserve. The Umfolozi Hotel Convention Resort will host the Pan-African Health Tourism Congress, the first of its kind, in June 2017. The congress will investigate how this growing sector can develop even further with sessions on investment, destinations and education. Port of opportunity The Port of Richards Bay has been expanding its capacity at a fast rate. In dealing with 80-million tons of cargo annually (60% of South Africa’s seaborne cargo), it is not only the leading port in terms of volume, it is also the largest port in South Africa. A strong selling point for the port is its deepwater infrastructure, encompassing a maximum permissible draught of 17.5 metres. Together with excellent terminal infrastructure and professional management, this allows for quick turnarounds. The Port has six cargo handling terminals and covers 2 174ha of land. The Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) has the capacity to export 91-million tons of coal in a year. In November 2016 a new monthly record of over 8 000Mt was set. If that rate of export was extended over a year, 97Mt/a could be handled through the RBCT. The Port of Richards Bay is also associated with the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ). Recent developments at RBIDZ have seen an investment in an oil and gas facility and it is hoped that the ocean will yield finds of gas to provide cheap feedstock. Mozambique has very strong reserves of offshore gas. The decision by the national Department of Energy to allocate to Richards Bay a 2 000MW power 29 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2017/18

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