KwaZulu-Natal Business 2023-24
A unique guide to business and investment in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. The 2023/24 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 15th 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 growth and importance of the recycling sector, with increasing activity covering cover paper, board, e-waste and rubber. The overview of the regional economy notes the importance of energy and the steps being taken by KwaZulu-Natal to turn Richards Bay into an energy hub. The fact that the province is also angling to create additional Special Economic Zones suggests that the two existing zones, at Richards Bay and the Dube TradePort at King Shaka International Airport, are living up to expectations in terms of attracting investment and boosting employment. The creation of a joint venture by Transnet and a private operator of ports is a significant step for the Port of Durban. To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition, the full content can also be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com under ebooks. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.gan.co.za, in addition to our complementary business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, our flagship South African Business title and the latest addition to our list of publications, Journal of African Business, which was launched in 2020.
A unique guide to business and investment in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
The 2023/24 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 15th 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 growth and importance of the recycling sector, with increasing activity covering cover paper, board, e-waste and rubber.
The overview of the regional economy notes the importance of energy and the steps being taken by KwaZulu-Natal to turn Richards Bay into an energy hub. The fact that the province is also angling to create additional Special Economic Zones suggests that the two existing zones, at Richards Bay and the Dube TradePort at King Shaka International Airport, are living up to expectations in terms of attracting investment and boosting employment. The creation of a joint venture by Transnet and a private operator of ports is a significant step for the Port of Durban.
To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition, the full content can also be viewed online at www.globalafricanetwork.com under ebooks. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.gan.co.za, in addition to our complementary business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, our flagship South African Business title and the latest addition to our list of publications, Journal of African Business, which was launched in 2020.
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Oil and gas<br />
Richards Bay will host a gas power plant.<br />
OVERVIEW<br />
SECTOR INSIGHT<br />
Eni has agreed to<br />
explore offshore.<br />
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has<br />
approved an application from national utility Eskom to build<br />
a 3 000MW gas power station in Richards Bay.<br />
An allocation of 3 126MW to natural gas has been made<br />
in the national medium-term energy policy to 2030. The National<br />
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy allocated one of the first<br />
two gas-to-power plants to be constructed under the Independent<br />
Power Producer Procurement Programme (IPPPP) to Richards Bay,<br />
pictured. This has the potential to turn the Richards Bay Industrial<br />
Development Zone (RBIDZ) into an energy hub.<br />
Environmental groups have lodged appeals in an attempt to stop<br />
the building of the plant, which is a step along the pathway outlined<br />
by national government to use gas as a “transitional fuel”, away from<br />
fossil fuels towards greener sources of power.<br />
The Port of Richards Bay is investing in new infrastructure. The<br />
supply of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is set to be made much easier<br />
and more reliable with the erection of the 22 600-ton Mounded LPG<br />
Facility at Richards Bay.<br />
In reaction to the announcement in 2022 by Shell Downstream<br />
South Africa and bp Southern Africa of a “spend freeze” and a pause<br />
in operations at the SAPREF oil refinery in Durban, the Provincial<br />
Government of <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> intends facilitating meetings with these<br />
companies and other interested parties to try to find a way to restart<br />
operations at this important facility. The refinery accounts for roughly<br />
35% of the country’s refinery capacity and is likely to be offered for sale.<br />
ONLINE RESOURCES<br />
National Energy Regulator of South Africa: www.nersa.org.za<br />
Petroleum Agency SA: www.petroleumagencysa.com<br />
Durban’s other oil refinery,<br />
Enref, was hit by a fire in<br />
December 2020 and there are<br />
plans to convert it to a storage<br />
facility. South Africa is a net<br />
importer of fuel and the Port<br />
of Durban handles 80% of<br />
South Africa’s fuel imports.The<br />
regulator and promoter of oil<br />
and gas exploration in South<br />
Africa, Petroleum Agency South<br />
Africa, has awarded coalbedmethane<br />
gas exploration rights<br />
in <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> to NT Energy<br />
Africa, which has a partnership<br />
with the Central Energy Fund.<br />
These awards are for onshore<br />
exploration. Petroleum Agency<br />
SA is an agency of the National<br />
Department of Mineral<br />
Resources and Energy (DMRE)<br />
Eni, one of the world’s biggest<br />
energy companies, has an<br />
agreement with Sasol Petroleum<br />
International to explore for<br />
hydrocarbons off the coast of<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong>.<br />
Getting fuel to the province<br />
of Gauteng is the key mission of<br />
the new multi-purpose pipeline<br />
(NMPP). Refined products such as<br />
jet fuel, sulphur diesel and both<br />
kinds of octane petrol are carried.<br />
The infrastructure of Transnet<br />
Pipelines is said to reduce the<br />
number of fuel tankers on South<br />
African roads by about 60%. ■<br />
PHOTO: TNPA 23<br />
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS <strong>2023</strong>/<strong>24</strong>
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