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KwaZulu-Natal Business 2019-20 edition

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A unique business and investment guide to KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa. The 2019/20 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 11th issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide for the KwaZulu-Natal Province. In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key economic sectors of the province, there is a special feature on the surge in investment in new tourism projects, from casino expansions to the building of a dedicated cruise-liner terminal. Another special feature surveys other large investments in a wide variety of sectors, showing the diversity and strength of the provincial economy. For monthly updates about the region, subscribe at https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/subscribe/ or visit our portal at https://www.globalafricanetwork.com/category/regions/kwazulu-natal/

SPECIAL FEATURE the

SPECIAL FEATURE the hotel and the shopping mall sections of the planned complex are going ahead. A 207-room Hilton Garden Inn will be operating at Umhlanga Arch by 2020. Hilton Durban acquired a new owner in 2018 when Bin Otaiba Hotels bought it, together with four hotels in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Hotels More than 20 000 delegates will use the Durban ICC in 2019. In the 2017/18 financial year, the venue hosted 450 events, contributed R4.7-billion to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product and created 9 474 jobs. Durban's hosting of the Tourism Indaba further supports the idea that the province is a major conference destination. More than 7 000 delegates are annually attracted to exhibit South Africa's assets to international tour operators. The city has secured the Tourism Indaba until 2022. The range of topics covered by recent conferences held in KwaZulu-Natal is wide and includes the World News Media Congress, the Pan-African Health Tourism Congress, the National Association of Automotive Components and Allied Manufactures (NAACAM) Show and the Durban Maritime Summit. Premier Hotels & Resorts will spend about R420-million on two new hotels at Umhlanga. Currently under construction, the hotel complex is located alongside the Gateway Theatre of Shopping next to Umhlanga Ridge. The four-star Premier Hotel will have 130 rooms while the threestar Splendid Inn by Premier will be equipped with 64 bedrooms. The group has hotels and resorts in six provinces. A new Radisson Blu Hotel will open in Umhlanga Rocks as part of the ambitious R3-billion Oceans Umhlanga development. Some construction work has been halted because of problems experienced by construction companies, but it seems that Research by Tourism KwaZulu-Natal shows that the coastal province consistently has the best hotel occupancies in the country. Protea Hotels has 18 properties in the province, with seven in Durban including the Protea Hotel Edward. The upgrading of the Point area between the beach and the Port of Durban has resulted in major investments. The Docklands Hotel at the Durban Waterfront is a four-star Signature development that cost about R100-million to develop. The Royal Hotel in the heart of Durban is one of eight Three Cities Group hotels in the province. The Golden Horse Casino Hotel is a Three Cities property, and the Group administers the International Hotel School in Westville that is also home to the Christine Martin School of Food and Wine. IFA Hotels & Resorts runs several luxury properties including the Zimbali Coastal Resort and Zimbali Lakes Resort. Signature Life Hotels has 13 properties and Gooderson Leisure has a varied portfolio. Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom, a Sun International property, is north of Durban between Umdloti and Umhlanga. The casinos in Newcastle (Century City), Empangeni (Tusk Umfolozi Casino) and Pietermaritzburg (Golden Horse Casino) are run by Century Casinos Newcastle, Peermont Global and Akani Msunduzi Management respectively. Airbnb is a fast-growing option in South Africa. The Airbnb visitors to South Africa in 2016 engaged in R2.4-billion worth of economic activity. Durban had the largest increase in Airbnb bookings from the previous year. KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2019/20 20

SPECIAL FEATURE Regions Several of KwaZulu-Natal’s regions are investing in tourism projects. Harry Gwala Dramatic mountain landscapes and a plentiful supply of water help make this district perfectly suited to tourism. The main towns are Kokstad and Ixopo. The Drakensberg Mountains define the district’s western boundary. The Harry Gwala Development Agency believes that niche sectors such as avi-tourism (birding), rail tourism and mission tourism hold great potential. Umkhanyakude The Isimangaliso Wetland Park extends 220km along the northern reaches of the province, to the border with Mozambique, and offers unrivalled birding, game viewing, deep-sea fishing, turtle tours, kayaking and whale-watching. It is a World Heritage Site and, together with the HluhluweuMfolozi Game Reserve, forms the core of the tourism and conservation offering in the province. With agriculture the other dominant economic activity in the area, any new investment would have to be ecologically sensitive. A new entertainment complex at Hlungweni Peninsula within the Tembe Tribal Authority, 30km north of Sodwana Bay, is being contemplated. Uthukela Larger towns include Estcourt, Colenso and Ladysmith. Predominantly rural, the district encompasses two of the greatest natural assets in the province in the Thukela River and a part of ANNUAL SPORTING EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS January. Dusi Canoe Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban. February. Midmar Mile, Midmar Dam. April. Durban International Boat and Leisure Show, Durban. May. Tourism Indaba, Durban. Comrades Marathon, Pietermaritzburg to Durban. June. Mr Price Pro international surfing contest, Ballito. July. The Durban July, Greyville. August. Durban International Film Festival, Durban. September. Dolphin Coast Ultra, North Coast. KZN Music Imbizo, Durban. October. Zululand Expo. Richards Bay. Berg and Bush bicycle race, Drakensberg. the Drakensberg mountain range, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. A cableway system in the Drakensberg (near Bergville) with entertainment and accommodation facilities has been mooted. Zululand Zululand is a popular destination for cultural experiences and the area is rich in Zulu history and Anglo-Boer War history. Vryheid and Ulundi are the main towns. A possible development of a heritage site at Nongoma has been suggested to serve as a catalyst for other sites to offer traditional Zulu experiences, including arts and crafts, agriprocessing, traditional medicines and cosmetics and leveraging the profusion of aloe plants in the district. 21 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2019/20

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