KwaZulu-Natal Business 2026

KWAZULU-NATAL
BUSINESS
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN THE KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
2026 EDITION
JOIN US ONLINE
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.KWAZULUNATALBUSINESS.CO.ZA
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DURBAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY NPC
ABOUT THE DURBAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY NPC
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC was established in 1856 and
is the oldest and largest metropolitan chamber in Africa. As a business-based and
eThekwini business community.
The Durban Chamber does this by:
policy decisions that affect

CITY THAT’S
GEARED
FOR GROWTH
A true smart city, Durban is the largest economy on the east
coast of Africa, seamlessly combining an innovative business
environment with an exciting and contemporary lifestyle.
Home to Africa’s premier port and the continent’s very first
Aerotropolis.
Our top ranked conferencing city boasts world-class
infrastructure and a thriving industrial development zone catering for
agro-processing, time sensitive manufacturing products, as well as
modern road and rail infrastructure. Connecting continents, Durban’s
state-of-the-art international airport serves passengers as well as air
freight, ensuring unparalleled access to global supply chains. Constantly
evolving and rich in business opportunities, it is time to invest in Durban!
…We can help you make it happen, now.
WHY DURBAN?
Home to about 3,5
million people 1
Third largest metropolis in the country –
after Johannesburg and Cape Town
Total area size is approximately
2 297 square kilometres
2
3

A THRIVING HUB OF
BUSINESS AND LEISURE,
DURBAN IS ONE OF AFRICA’S
MOST LIVEABLE CITIES.
Tel: +27 31 311 4227
Email: invest@durban.gov.za
Web: invest.durban
#investdurban

Developing and promoting
Durban business
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry offers a wide variety
of services to members, debates current issues through Standing
Forums and advocates for business in the appropriate forums.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Access to the international market
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC
assists you in expanding your business globally by
connecting you with international chambers around the
world. This means that our members have complete access
to international chambers of commerce and embassies,
thus opening a world of possibilities and business
opportunities internationally.
Certificates of Origin
Through our International Business Unit, we produce
Certificates of Origin (CO). A CO is a document required for
all export processes to prove that the goods are from South
Africa, the country of origin. We pride ourselves on being a
reputable organisation that is respected in industry. Our CO
business is governed by strict compliance guidelines and
principles which ensure that every CO produced by the
chamber for your product will be 100% vetted and compliant.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
SMME support
Through the Business Development division, the Durban
Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to support and
transform small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs),
including informal businesses in the Durban area, into
sustainable businesses ready to do business with large
entities. We offer non-financial assistance such as skills
development, mentorship, networking workshops and oneon-one
consultations.
Company and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)
Durban Chamber has been trusted by CIPC to be the agency
that does most of the business legalities in KwaZulu-Natal
such as company registrations, CIPC annual returns, name
changing, company amendments, directors’ amendments
and company name reservations.
Informal sector business assistance
The Durban Chamber has more than 54 000 informal
traders who receive assistance with their business needs
through the associations they belong into. These businesses
have a special membership package which is discounted
to accommodate them. Just like SMMEs, they receive nonfinancial
support such as skills development, mentorship,
networking workshops and one-on-one consultations.
POLICY AND ADVOCACY
We continue to add value for our members through our robust
interactions and partnerships with both the private and public
sectors. These initiatives are over and above the numerous
value-adding services offered by the chamber and our system
of Standing Forums, which meet regularly to consider and
debate relevant issues within the sectors that they represent.
Our policy and advocacy initiatives ensure that we
are constantly:
• Identifying government policies relevant to business in
Durban and KwaZulu-Natal
• Informing, through research and giving a broader
perspective and on such policies
• Liaising with relevant institutional structures to enhance
robust collaboration
• Amplifying core issues that impact business with short,
medium and long-term perspectives
• Promoting an appreciation of broad-based economic,
social and environmental sustainability
• Advocating good practices to our members and
enabling policy for the city, province and state
• Assisting in promoting partnership approaches to
complex problematic issues affecting business
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

Uplift Hub
membership
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry has launched
an affordable membership package for startups.
Our vision, “In Business for a
Better World”, drives us to create
an enabling environment where
businesses thrive. Supporting
corporates, SMEs, youth
entrepreneurs and the informal
sector remains a top priority.
Following our 2023 strategic
review, we streamlined our approach
into three pillars: VOICE, GROW,
OPTIMISE. This strategy emphasises
developing and supporting SMEs,
youth and informal businesses –
key contributors to job creation
and economic growth through
entrepreneurship.
As a response to the business
need, the Durban Chamber of
Commerce and Industry NPC
launched a package that is tailormade
to suit the needs of startup
businesses and informal businesses
that need to be formalised. This
was the birth of Uplift Hub, an
affordable membership package
for all startup business needs.
Uplift Hub officially launched to
members in April 2025.
UPLIFT HUB TIER
This platform is dedicated to uplifting
and empowering youth and informal
traders, guiding them towards
formalisation and sustainable
growth. It targets individuals from
the career foundation phase:
from Grade 10 learners to youth
entrepreneurs up to age 35, who are
starting their business journey.
Member benefits
• Community engagement
programmes (including Business
Imbizos in partnership with
municipalities and Sizakala
Centres)
• Advertising opportunities and
discounted rates
• Small business exhibitions
• Venue hire and facilitation
support
• ITC checks and SARS workshops
• Business compliance assistance
• Youth entrepreneurship
programmes
• Educational business workshops
and information sessions
• Discounted membership fees
and Certificate of Origin services
• Excellence awards
• HR telephonic support and
CCMA workshops
The Uplift Hub aims to equip young
entrepreneurs with skills, resources
and networks to drive positive
change, foster economic growth and
empower emerging businesses.
For more information visit our website on www.durbanchamber.co.za or email us on
membership@durbanchamber.co.za
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC
#InBusinessForABetterWorld
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC holds the
distinction of being the oldest and largest metropolitan chamber
in Africa, having been established in 1856. Our primary objective is
to serve the business community in eThekwini by advocating and
lobbying for their interests. Our organisation has a member-focused
approach, ensuring that their needs are prioritised. We take pride
in our brand, which is built on strong values, trust and integrity,
making us the preferred choice of chamber for our members.
As the oldest metropolitan chamber in Africa, we are
committed to delivering exceptional value to our members
through our dynamic collaborations with the private and
public sectors. Our efforts go beyond the vast array of valueadded
services that we provide. We have established a network
of 20 Standing Forums that convene frequently to discuss and
deliberate on pertinent matters within their
respective industries. By doing so, we ensure
that our members are well-informed and
equipped to navigate the ever-evolving
business landscape.
The Durban Chamber also offers
membership. We believe in MEMBERSHIP
THROUGH FELLOWSHIP and CREATING
PARTNERSHIPS. Therefore RELATIONSHIPS
are the true currency of commerce. The
Durban Chamber facilitates our members’
development of business relationships
with one another, as well as with other key
stakeholders to promote economic growth.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Tel: +27 31 335 1000
Website: www.durbanchamber.co.za
Chief Executive Officer: Palesa Phili
Email: ceo@durbanchamber.co.za
Marketing and Communications
Email: marketing@durbanchamber.co.za
Business Development
Email: info@durbanchamber.co.za

E S T 1 8 5 6
DURBAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY NPC
A: 101 Isaiah Ntshangase Road, Durban 4001 | E: info@durbanchamber.co.za
W: www.durbanchamber.co.za | T: +27 31 335 1000
ABOUT THE DURBAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY NPC
The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC was established in 1856 and
is the oldest and largest metropolitan chamber in Africa. As a business-based and
eThekwini business community.
The Durban Chamber does this by:
policy decisions that affect
the interests of business
(labour laws, tax and business
• Offering business support
services and advice (CIPC,
Human Resources/Capital,
more); and
with both private and public sector.
relevant to decision-making
process.
CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS BENEFITS
CONTENTS
KwaZulu-Natal Business 2026 Edition
Introduction
Foreword 5
A unique guide to business and
investment in KwaZulu-Natal.
Special features
Regional overview of KwaZulu-Natal 6
Concrete steps are being taken to move freight from
road to rail and the partial privatisation of logistics
infrastructure is moving ahead. Public and private
investments into the province’s three ports – the
harbours of Richards Bay and Durban and the Dube
TradePort Special Economic Zone at the King Shaka
International Airport – are welcome signs confirming
KwaZulu-Natal’s primacy as a logistics destination.
Cranes and scaffolding
are rising all over KwaZulu-Natal 9
The province’s construction and
property sectors are booming.
Economic sectors
Agriculture 16
Food security is an urgent issue.
Forestry and paper 18
Communities are benefitting from
forestry partnerships.
Oil and gas 20
An LNG terminal at Richards Bay
could be a gamechanger.
Mining 21
The Zulti South project has been resumed.
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
4
Energy 24
Toyota sets target date for renewables-only plant
Water 25
Conservation efforts are paying off.
Manufacturing 26
Ethanol from waste is a reality.
Automotive 27
Mahindra is mulling becoming an OEM.
Transport and logistics 28
Terminal deal goes ahead after court ruling.
ICT 29
A tech hub has been launched.
Tourism 30
Sustainable practices are good for business.
Film 31
New body aims to boost film sector.
Education and training 32
The Mkhuze Skills Centre is to become
a SMART Skills Centre
Development finance
and SMME support 34
Local suppliers are finding a niche.
Banking and financial services 35
Ithala’s future is under discussion.
KWAZULU-NATAL
BUSINESS
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN THE KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
JOIN US ONLINE
2026 EDITION
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.KWAZULUNATALBUSINESS.CO.ZA
ABOUT THE COVER: Top left,
then clockwise: The Drakensberg
offers compelling vistas (The
Cavern); recycling is big business
(Mpact); Mahindra has launched
a new assembly plant (Mahindra
Group); a private company will
operate Durban’s Container
Terminal 2 (Transnet Port Terminals);
capacity at the Dube TradePort
manufacturing facility of Yangtze
Optics Africa Cable has been
expanded (YOA Cable); Zimbali
Lodge on the North Coast has been
upgraded (Dream Hotels & Resorts.
IN BUSINESS FOR A
BETTER WORLD

KwaZulu-Natal Business
A unique guide to business and investment in KwaZulu-Natal.
Credits
Publishing director:
Chris Whales
Editor: John Young
Managing director:
Clive During
Online editor:
Christoff Scholtz
Designers:
Elmethra de Bruyn, Simon Lewis
Production:
Ashley van Schalkwyk
Project manager:
Chris Hoffman
Account managers:
Gabriel Venter
Vanessa Wallace
Administration & accounts:
Sharon Angus-Leppan
Charlene Steynberg
Kathy Wootton
Distribution and circulation
manager: Edward MacDonald
Printing: FA Print
The 2026 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 17th 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.
A special feature puts the spotlight on the construction and property
sector, which is showing growth in its residential, commercial and industrial
divisions, to the north, west and south of Durban. Semigration from the
north is playing a role, as are the natural attractions of the province’s climate,
beaches and location as regards logistics. The role played in this boom by the
success of successive KwaZulu-Natal Investment Conferences is referenced,
together with the infrastructure base which is being added to on an ongoing
basis by the provincial government and agencies such as SANRAL.
Overviews of each of the main economic sectors of the province outline
the sector’s role in the provincial economy and provide news. For example,
innovations in energy and the production of ethanol are covered, together
with news about restarted mining projects at Richards Bay and the closure of
ArcelorMittal’s plant in Newcastle.
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, The Journal of African Business, which was launched in 2020. ■
Chris Whales
Publisher, Global Africa Network Media | Email: chris@gan.co.za
FOREWORD
DISTRIBUTION
KwaZulu-Natal Business is distributed internationally on
outgoing and incoming trade missions, through trade and
investment agencies; to foreign offices in South Africa’s
main trading partners around the world; at top national
and international events; through the offices of foreign
representatives in South Africa; as well as nationally and
regionally via chambers of commerce, tourism offices,
airport lounges, provincial government departments,
municipalities and companies.
Member of the Audit Bureau
of Circulations
PUBLISHED BY
Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd
Company Registration No: 2004/004982/07
Directors: Clive During, Chris Whales
Physical address: 28 Main Road, Rondebosch 7700
Postal address: PO Box 292, Newlands 7701
Tel: +27 21 657 6200 | Fax: +27 21 674 6943
Email: info@gan.co.za | Website: www.gan.co.za
ISSN 1995-1310
COPYRIGHT | KwaZulu-Natal Business is an independent publication
published by Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd. Full copyright to
the publication vests with Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd.
No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without
the written permission of Global Africa Network Media (Pty) Ltd.
PHOTO CREDITS | ArcelorMittal; CHEP; Collins Residential; Dream
Hotels & Resorts; Dube TradePort; DUT; EIT Group; Karan Beef;
KZNTAFA; Mahindra South Africa; Mpact; The Cavern; Ithala; KZNCTC;
Oceans Umhlanga Mixed-Use Development; PAMSA; Serenity Hills;
SiyaQhubeka Forests; Thanda; TNU/Tufts; TIA; Toyota South Africa;
Transnet Port Terminals..
DISCLAIMER | While the publisher, Global Africa Network Media (Pty)
Ltd, has used all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information
contained in KwaZulu-Natal Business is accurate and up-to-date,
the publishers make no representations as to the accuracy, quality,
timeliness, or completeness of the information. Global Africa Network
will not accept responsibility for any loss or damage suffered as a result
of the use of or any reliance placed on such information.

SPECIAL FEATURE
A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF
KWAZULU-NATAL
An Intermodal Freight Village is proposing a rail solution for truckers near the N3.
Concrete steps are being taken to move freight from road to rail and the partial
privatisation of logistics infrastructure is moving ahead. Public and private investments
into the province’s three ports – the harbours of Richards Bay and Durban and the
Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone at the King Shaka International Airport –
are welcome signs confirming KwaZulu-Natal’s primacy as a logistics destination.
By John Young
One of the most important decisions of
2025 regarding the economy of KwaZulu-
Natal took place in the Durban High
Court where a ruling was made against
an attempt to block an agreement for a private
operator to run Durban Container Terminal 2.
The R11-billion, 25-year deal between state
utility Transnet and Phillipines-based International
Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) was opposed by
Maersk APM Terminals. ICTSI operates in 20 countries
and employs more than 11 000 people. Transnet
will hold 50% plus one share in the JV for 25 years,
with an option to extend to 30 years. From the
initial list of 17 potential partners, ICTSA was
eventually chosen from a shortlist of six. Part of the
plan is to increase the terminal’s handling capacity
from the present 2.9-million TEUs (two-million
20-foot equivalent units) to 11-million TEUs by 2032.
With an earlier Transnet project to partly privatise
some rail branch lines having stalled because the
terms of the projected leases were too short, there
was a danger that the idea of opening up sections
of South Africa’s logistics infrastructure to the market
would stall altogether.
That obstacle was also cleared in 2025, with 10
operators being chosen by Transnet Freight Rail
from 25 applicants to run extra trains on important
commodity routes. None is more important than
the container corridor between Johannesburg
and Durban. This route will have an additional
four companies carrying containers on five routes.
Which outcome will surely come as a relief to drivers
on the N3 highway, South Africa’s busiest road.
A private logistics operator is also responding to
the congestion on the N3. Central to the business
plan of EIT Group’s Estcourt Intermodal Freight
Village is the fact that the town is where the
journey from Johannesburg to Durban becomes
much steeper, with the higher inclines leading
to higher fuel costs for trucks and the risks of
accidents increasing. The plan proposes that loads
get transferred to trains for the final 176km to the
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
6
PHOTO: EIT Group

Container Terminal and Bayhead main rail terminal
at the Durban port.
Supporting the plan is lower warehousing costs in
Estcourt than in bigger centres. In November 2025,
EIT Group announced that it was about to “expand
into a multi-billion-rand operation that will set an
important precedent for containing logistics costs
and making local manufacturers more competitive”.
The Intermodal Freight Village, located on the
former site of a Masonite board manufacturing
facility, is beyond the proof-of-concept phase and
now envisages expansion on both sides of the
railway line. A second terminal will deal with minerals
and “dirty” cargo while the existing (enlarged)
terminal will handle clean cargo. EIT’s first test train
ran in November 2023, and operations officially
began in March 2024. Negotiations with Transnet
Freight Rail delivered three slots to run trains on
the main line to Durban each week with plans to
increase this frequency.
In January 2024 President Cyril Ramaphosa was
on hand to oversee the first goods to leave South
Africa from the Port of Durban under the African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the agreement
whereby most African countries will trade with
one another with greater freedom. This new avenue
for trade makes efficient logistics more important
than ever. Unlike other continents where intracontinental
trade has boosted economic growth,
exports between African countries is at about 16%.
Asia is 55%, North America 49% and the EU 63%.
Durban’s Container Terminal will have a private
operator for the next 25 years.
Conducive environment
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic
Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs
(DEDTEA) has merged several of the entities which
report to it. The changes are designed to improve
efficiencies and boost economic growth. The new
entities are:
KwaZulu-Natal Economic Regulatory Authority:
To regulate the gambling and liquor industries.
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority:
Marketing and promoting the tourism and audiovisual
industries.
Moses Kotane Research Institute: Economic
research, promoting innovation, coordinating
training.
KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund Agency (KZNGFA):
This agency’s Act was approved for listing under
the Public Finance Management Act, and a number
of engagements were held with the public in the
course of 2024/25. With a focus on black-owned
businesses needing funding between R20-million
and R100-million, support is provided in sectors
such as manufacturing, mining, agro-processing,
tourism, healthcare, transport and logistics,
education and energy.
Speaking after presenting his budget in April
2025, the MEC for EDTEA, Rev Musa Zondi, noted
that economic activity in the province was on the
up and up. He said, “Industrial parks are being
revitalised. Small businesses in townships and
rural areas are accessing bulk buying schemes and
finance. Our airports are being upgraded. Our ports
are being modernised. And our energy agenda is
in motion.”
He went on to list a number of economic
indicators and investments to underscore his point:
• R85.2-billion worth of private-sector
commitments at the 2024 KwaZulu-Natal
Investment Conference
• Princess Mkabayi Mall in Vryheid and the Prince
Mangosuthu Buthelezi Mall, Empangeni
• R10.8-billion SAPPI expansion in Umkomaas
• Colenso Power Project, clean-energy facility in
uThukela District
• Expansion of Richards Bay Minerals
• NPC-Hauxin Cement modernisation on the
South Coast
• A new industrial park at the former Karbochem
site in Newcastle
• The cannabis-processing facility in Bergville
PHOTO: Transnet Port Terminals
7 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

At the Mahindra plant launch, Cyril Xaba, Mayor
of eThekwini, Rev Musi Zondi, MEC for Economic
Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs,
and Rajesh Gupta, CEO of Mahindra South Africa.
• The cable-car project in Okhahlamba
• Upgraded airports in Ulundi, Richards Bay and
Mkhuze
The province’s existing infrastructure, good soils
and fine weather provide a solid base for a varied
economy. KwaZulu-Natal has significant capacity in
heavy and light manufacturing, agro-processing and
mineral beneficiation, all of which is supported by
South Africa’s two busiest ports (Richards Bay and
Durban), the country’s most active highway (the N3),
a modern international airport and pipelines that
carry liquids of all types to and from the economic
powerhouse of the country around Johannesburg in
the interior.
Mondi and Sappi, two global giants in forestry,
paper and packaging, have a significant presence in
KwaZulu-Natal.
Tourism is a key sector in the KwaZulu-Natal
economy and provides livelihoods to many thousands
of families in urban and rural areas. A number of
flights have been resumed to King Shaka International
Airport by the likes of Turkish Airlines and a new flight
has been inaugurated by SA Airlink, connecting the
province to Zimbabwe.
The provincial government is working on an
investment pipeline, through the Special Economic
Zones (SEZs), of R22-billion. The SEZs at Richards
Bay and King Shaka International Airport (the Dube
TradePort) are key components of the strategy and are
now well-established nodes of investment.
In 2024, Dube TradePort’s Trade Zone 2 reported
R1.4-billion earmarked for construction projects
and the Ogihara SA manufacturing facility is nearly
complete. Since inception Dube TradePort has
attracted R4.6-billion in private-sector investments
and created over 5 000 permanent jobs and
51 000 indirect jobs (SOPA).
At Richards Bay Industrial Development
Zone Nyanza Light Metals were busy with
site preparation at the start of 2025 and
were expected to begin construction of the
commercial plant later in the year. In October
2025, IOL reported that the African Development
Bank (AfDB) had approved $75-million for
Nyanza’s large-scale titanium processing plant.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and
the Zululand Energy Terminals Consortium are
yet to make a final decision to invest in an LNG
Terminal in Richards Bay but they have been
chosen as the preferred operators.
Automotive excellence
Mahindra, which has operated a semi-knockeddown
assembly plant at a site in the Dube
TradePort since 2018, opened a new plant
nearby in 2025. The modern plant will assemble
Pik Up single-cab and double-cab models
and will scale up as demand increases.
Mahindra is also investigating whether or not
to build a full-scale manufacturing plant and
is doing a feasibility study with the Industrial
Development Corporation.
KwaZulu-Natal’s two biggest original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Toyota South
Africa and Bell Equipment, are among the
province’s biggest exporters. From its factory
south of Durban Toyota exported 71 014 Hilux
vehicles in 2023, to go with the 37 382 units of
the same model that it sold locally.
About 40% of Bell Equipment’s South African
turnover is accounted for by exports, which are
sent to more than 80 countries. The company
has a large plant in Richards Bay as well as a
facility in Germany. Bell was the first winner,
in 2019, of the Exporter of the Year Awards for
capital equipment manufacturers offered by the
South African Capital Equipment Export Council.
In 2023, Bell launched a new division, Bell
Heavy Industries. Project engineering and
contract manufacturing will be the focus of
the division, which builds on seven decades
of experience in complex engineering, heavy
fabrication and machining for its own range of
material handling equipment. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
8
PHOTO: Mahindra South Africa

Cranes and scaffolding are
rising all over KwaZulu-Natal
The province’s construction and property sectors are booming.
SPECIAL FEATURE
By John Young
The North Oceans Umhlanga Residential Tower.
From eco-estates in the south and industrial
parks and new cities in Durban’s Outer
West, to towering apartment blocks
and luxury estates on the North Coast,
developers and builders are hard at work creating
new structures in KwaZulu-Natal.
A Moneyweb article in October 2025, under
the headline “KZN emerges as SA’s next property
powerhouse”, focussed on the private sector’s
appetite for new projects across residential,
industrial and commercial markets. Wesley
Cowan, Managing Director of Galetti Auction,
was reported as noting that gated estates,
retail centres and top-performing schools were
attracting many semigrants and families.
It is not only the private sector that is
concentrating on construction. The KwaZulu-Natal
Provincial Government hosted a “Build KZN Better
Conference” in January 2025 where possible publicprivate
partnerships were discussed, for example in
the repurposing of unused government buildings.
The Ithala Development Finance Corporation,
which falls under the province’s Department of
Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental
Affairs (DEDTEA), is putting R214-million into seven
of the properties it manages to optimise income
while a further R2-million is to be channelled
into helping 700 youth, women and people with
disabilities secure employment in the property and
real-estate sector.
The boom in construction and property is
happening in the context of the successful
conclusion of KZN Investment Conferences in
2024 and 2025, where investment pledges in a
wider range of sectors of R75.8-billion and “over
R100-billion” (TIKZN) were secured. Midway through
2025, about 80% of the pledges from the 2024
conference were under construction.
PHOTO: Oceans Umhlanga Mixed-Use Development
9 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

SPECIAL FEATURE
North Coast
Club Med’s first property in South Africa is set to
open in July 2026 at Tinley Manor near Ballito. The
R2-billion investment is expected to create 2 000
jobs.
In July 2025, the R1.4-billion North Oceans
Umhlanga Residential Tower was officially
launched by the Oceans Umhlanga Mixed-Use
Development.
The North Tower is one component of
the R4.3-billion Oceans Umhlanga Mixed-Use
Development, which includes the Oceans Mall and
the five-star Radisson Blu Durban Umhlanga Hotel.
The North Tower offers 258 apartments, ranging
from studios to four-bedroom unit (including
penthouses) all designed with ocean-facing views.
Sugar giant Tongaat Hulett has been a
significant force in development in KwaZulu-
Natal for many years, gradually offloading parts
of its huge land holdings. About 20km north of
Durban, near eMdloti, the company started selling
off parcels of land to developers in what became
the Sibaya Coastal Precinct, rebranded in 2025
to Sibaya Precinct. Since 2016 there have been
the launches of Signature Sibaya, Pebble Beach,
Shoreline, Coral Point, Gold Coast Estate and Salta
Sibaya Estate (including Mt Cotton and Capri
Village). The Marine Walk Shopping Centre was
added in 2022. The Devcom has been a driving
force in the development (the “master developer”)
of the precinct, the newest estate to be offered
being Oasis Sibaya, launched in 2024.
Zimbali Lakes Resort, developed by IFA Hotels
& Resorts, expects to have sold all of the available
plots by the middle of 2026. By September
2024, sales had reached R1.6-billion in five years.
IFA, which built the original Zimbali Coast Resort
in 2005, has secured a R175-million infrastructure
facility with ABSA bank for the Lakes Resort’s
further development. Ernie Els has designed the
golf course and has chosen to live on the estate.
With the King Shaka International Airport and
the adjacent Dube TradePort very much part of
the economy of the North Coast, property in
the area is far from being exclusively residential.
Towns such as Mount Edgecombe, Musgrave and
Mobeni have their own economic and industrial
profiles and the Cornubia Industrial and Business
Road infrastructure to make property development
possible. Geoff Perkins of Collins Residential, Justice
Chauke of SANRAL, Mayor Cllr Ngidi and Inkosi Jiba
Magwaza on the site of N2 Interchange cutting
the ribbon.
Estate (CIBE) is intended to be only the first part of a
huge complex encompassing retail and residential
components that will transform the area between
Umhlanga and Verulam.
Vital to any kind of property development is
infrastructure. Among Collins Residential’s many
developments (Club Med being the latest in
which it is involved) are Seaton Estate and Lalela
Estate, with the N2 running between them. The
R110-million Seaton Interchange project was
launched in April 2024, “spearheaded by Collins
Residential, in collaboration with SANRAL”, an
example of a private-public partnership that delivers
useful infrastructure.
Durban’s Outer West
Two significant industrial developments have
broken ground south of the N3 to the west
of Durban. Strategically near the Mariannhill
Toll Plaza along the N3, Giba Business Park is
intended by developers Sultex Investments to
create opportunities for the logistics companies
and SMMEs in the light-industrial sector.
Interchanges with the N2 and the M7 are within
10km of the site.
Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda, the Mayor of
eThekwini who attended the launch of the Park, said
that it formed part of the city’s 10-Point Industrial
Plan, that included projects such as Cornubia and
Riverhorse Valley to the north of the city and the
proposed Automotive Supplier Park to the south.
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
10
PHOTO: Collins Residential

SPECIAL FEATURE
Serenity Hills on the Mid-South Coast offers
extensive hiking and biking trails through 70ha
of conservation area.
A major upgrade of the N3 is underway which
will have positive spinoffs for investors, as will
the development by Transnet of a dry port and
logistics hub at Cato Ridge.
Hammarsdale precinct is receiving investments
from a variety of developers and Westown at
Ntshongweni, just a few kilometres further down
the N3, looks set to be a major node.
Touted by developers Fundamentum Property
Group as the new ”City of the West and the
new economic hub for Durban’s Outer West”,
Westown’s retail and dining component opened
in March 2025. Residential components, including
Shongweni Eco Park by Balwin, will make up the
100ha Westown Urban Core. The developers
expect about R15-billion in investments to follow
the R1.3-billion generated to support the Westown
Square retail section.
South Coast
Scottburgh and Hibberdene, both towns in the
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality south of Durban, have
been identified as possible sites for small harbours.
Both have been tagged as Tier 2 sites by the
Small Harbours Development Programme of the
Department of Public Works and Infrastructure
(DPWI) while the proposed Port Shepstone Small
Craft Harbour, further south along the coast, has
been designated a Tier 1 catalytic site. Any or
all of these developments will prompt further
development, not least in the property sector.
Serenity Hills, an eco-estate inland from
Margate, offers hiking and biking trails within
a 70ha conservation area. Renishaw Hills is
aimed at over-50s in Scottburgh and is the first
development in an ambitious Renishaw Coastal
Precinct put together by Renishaw Property
Developments, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Crookes
Brothers. Five interconnected nodes will ultimately
become a mixed-use precinct. As the Managing
Director of Renishaw Barto van der Merwe says,
“Our vision is to create a self-reliant, sustainable
commuter development that offers significant
investor advantages.” The total area is 1 300ha, with
80% pledged to conservation, and lies between
Umdoni in the south and eThekwini in the north.
Another new development at Pennington,
Umdoni Point Coastal Forest Estates, also
emphasises its natural assets. ■
PHOTO: Serenity Hills
11 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

Come and invest in iLembe District
PROFILE
Unlocking opportunity in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast.
The agency promotes trade and investment with other African countries and beyond.
The region’s heritage offering
includes an opportunity to study
Nobel Peace Prize winner Chief
Albert Luthuli.
Enterprise iLembe is the economic development
agency wholly owned by iLembe District
Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South
Africa. As the economic development agency
of the iLembe District Municipality, Enterprise iLembe
plays a pivotal role in transforming the district into a
thriving hub for economic growth and sustainable
development.
Strategically nestled between the country’s two
busiest ports – Durban and Richards Bay – and within
close proximity to King Shaka International Airport
and the Dube TradePort, the iLembe District is primed
for investment. This advantageous location offers
unmatched logistical access to global markets, making
it an ideal destination for investors in manufacturing,
logistics, tourism, agriculture and trade.
Why invest in iLembe?
Enterprise iLembe is committed to creating an enabling
environment for business. Through its comprehensive
support programmes, the agency facilitates:
• Business development and mentorship for
entrepreneurs
• Job-creation initiatives across sectors
• Strategic investment partnerships
• Tourism promotion and infrastructure development
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
12

PROFILE
Whether you’re a seasoned investor or a startup
looking for fertile ground, iLembe offers a businessfriendly
climate supported by government incentives and
a strong developmental agenda.
Discover the North Coast’s natural and cultural treasures
Investing in iLembe is not only about business – it’s
about becoming part of a region rich in history, culture
and natural wonders. The North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal
is affectionately known as the Dolphin Coast for its yearround
sightings of these magnificent creatures. But
beyond the sea, there lies a vibrant tapestry of heritage,
from ancient Zulu traditions to colonial landmarks and
community-driven cultural experiences.
Breakfast events provide
an opportunity to mentor
entrepreneurs.
Unlocking opportunity
in the heart of KwaZulu-
Natal’s North Coast.
Visitors and residents alike can explore:
• Unspoiled beaches and world-class resorts
• Scenic sugarcane plantations and lush forests
• Game reserves and eco-tourism adventures
• Cultural heritage sites and township
experiences
Whether it’s hiking, surfing, wildlife viewing
or immersing yourself in local arts and crafts,
the North Coast offers a high quality of
life and diverse tourism opportunities that
complement business ventures.
CEO
Siyabonga
Mazibuko.
Join the future of economic growth
Enterprise iLembe is more than an agency
– it’s a partner in building a prosperous
future. The district is already home
to several successful agro-processing,
manufacturing and tourism enterprises that
demonstrate the region’s potential.
COME EXPLORE WHERE GROWTH IS GREEN
AND THE FUTURE IS ROOTED IN POTENTIAL.
#iLembe_District: The heart of opportunity, the soul of the Zulu Kingdom
13 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

KEY SECTORS
Overviews of the key economic sectors of KwaZulu-Natal
Agriculture 16
Forestry and paper 18
Oil and gas 20
Mining 21
Energy 24
Water 25
Manufacturing 26
Automotive 27
Transport and logistics 28
ICT 29
Tourism 30
Film 31
Education
and training 32
Development finance
and SMME support 34
Banking and
financial services 35

Major upgrades of the accommodation, dining and event spaces at Zimbali Lodge on the North Coast
aim to connect the public areas more directly with the surrounding landscape, with materials and
lighting chosen to highlight the lodge’s setting within the Zimbali estate. The conference centre has been
redeveloped from the ground up, supported by landscaped terraces and informal breakout zones.
PHOTO: Dream Hotels & Resorts

OVERVIEW
Agriculture
Food security is an urgent issue.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Beef quarantine facilities
are to be built.
ponds have been created to
encourage fish farming. The area,
within the uMkhanyakude District
Municipality in the far northern
part of the province, is very rural
and there are few sources of
income.
Non-profit organisation Thanda is expanding its Food
Security and Economic Development (FSED) Initiative with
a renewed focus on young farmers. A Youth Case Study Farm
is planned where eight young farmers will tend their own
plots while undergoing training.
Farmers who participated in the scheme in 2024 earned
R3.6-million in direct income and Thanda wants to see young people
stepping up as producers, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
“When we first started the FSED Initiative 10 years ago, farming
here meant sugar beans and amadumbe [Taro], planted by the
elderly,” says Angela Larkan, Thanda’s Executive Director and Co-
Founder. “Now, young people are farming with intention and
innovation.”
A case in point is Mzwandile Cele, pictured, from Bulhebukhona
Farm, Mtwalume, south of Durban. Over a three-year period, he has
undergone training in business planning and is seeing results as a
farmer and as an entrepreneur.
Karan Beef, Africa’s biggest beef producer, will establish four
beef quarantine facilities that will benefit historically disadvantaged
livestock farmers. This will give farmers greater access to the value
chain. Karan Beef has three feedlots, two in Gauteng and one at
Albert Falls, about 20km north of Pietermaritzburg. Across these
facilities, the company oversees more than 200 000 animals.
Another initiative of the provincial government is making up
to R2-million per smallholder or emerging farmer available for
the funding of projects that will contribute to food security or that
involve the commercialisation of an existing project.
At uTshwayelo in the uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality 12
Sugar industry
Sugar farmers continue to be
under pressure. There are 65 000
people directly employed in the
sector, with a further 270 000
jobs along the value chain.
A Sugarcane Value Chain Master
Plan to 2030 has been created
which includes the idea of
diversification into fields such
as electricity generation from
biomass (which already occurs at
several mills) and the creation of
ethanol, a platform chemical for
products such as bio-polyethylene
and sustainable aviation fuel.
Industry representatives have
argued that a proposed sugar
tax works directly against the
objectives of the Master Plan.
A specific part of the
diversification plan came to
fruition in October 2025 with
the launch of an energy drink.
Buffeted by sugar taxes, cheap
imports and tariffs on exports,
the sector has seen two mills in
KwaZulu-Natal close permanently
and many job losses.
The new energy drink is called
Shesha and it is produced by
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
16
PHOTO: Thanda

OVERVIEW
The Sugar Terminal at Maydon
Wharf, Durban, can store more
than half-a-million tons of sugar. It
also has a molasses mixing plant.
Albert Falls cattle farm is north of Pietermaritzburg.
Womoba, a subsidiary of the not-for-profit SA Canegrowers. Made
from the juice extracted from raw sugarcane with no processed
sugar, it also contains 50% less caffeine than other energy drinks.
The makers claim that no other juice in the world is made from
sugarcane which is a good source of antioxidants, minerals and
vitamins.
In 2025, the Kagiso Trust and the South African Farmers
Development Association (Safda) signed an agreement to make
it easier for black smallholder and medium-scale sugarcane
farmers to gain access to finance. The R30-million fund will offer a
short-term loan facility to ease immediate cashflow pressures.
The South African Canegrowers Association (SACA) has also
announced a five-year, R1-billion commitment to the funding of
transformation initiatives. There are approximately 21 000 smallscale
farmers in the province, many of whom are involved in
programmes with the bigger production companies or are affiliated
to SACA.
In 2022 seven former Tongaat Hulett senior executives
appeared in court on charges of fraud for allegedly backdating
sales agreements of the company’s property division to score better
bonuses. In January 2024, the creditors agreed to the business rescue
plan put forward by the Vision Consortium. As of November 2025, the
plan was still being implemented, despite threats of various forms of
legal action.
Of the 10 443 farmers who supply Tongaat Hulett, 94% are
small-scale farmers. The Illovo Small-Scale Grower Cane Development
Project used 119 local contractors to develop the fields of 1 630 new
growers on 3 000ha.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Milk Producers Organisation: www.mpo.co.za
SA Canegrowers Association: www.sacanegrowers.co.za
South African Sugar Association: www.sasa.org.za
Agricultural assets
Of KwaZulu-Natal’s 6.5-million
hectares of agricultural land, 18% is
arable and the balance is suitable
for the rearing of livestock. The
province’s forests occur mostly in
the southern and northern edges
of the province.
The coastal areas lend
themselves to sugar production
and fruit, with the north being
particularly well suited to
subtropical fruits. KwaZulu-Natal
produces 7% of South Africa’s
citrus fruit. The Coastal Farmers
Co-operative represents 1 400
farmers. TWK is a R6-billion
operation that originated in
forestry but which is now a
diverse agricultural company
with seven operating divisions.
It has 19 trade outlets in the
province and 21 in Swaziland
and Mpumalanga.
Beef originates mainly in the
Highveld and Midlands areas,
with dairy production being
undertaken in the Midlands and
south. The province produces 18%
of South Africa’s milk. KwaZulu-
Natal’s subsistence farmers
hold 1.5-million cattle, which
represents 55% of the provincial
beef herd, and their goat herds
account for 74% of the province’s
stock. The Midlands is also home
to some of the country’s finest
racehorse stud farms. The area
around Camperdown is one of the
country’s most important areas for
pig farming. Vegetables grow well
in most areas, and some maize is
grown in the north-west. ■
PHOTO: Karan Beef
17 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Forestry and paper
Communities are benefitting from forestry partnerships.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Mpact has won awards for
packaging lithium-ion batteries.
A buffer zone established by SiyaQhubeka Forests protects wildlife
in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The share ownership of the SiyaQhubeka Community Trust
(SQT) in SiyaQhubeka Forests (SQF) was increased by 10% to
15.4% in 2025.
SQF was founded in response to the selling off of a
22 000ha plantation managed until 2001 by state-owned entity
SAFCOL. The SiyaQhubeka Consortium comprised Mondi, SAFCOL,
the SQT and other empowerment partners such as the Khulanathi
Growers Trust and Imbokodvo Lemabalabala.
Mondi’s New Generation Plantation model supports wealthcreating
industries and aims to provide a range of social
and environmental benefits. Integrated planning addresses
environmental and social aspects at root. A unique element of SQF’s
stewardship has been the establishment of a buffer zone along
the 150km boundary between the plantation on the western side of
Lake St Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. Some badly sited plantations have been restored to
their natural state.
One of the most important drivers of the packaging industry
is the growth of online shopping. Mondi, a global packaging and
paper company with a significant presence in KwaZulu-Natal,
has released its “Fifth Annual Mondi eCommerce Report”. Among
the findings of this global report are that a quarter of shoppers
are buying online at least once a week and fashion is still number
one for online purchases. Importantly for packaging companies,
88% of the 6 000 people surveyed
said they valued protective
packaging and many considered
recyclability important.
Investments by Mondi into its
Richards Bay mill have expanded
the number of products that it
can offer and also improved
environmental outcomes. The
two main products are Baycel,
a premier grade bleached
hardwood pulp made from 100%
eucalyptus fibre, and Baywhite,
a white top kraft linerboard.
Both originate from certified
responsibly managed forests.
Mondi’s Merebank Mill produces
a range of office paper products
including the well-known brand,
Mondi Rotatrim.
Another global trend is the
move to lithium-ion batteries but
these valuable items themselves
have to be moved around. Finding
a packaging solution, together
with the product owner Nefab
Sweden, resulted in MPact Group
winning no fewer than three
awards, the Paper Manufacturers
Association of South Africa
(PAMSA) Gold Award, the Gold
Pack Gold Medal and the Afristar
Gold Medal. Corrugated die-cut
parts securely hold the batteries
in place while allowing stackable
configurations for up to four
batteries per pallet. The group
won a further three awards and
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
18
PHOTO: SiyaQhubeka Forests

OVERVIEW
was a finalist in another three categories at the 2024 Institute of
Packaging South Africa (IPSA) Gold Pack Awards.
Mpact’s Felixton Mill is between the N2 highway and the
Tongaat-Hulett sugar mill a few kilometres south of Richards Bay.
The mill produces recycled fibre-based containerboard for use
in the agricultural and commercial sectors. Following a significant
upgrade, the mill’s capacity has increased to 215 000 tons per annum,
and it now exclusively uses recycled fibre, eliminating the use of
bagasse fibre. All products from Felixton Mill are certified as FSC
Recycled 100%.
The national operations of Mpact Recycling collect over 600 000
tons of recyclables (paper, glass, beverage cans, plastic and liquid
board packaging) from pre- and post-consumer streams. Mpact
has nine paper-converting plants in South Africa. Mpact Plastics
Pinetown is another of the group’s operations in the province.
In 2024, Mpact Group acquired a strategic equity shareholding
in water-tank manufacturer Africa Tanks, which will allow the
company to expand.
Sappi has 19 production facilities on three continents. The
Sappi Saiccor mill 50km south of Durban is the world’s biggest
manufacturer of dissolving wood pulp. About 95% of the dissolving
wood pulp is exported worldwide into the textiles, food and
pharmaceuticals sectors. Verve is Sappi’s key brand best-known in
the fashion industry.
Sappi’s Tugela Mill produces 170 000 tons of neutral sulphite semichemical
pulp (NSSC) annually for internal use. It also manufactures a
variety of Ultraflute Plus and Ultraflex corrugating mediums, utilising
both recycled and virgin fibres. The citrus sector in particular makes
use of the containerboard packing made at the Tugela Mill because
of its ability to maintain strength in cold storage. Typek office paper
is made at Sappi’s Stanger Mill. Sappi Southern Africa has concluded
a 175GWh per annum renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement
(PPA) with Enpower Trading.
Nampak produces crêpe paper at Verulam and Rafalo produces
tissue paper. SA Paper Mills is another paper producer.
A lot of energy is needed to create paper and pulp and
companies are looking for better ways of doing things. Many
companies are working to improve efficiencies in their production
processes but a focus on steam-generation efficiencies and
optimisation is the speciality of Associated Energy Services (AES),
ONLINE RESOURCES
Forestry South Africa: www.forestry.co.za
Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA):
www.thepaperstory.co.za
South African Institute of Forestry: www.saif.org.za
Mpact has a significant
presence in KwaZulu-Natal.
which operates and maintains
equipment in the steam and
boiler sector.
In the South Durban Basin
where there are several large
paper companies, emissions
regulations put in place by the
eThekwini Municipality are
having an effect on pollution
levels. As Dennis Williams,
Commercial Director at AES
explains, “The municipality
understood that, with an
economic incentive, this
becomes a self-regulating
mechanism. They stipulated
that, when applying for licences
for new boilers, facilities had
to be operated by a specialist
energy plant operator.”
AES is investigating the uses
to which a range of by-products
can be put. A particular byproduct
of the tissue production
process, high in both moisture
and fibre, has been identified as
having energy value. ■
PHOTO: Mpact
19 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Oil and gas
An LNG terminal at Richards Bay could be a gamechanger.
SECTOR INSIGHT
The CEF has bought the
SAPREF Refinery.
Apreferred bidder has been chosen to develop and operate
a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Port of Richards
Bay, pictured.
The Zululand Energy Terminal consortium is a joint
venture between Vopak Terminal Durban and Transnet Pipelines
and, should the decision to go ahead with the project be finalised,
the consortium would operate on a 25-year lease agreement with
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). Vopak Terminal Durban is
itself a joint venture between BEE company Realtile and Royal Vopak,
a Dutch company with considerable experience in running terminals.
It operates 78 terminals in 23 countries, with five of them being LNG
terminals. The decision to invest is expected in 2026.
Phase One of the project would entail the construction of a
Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) and an Onshore
Regasification Facility (ORF), which infrastructure is classified among
12 national priority projects by Infrastructure South Africa.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has
approved an application from national utility Eskom to build a
3 000MW gas power station in Richards Bay.
The joint owners of the SAPREF Refinery in Durban, bp Southern
Africa (bpSA) and Shell Downstream SA, have sold the 180 000 barrela-day
plant to the Central Energy Fund (CEF). The reported price paid
by the CEF, the entity charged with managing South Africa’s energy
assets and which reports to the Department of Mineral Resources
and Energy (DMRE), was R1. When it was operating at full capacity,
ONLINE RESOURCES
Central Energy Fund: www.cefgroup.co.za
National Energy Regulator of South Africa: www.nersa.org.za
Petroleum Agency SA: www.petroleumagencysa.com
the facility accounted for
roughly 35% of the country’s
refinery capacity.
Durban’s other oil refinery,
Enref, was hit by a fire in
December 2020 and it has
since been operating as a
storage facility for owner Engen.
South Africa is a net importer
of fuel and the Port of Durban
handles 80% of South Africa’s
fuel imports. In April 2024, the
Competition Tribunal approved
a proposed a merger whereby
Vitol Emerald Bidco intends to
acquire Engen, subject to a set of
competition and public interest
conditions. Among Vitol’s assets
is the Burgan Cape Terminal, a
storage and distribution facility
in Cape Town.
The regulator and promoter
of oil and gas exploration
in South Africa, Petroleum
Agency South Africa (PASA), has
awarded coalbed-methane gas
exploration rights in KwaZulu-
Natal to NT Energy Africa, which
has a partnership with the CEF.
These awards are for onshore
exploration. PASA is an agency
of the DMRE.
Eni, one of the world’s
biggest energy companies,
has an agreement with Sasol
Petroleum International to
explore for hydrocarbons off the
coast of KwaZulu-Natal. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
20
PHOTO: TNPA

Mining
The Zulti South project has been resumed.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
The Newcastle steel mill
has closed.
Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has started work on developing
its Zulti South project, south of Richards Bay.
The project was stalled in 2019 because of community
unrest and this aspect will continue to be closely
monitored. In September 2025, the company reported starting
on structural, mechanical, plating and piping (SMPP) and on civils
and roadworks. However, the company that owns RBM, Rio Tinto,
almost simultaneously announced a major restructuring in which
the three new business units will cover iron ore, copper and
aluminium-lithium. Four mines at Zulti North, a plant and a refinery
produce zircon, rutile, titania slag, titanium dioxide feedstock and
high-purity iron. It is not clear where RBM will fit in.
Tronox exports titanium ore, zircon and other materials to its
pigment plants around the world where titanium dioxide pigment
is produced for use in paints, plastics and paper. The KZN Sands
mineral sands operation comprises a central processing complex
in Empangeni and the Fairbreeze Mine, which is flagged for an
extension project.
ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) has closed down the furnaces of its
Newcastle plant, pictured, which used to produce long steel. A
rescue attempt by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
did not work so the works will likely be sold. One of the spinoffs is
the closure in the Northern Cape of Assmang’s iron-ore mine which
relied on Amsa for orders.
Safal Steel in Cato Manor is South Africa’s only producer of
aluminium-zinc coated products. Luxembourg-based Traxys Africa
runs a high-carbon ferrochrome plant at Richards Bay.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Council for Geoscience: www.geoscience.org.za
National Department of Mineral Resources and Energy:
www.dmre.gov.za
In 2024 Afrimat’s acquisition of
Lafarge finally won the approval
of the Competition Tribunal.
Afrimat has been following a
diversification strategy in recent
years, especially into mining, but
the Lafarge transaction is
something of a return to its roots,
which lie in quarrying and
aggregates. Both companies
have a strong KwaZulu-Natal
presence. The fly-ash and grinding
plants of Lafarge give Afrimat
access to more downstream
operations while the cement kilns
provide another income stream.
The assets will be housed
within Afrimat’s Construction
Materials division.
Some of the coalfields of the
province have been revived. A
project to extend the life-of-mine
of an anthracite coal mine in a
rural community north of Richards
Bay will go ahead after several
visits to high courts.
The Council for Geoscience
(CGS) has embarked on a multi-year
Integrated and Multidisciplinary
Geoscience Mapping Programme
(IMMP) of the country. The mapping
is being done at 1:50 000 scale and
is providing data on groundwater,
geo-environmental matters and
geohazards. KwaZulu-Natal has
had more than its fair share of
floods and land washed away
in recent times, so the research
findings will be useful. ■
PHOTO: ArcelorMittal 21 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

FOCUS
Promoting food security, building a
sustainable business
Foskor’s remarkable financial turnaround has not only ensured reliable and
increasing supplies of vital fertiliser, it has put the company on a firm footing for
future expansion.
Food security is always an important and
urgent matter but it is not an issue that is
always widely reported. When the global
Covid epidemic was quickly followed by
war in eastern Europe, supply chains were disrupted
to such an extent that shortages of food and
medicine became an everyday concern for people
across the world.
Not the perfect time to take over the reins of
a large and diverse company which reported a
2021/22 financial loss of R541-million, you might
think. But that is what faced Julian Palliam when
he was named Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Foskor in March 2022.
Foskor is a producer and distributor of
phosphate rock, phosphate-based fertilisers,
sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and magnetite
locally and internationally. Granular fertilisers are
the core ingredient in nitrogen, phosphate and
potassium fertiliser products known as NPKs. The
company employs 1 654 people in three locations:
the head office in Midrand, the Phalaborwa
Mining Division in Limpopo and the Richards Bay
Acid Division where the photographs on these
pages were taken.
It is often said that times of crisis can be times
of opportunity. And so it proved for Foskor. By
ramping up production of the vital ingredients for
fertilisers which is the core of its business, Foskor
was able to increase its order book in Europe, Asia,
Latin America, the Middle East, in South Africa and
across the SADC region.
With commodity prices rising at the same time,
company revenue increased exponentially but
there were also several measures taken to improve
performance through cost efficiencies and the
recovery of impairments on financial assets.
Foskor turned a profit and is now standing
stronger than ever before. The Mining Division
reports an improved safety record, maintenance
of a high standard of quality management and
the successful conversion of mining rights. In
addition, various infrastructure improvement
projects are progressing well.
At Richards Bay the Acid Division has three
sulphuric acid plants, two streams of phosphoric
acid plants and a granulation plant to make
granular fertiliser products. Phosphoric acid is
either exported in its acid form, sold locally, or used
in the production of granular fertiliser at Foskor.
Granular fertiliser is mainly sold locally.
A recent highlight for this division is the
development two new granular fertiliser products.
Markets
Foskor is the leading domestic producer and
supplier of phosphate-based products: phosphate
rock, phosphoric acid and monoammonium
22

FOCUS
phosphate. Beyond serving the local market and
SADC regional markets (DRC, eSwatini, Zimbabwe,
Zambia, etc) Foskor supplies phosphoric acid and
mono-ammonium phosphate to international
markets, particularly India, the world’s largest market
of phosphate products. The company also supplies
phosphoric acid to other international markets
(Brazil, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates, Belgium and France). While the bulk of
phosphate-rock concentrate is used in the Foskor
phosphoric acid manufacturing plant, available
products are also exported to international markets
(Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania, New
Zealand and Japan). ■
ABOUT FOSKOR
Foskor is a phosphate mining and processing operation that produces phosphates for South Africa’s
agricultural sector and for export to countries around the world. It is the only vertically integrated
producer of phosphate ore, phosphoric acid and granular fertiliser in the country and is a key enabler of
food security in South Africa and around the world.
The company mines and beneficiates phosphate-bearing rock at Phalaborwa in Limpopo, after which
it is transported by rail to a dedicated production facility in Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal where it is used
to produce phosphoric acid and granular fertilisers – MAP (monoammonium phosphates). Sulphuric
acid is also produced, which is used in the production of phosphoric acid, and we sell excess sulphuric
acid that becomes available. Foskor also has magnetite, a by-product of phosphate rock beneficiation
which was mined in the past and stored in a stockpile.
Foskor is South Africa’s leading supplier of granular fertilisers, the core ingredient in nitrogen,
phosphate and potassium fertiliser products known as NPKs. It is also a commercial producer of
phosphoric and sulphuric acids and magnetite (a by-product of the phosphate beneficiation process),
which are sold both locally and abroad.
The company is ISO 9001 certified for Quality Management, ISO 14001certified for Environmental
Management, OHSAS 18001 certified for Occupational Health and Safety Management and SANS
16001 certified for HIV/AIDS Management. Its corporate social investment focus is on empowering
disadvantaged communities to become self-sufficient through food production and on funding
agricultural and related education for young people in these communities. Foskor was founded in 1951
by theIndustrial Development Corporation (IDC).
ACID DIVISION: 21 John Ross Parkway, Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal 3900 | Tel : +27 35 902 3111
Email: info@commsdesk.co.za | Website: www.foskor.co.za

OVERVIEW
Energy
Toyota sets target date for renewables-only plant.
Toyota South Africa plans to spend about R800-million
in a drive to convert its Durban manufacturing plant to
renewable energy. The company’s Hino truck plant within
the Prospecton complex south of the Port of Durban is
already running on renewables, part of the 10MW of solar power
that is currently powering the vehicle manufacturer’s operations. The
plan is to take that up to 31MW, find better ways to dispose of waste
and to introduce more low-carbon equipment into the production
line, all in pursuit of the goal of having 100% of the plant’s energy
supplied by renewables by 2028.
The first project in Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
project was unveiled in KwaZulu-Natal when South Korean company
Hyonsung Heavy Industries broke ground at Elandskop. The 8MW
facility will move to producing an additional 144MW in the second
stage of the project.
Several alternative-energy options are being considered by the
public and private sector to produce additional power. These include
using waste heat generated by industry and biomass fuels using
waste from forestry and natural gas.
A study into using solar energy to provide power for the
Sundumbili Water Treatment Works in the iLembe District
Municipality was conducted through the Vuthela iLembe LED
Support Programme. Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for
Economic Affairs (SECO), the study found that the system, estimated
to cost just over R5-million to build, would result in savings of about
R4.8-million over a nine-year period.
This study is just one of several initiatives regarding energy taking
place within the iLembe District Municipality. Moves to improve the
efficiency of the electricity supply to the coastal areas are starting
to take shape, but stronger collaboration between the public and
private sector is needed to secure reliable power.
Also in the district, an open-cycle gas turbine plant at Shakaskraal
can be converted to gas-fired technology, a method which energy
planners are encouraging. The 670MW plant came on stream in 2017.
As part of the provincial government’s strategy to boost regional
development, the iLembe District has been named as an Industrial
Economic Hub (IEH) for the renewable energy sector.
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Department of Energy: www.energy.gov.za
South African National Energy Development Institute:
www.sanedi.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
A Battery Energy Storage
System has been launched.
Toyota manufactures vehicles
south of Durban.
The eThekwini Metropolitan
Municipality has entered the
field of renewable energy
provision with the publication
of its eThekwini Integrated
Resource Plan (EIRP). This
document outlines the steps
the city will take towards its
cleaner energy goals.
Illovo Sugar SA is keen
to produce biofuel and bioenergy
and at the company’s
Eswatini mill, Ubombo, it has a
commercial supply agreement
with the Eswatini Electricity
Company.
At Donnybrook in the Harry
Gwala District Municipality a
refurbished Biomass Factory is
making various green products
and biochar from organic
biomass waste streams such as
sawdust and bagasse. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
24
PHOTO: Toyota South Africa

Water
Conservation efforts are paying off.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
uMngeni-uThukela Water has a
R22-billion infrastructure plan.
The CHEP-WWF South Africa partnership has benefitted
local communities.
The uMzimkhulu Catchment area, identified as a provincial
strategic water source area, is the site of a project aimed at
strengthening water-resource management, enhancing
regenerative agricultural techniques and bolstering biodiversity.
Located in the Southern Drakensberg region, the area is also
home to the majority of the timber plantations of CHEP, the company
which has partnered with WWF South Africa since 2023 in rolling out
the project. Concrete gains from the project include access to clean,
potable water across 287 households, the training and employment
of five water monitors and the formal protection of nearly 2 000ha
of ecologically important land. In addition, three livestock auctions
organised by a component of the project have collectively garnered
R2.2-million in turnover.
In 2025, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s major water boards announced
a five-year infrastructure plan which will see R22-billion spent on
eliminating supply backlogs and making the system more resilient.
One of the key projects within the plan of uMngeni-uThukela Water
is the uMkhomazi Water Project, the first phase of which will see the
construction of a dam, water treatment works, pipelines and reservoirs.
At least six Water Service Authorities (typically municipalities) will
receive significantly more water as a result of this initiative.
The City of eThekwini and surrounding areas is one of the regions
that will receive more much-needed water. An offtake agreement was
signed between various parties in April 2024. Two state entities are
working together to deliver the project, which includes the building
of the Upper uMkhomazi Dam, a tunnel from Smithfield Dam and a
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dws.gov.za
uMngeni-uThukela Water: www.umngeni-uthukela.co.za
Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za
pipeline connecting the tunnel to
the Baynesfield Water Treatment
Works. The project will effectively
link the under-utilised uMkhomazi
River to the existing uMngeni
water-catchment area. The
Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority
(TCTA) will implement the raw
water component of project and
uMngeni-uThukela Water will be
responsible for the bulkwater
treatment component for
distribution to six water services
authorities. The yield of raw water
which will become available in
the uMngeni Water System will
increase by 55%, once the project
is complete.
Work on the multi-year,
R250-million Northern Aqueduct
Augmentation project continues.
As part of the fifth phase of
the project, construction of
the Canelands pipeline bridge
began in 2023. This project
comprises water and sewer
pipelines and is in response to
growing communities in the
north, particularly in Wards 58
and 60. The major project was
launched in 2014 and is intended
to provide water for Durban North,
Umhlanga, Newlands, KwaMashu,
Phoenix and Cornubia. The main
pipeline will supply water from the
Durban Heights Treatment Works
to the Waterloo, uMhlanga and
Blackburn (Cornubia) reservoirs. ■
PHOTO: CHEP 25 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Manufacturing
Ethanol from waste is a reality.
Adecade of research and development has led to ethanol
being produced from waste from papermills. A specialised
fermentation process turns fibre-rich wastes such as paper
sludge, food waste and textile waste into ethanol, which
has a variety of uses ranging from biofuels to industrial solvent as well
as being used in pharmaceuticals, disinfectants and cosmetics.
The Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA),
Stellenbosch University, Sappi Southern Africa and Mpact unveiled
the demonstration plant, pictured, at the Sappi Tugela mill in
Mandini in 2024.
The university’s Bioresource Engineering group at the Department
of Chemical Engineering has been working on possible solutions
for a decade. Speaking at the event, PAMSA Executive Director
Jane Molony said, “This technology started as a research project
and thesis by one of our Master’s in Engineering students and
today we have a South African first. Bioethanol comes with many
environmental credentials and further contributes to the circularity
of the pulp and paper sector.”
Optical-fibre cable manufacturing received a boost in 2025
with an investment of R160-million by Yangtze Optics Africa Cable
(YOA Cable) to expand their Dube TradePort facility. Since the initial
deployment of R150-million in setting up the manufacturing plant,
YOA Cable has signed up 155 employees with that number likely to
rise to 210 because of the expansion. A quarter of these positions
are learnerships and internships and the company’s Youth Learnship
Programme supports the national Youth Employment Service (YES).
Aluminium producer Hulamin has experienced tough times
but the steps it has taken appear to be paying off. Restructuring
included a decision to stop producing three lines of products and to
focus less on exports and more on the local market. Beverage cans
have been prioritised within the group’s product mix. In 2023 the
company had capital expenditure of R311-million and spent another
R569-million in 2024 as part of a growth strategy to replace imports,
especially in wide-body cans. Hulamin had previously laid off s
ome workers and closed one of its factories in another province.
Hulamin also makes rolled products at Edendale, Pietermaritzburg
and Camps Drift.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Aluminium Federation of South Africa: www.afsa.org.za
Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association: www.caia.co.za
Enterprise iLembe: www.enterpriseilembe.co.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Hulamin is investing in
wide-body cans.
South32’s Hillside Aluminium
facility in Richards Bay achieved
record production in FY 2023.
Aluminium production increased
by 5% in the December 2024 half
year as Hillside Aluminium tested
its maximum technical capacity.
KwaZulu-Natal is the secondlargest
manufacturing centre in
South Africa , contributing 21% to
national manufacturing GDP. The
strongest export sectors are base
metals (32% including aluminium),
mineral products such as ores,
vehicles and chemical products.
The sector is also a major
contributor to the eThekwini
Municipality GDP. In recent years
the municipality has established
four manufacturing clusters
that collectively have over 200
member firms. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
26
PHOTO: PAMSA

Automotive
Mahindra is mulling becoming an OEM.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
Bell is developing a batteryoperated
ADT.
In the year that Mahindra South Africa celebrated the 20 000th
locally assembled Mahindra Pik Up, the company launched a new
vehicle assembly plant at the Dube TradePort Special Economic
Zone in KwaZulu-Natal in August 2025. Earlier in the year Mahindra
entered into an agreement with the Industrial Development
Corporation (IDC) to conduct a feasibility study into building a fullscale
manufacturing plant in the country. Insights from operations
at the new facility will play an important role in the study.
Mahindra has run a semi-knocked-down (SKD) assembly plant
at a site near the new site since 2018. The technologically advanced
plant will assemble Pik Up single-cab and double-cab models
(pictured), with the ability to scale up as demand increases.
If Mahindra were to decide to launch a completely knockeddown
(CKD) operation, the company would become South Africa’s
10th original equipment manufacturer (OEM), following recent
commitments from Stellantis and BAIC in the Eastern Cape.
Between just two of the province’s biggest automotive
companies, Toyota at Prospecton south of Durban and Bell
Equipment in Richards Bay, upwards of 11 000 people are employed.
As of January 2024, the Bell Group had a new CEO. Ashley
Bell, grandson of founder Irvine Bell, had previously worked for
the company and has been on the board since 2015. In 2025 the
company started manufacturing the Bell Motor Grader in Richards
Bay. A European technology partner and Bell engineers are working
on developing a fully battery-operated version of the popular
Bell Articulated Dump Truck (ADT).
Toyota remains a favourite South African brand. In September
2023, the company reported that it achieved national market
ONLINE RESOURCES
Automotive Industry Development Centre: www.aidc.co.za
Durban Automotive Cluster: www.dbnautocluster.org.za
share in vehicle sales of 27.6%, led
by the number-one brands
in passenger cars and light
commercial vehicles, the Corolla
Cross and Hilux. More than 50%
of the 3 249 Hiluxes sold were
the double-cab models and
2 259 Corolla Cross vehicles were
sold. In addition to the 1.8-million
automotive part pieces sent out
locally, the company shipped
272 290 pieces to foreign markets.
In total, the company sold 142 612
vehicles in 2023, the highest level
achieved for sales since 2007. The
company’s total investment of
R4.2-billion between 2019 and 2021
included other manufacturing
projects and a huge increase in
warehousing capabilities.
In 2024, Toyota launched the
Associated Accessory Products
(AAP), bringing in suppliers such
as Ironman 4X4, 4X4 Megaworld,
Front Runner, IVXIVBUSHINDABA
and Thule to enable customers
to add accessories from a Toyota
dealership. Accessories available
through the AAP programme
include roofracks, crossbars,
rooftop tents, roof boxes, bike
carriers, fridges, recovery boards,
solar panels and battery
management systems. KwaZulu-
Natal has a large automotive
components sector which
includes large manufacturers
such as GUD Filters. ■
PHOTO: Mahindra South Africa 27 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Transport and logistics
Terminal deal goes ahead after court ruling.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Private rail operators will
run freight lines.
The Durban High Court ruled in October 2025 against
Maersk’s APM Terminals attempt to block an R11-billion,
25-year deal between Transnet and International Container
Terminal Services (ICTSI) to operate Durban’s Container
Terminal 2 (DCT2).
This not only marked an important moment for the future of
the terminal, pictured, but gave impetus to the steps that
state utility Transnet is taking along the path towards partnerships
with the private sector. The process of opening up rail lines and
ports to the private sector is being handled sensitively, with words
such as “privatisation” being avoided. ICTSI, headquartered in
Manilla, Philippines, is one of the biggest port-management
companies in the world.
Transnet Freight Rail is another part of the state utility that is
welcoming private operators. The busy container corridor between
Johannesburg and Durban will see the addition of four private
companies running trains on five routes in an attempt to improve
the efficiency rate of moving materials from South Africa’s economic
hub to the nation’s busiest port.
Durban harbour is South Africa’s premier multi-cargo port and
is Africa’s busiest, handling in excess of 80-million tons of cargo
per annum (StatsSA). With two of Africa’s biggest ports in Durban
ONLINE RESOURCES
Dube TradePort: www.dubetradeport.co.za
South African Association of Freight Forwarders: www.saaff.org.za
Transnet National Ports Authority:
www.transnetnationalportsauthority.net
and Richards Bay and the King
Shaka International Airport and
associated Dube TradePort,
KwaZulu-Natal has good
infrastructure to support trade
and export activity. The N3
highway linking Durban with the
Highveld and the industrial hub
of South Africa is the country’s
busiest road.
Within KwaZulu-Natal there
are 34 502km of roads, of which
8 775km are paved (SOPA).
The African market of
1.3-billion people is expected to
grow to 2.5-billion by 2050 but
a key statistic targeted by the
Africa Continental Free Trade
Area (AfCFTA) is intra-African
trade. Exports to the rest of the
world made up between 80%
and 90% of Africa’s total trade
from 2000 to 2017 (UNCTAD). In
2019 about 27% of South Africa’s
exports were delivered to the
rest of the continent.
Dube TradePort has facilities
devoted to logistics, warehousing
and export support. Proximity to
the airport is vital and freight
volumes are growing. King Shaka
International Airport has recently
been putting out the welcome
mat as a number of airlines either
return after Covid or put on
new routes. Airlines flying in to
Durban include Turkish Airlines,
Emirates, Qatar Airways, Airlink
and FlySafair. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
28
PHOTO: Transnet Port Terminals

ICT
A tech hub has been launched.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
More than 1 000 free WiFi
hotspots are available.
The King Dinuzulu Innovation Valley at Dube TradePort has
been launched. The first official to work at the Valley will be
Mbalenhle Zondo, previously of the Office of the Premier,
who graduated with a Doctorate in Artificial Intelligence
and Robotics in 2025. Dube TradePort, pictured, already has a division
known as Dube iConnect which has significant ICT infrastructure
which includes a high-speed metro Ethernet network via a fullylicensed
ICASA service provider, a secure cloud-hosting environment
and a dedicated uninterrupted power supply and generator for onsite
data centres and communications environments.
The KwaZulu-Natal Digital Fund was also launched by the
Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal in 2025, in partnership with
the private sector. The fund is designed to help young innovators
turn ideas into businesses. In terms of connecting residents of the
province, the SA Connect project reported 1 132 WiFi hotspots early
in 2025 while the Universal Service and Access Agency of South
Africa (USAASA) programme has connected 688 sites.
A SETA-accredited digital training programme is run in the
local municipalities of KwaDukuza and Mandeni. It is managed by
the Vuthela iLembe LED Support Programme in partnership with
Enterprise iLembe, the district’s economic development agency, the
Moses Kotane Institute and the youth managers of both municipalities.
A SmartXchange SMME Incubator has been launched in
Port Shepstone on the South Coast. The concept of ICT has been
expanded to include media and electronics, so the hub is called an
MICTe Incubator. The province’s SmartXchange is an example of a
successful public-private partnership that supports businesses in
the information technology and communications sector. Incubation
ONLINE RESOURCES
Dube TradePort: www.dubetradeport.co.za
SmartXchange: www.smartxchange.co.za
South African Vanguard of Technology: www.savant.co.za
strategies for startups and skills
development (including links
to educational institutions)
are important parts of the
organisation’s brief.
A provincial strategy for
creating smart cities is targeting
three districts: Ugu (Ray
Nkonyeni Local Municipality as
anchor), iLembe (KwaDukuza)
and Richards Bay (uMhlathuze).
Broadband Infraco is providing
layer-two network services to
Dube TradePort to provide over
810 WiFi hotspots at 405 selected
sites across the province.
Over a five-year period,
the Moses Kotane Institute, a
subsidiary of the KZN Department
of Economic Development,
Tourism and Environmental
Affairs, will connect several rural
communities. Hubs are expected
to be functional in Community
Service Centres to improve public
access to digital services.
South African Vanguard
of Technology (Savant) is a
Department of Trade, Industry
and Competition (dtic)
programme. It is the marketing
and awareness programme
for the South African ICT and
electronics sector. The aim is to
develop South African exports
and to attract foreign investment.
It houses a venture fund and
an incubator. ■
PHOTO: Dube TradePort 29 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Tourism
Sustainable practices are good for business.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Southern Sun Hotels
secures 50-year lease
on iconic properties.
The Cavern, a family-owned retreat in the Drakensberg
Mountains, is one of many tourist establishments expanding
its efforts to protect the environment through solar energy,
water conservation systems and eco-friendly construction
techniques. The surrounding Drakensberg region, pictured, further
serves as a sanctuary for endangered wildlife and endemic plant
species due to its status as a nature reserve.
“We’ve always believed that sustainability isn’t just a trend, but
a responsibility,” says Megan Bedingham, a third-generation family
member and manager of The Cavern. “Our mission has always been
to create a place that respects the environment, supports our local
community and offers an authentic and memorable experience.”
On the North Coast, Zimbali Lodge has been revamped. A Dream
Hotels & Resorts property since 2020, Zimbali’s rooms, restaurant and
conference centre have been comprehensively upgraded with the
intention of achieving five-star status. The conference centre now
comprises three main venues with landscaped terraces and informal
breakout zones connecting to the estate’s forested landscape.
In October 2025, a R1-billion 50-year lease was signed by the
eThekwini Municipality and Southern Sun Hotels which keeps
the management of the Elangeni and Maharani Towers under the
latter’s control, with a pledge to invest in the two hotels and other
beachfront amenities. Southern Sun runs 13 establishments in
KwaZulu-Natal, with Durban (five) and Umhlanga (four) making up
the majority.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Durban International Convention Centre: www.icc.co.za
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: www.kznwildlife.com
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal: www.zulu.org.za
Hotels are located at each of
Tsogo Sun’s three casinos in the
province, with two at Suncoast
Casino Hotels & Entertainment
in Durban. The other two are
in Newcastle (Blackrock Hotel)
and Pietermaritzburg (Golden
Horse Hotel).
Premier Hotels & Resorts has
nine properties in the province,
including the restored Cutty
Sark in Scottburgh and the
Himeville Arms, which is located
in the tiny village of the same
name and a short distance from
another Premier property, the
Premier Resort Sani Pass.
The International Hotel
School in Westville is part of
the international group,
Sommet Education.
The project to improve
regional airports is continuing.
Upgrades at Pietermaritzburg,
Newcastle and Richards Bay
have been authorised and
terminals at Margate and Mkuze,
where R72-million was spent,
have been completed. Located
in the far north of the province,
Mkuze holds great potential for
the distribution of agricultural
produce into the SADC market
and for tourism, given its
proximity to several private
reserves and the iSimangaliso
Wetland Park. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
30

Film
New body aims to boost film sector.
Anew body has been formed, the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism
and Film Authority (KZNTAFA). Arising from a merger of
entities that formally focused separately on tourism and
film, the KZNTAFA aims “to grow the province’s brand and
creative output in both tourism development and film production”,
in the words of the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism
and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi.
Among the goals of the new KZN Film Strategy is to
continue to fund local films such as The Letter Reader, pictured,
to recognise the province’s natural beauty and potential for
location-based storytelling and production and to create
incentives and infrastructure to unlock the sector’s potential,
also in attracting international productions.
The Durban International Film Festival is presented by the
Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The first edition of the Durban International Film Festival
was held in 1979 and its reputation has been building ever
since. In recent iterations of the event, some 3 000 films from
137 countries have been viewed over the 10-day festival.
A number of prizes are on offer, including Best Feature Film,
Best African Feature Film, Best South African Feature Film and
Best Documentary.
The Durban Film Office (DFO) has three development
programmes targeting filmmakers at different levels in the
industry: the Micro Budget Film Fund, the Development Fund
Grant and the Festivals and Markets Support Grant.
Together, these programmes aim to support intermediate
and experienced producers and local emerging filmmakers
based in Durban. Also, to provide opportunities for skills
development and market access, expose local talent to
international audiences and to promote local films. The DFO,
which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, has played a vital role
in positioning Durban as a globally competitive film city.
The KZN Film Industry Transformation Initiative (FITI) is another
strategy to support previously disadvantaged and emerging
filmmakers. Administered by the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, the
ONLINE RESOURCES
Durban FilmMart: www.durbanfilmmart.co.za
Durban International Film Festival: www.ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za
KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority: visitkzn-sa.com/film/
SECTOR INSIGHT
OVERVIEW
The 47th edition of the
Durban International Film
Festival will be held in 2026.
one-year FITI aims to increase skills
levels with a view to individuals
being able to advance to senior
positions within the industry.
The Durban FilmMart Institute
hosts an annual Durban FilmMart
that in 2023 attracted 1 018
delegates from 43 countries.
The four-day industry event is a
finance and co-production market
designed to create partnerships
and further the development and
production of African cinema. ■
PHOTO: KZNTAFA 31
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Education and training
The Mkhuze Skills Centre is to become a SMART Skills Centre.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Durban University of Technology
has launched DUT RISE.
Durban University of Technology.
Acollaboration between two Sector Training and Education
authorities will see the Mkhuze Skills Centre converted into
a facility that focusses on digital skills.
The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority
(CHIETA) and the Services Sector Education and Training Authority
(Services SETA) have agreed that the technologies of CHIETA’s
SMART Skills Centre programme will be integrated into the Services
SETA centre, which is located in the Umkhanyakude District
Municipality. The R10.4-million Mkhuze Skills Centre was constructed
to provide education and training opportunities to the community
of Mange and surrounding areas and became operational in
November 2023.
By converting Mkhuze into a SMART Skills Centre, CHIETA will
introduce advanced training programmes and go some way
to addressing the digital skills gap which still exists in rural areas
in South Africa. CHIETA is committed to covering every province
with the digitally focused centres, and had delivered seven as of
September 2025.
The Technology Stations Programme (TSP), which is run by
the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), has two outlets in
KwaZulu-Natal, namely the Technology Station in Chemicals at the
Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) and the Reinforced
and Moulded Plastics Technology Station, which is hosted by the
Durban University of Technology (DUT). Through TSP, high-level
research graduates are funded
in designated niche areas through
the TSP network in science,
engineering and technology areas.
There are 15 Technology
Stations based at 11 higher
education institutions in South
Africa. TIA is an entity of the
Department of Science,
Technology and Innovation (DSTI).
“We don’t just support SMMEs.
We enable them to become
globally competitive through
access to high-end technology,
market intelligence and
commercially viable innovations,”
says Vusi Skosana, Head of the
Technology Stations Programme
at TIA. “The impact of the TSP
isn’t just in developing products,
but in securing and protecting
jobs, creating new industries
and strengthening South Africa’s
economic resilience.”
DUT announced a new
programme in 2025 which is
aimed at easing the path of
graduates into the world of
work. The DUT Readiness and
Industry Skills Enhancement (DUT
RISE) Programme is backed by
the Advancement and Alumni
Relations Unit (AARU) of the
institution and sets out to prepare
DUT students for the world of
work by equipping them with
essential industry skills, fostering
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
32

OVERVIEW
alumni connections and facilitating mentorship and networking
opportunities. It is envisioned as a Pre-Alumni Programme, tailored
specifically for students in their final year or those within a year of
graduating. It aims to instil career readiness while fostering a sense
of connection to the DUT alumni community even before students
complete their studies.
DUT has six faculties operating in seven campuses in Durban
and in the Midlands and is well known for its outstanding graphicdesign
school and offers one of only two chiropractic programmes
in South Africa.
DUT is one of two universities of technology in the province (MUT
being the other one) and There are a further two universities, and the
national distance university, the University of South Africa (Unisa),
has a presence in five locations. USB Executive Development offers
business courses for executives.
UKZN has close to 40 000 students studying on five campuses
in two cities. Greater Durban hosts Howard College, Berea
(environment, engineering, law, humanities), and the Nelson
Mandela School of Medicine at Congella. The UKZN administration
and the Graduate School of Business are based at Westville
(also science, engineering and health) whereas the Edgewood,
Pinetown, campus focusses on education. The Pietermaritzburg
campus offers a broad academic programme, but it is well known
for its fine art, theology and agriculture. UKZN also hosts the
National Research Foundation.
The University of Zululand offers diploma and degree courses
on two campuses at Empangeni and Richards Bay.
Nine Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
Colleges have a total enrolment of about 80 000. Coastal KZN TVET
College gives students practical experience through facilities such
as the Nongalo Industrial Park. The college hosts the Samsung
Engineering Academy, a Tooling Centre of Excellence and a
manufacturing plant for sanitary towels. The college has several sites
on the South Coast and caters for 15 400 students.
Majuba TVET College is a Centre of Specialisation for boilermaking.
The Mnambithi TVET College is located in the Battlefields
Route tourism area and offers National Diploma courses in tourism,
among other qualifications. A satellite campus operates at Estcourt.
uMfolozi TVET College runs an Installation, Repair and Maintenance
(IRM) Hub in Mandeni.
The school nutrition programme now benefits 2.5-million pupils
at 5 405 schools, supported by 13 756 volunteer food handlers.
ONLINE RESOURCES
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education: www.kzneducation.gov.za
National Research Foundation: www.nrf.ac.za
National Skills Authority: www.nationalskillsauthority.org.za
Vusi Skosana, Head of the TIA
Technology Stations Programme
Several schools are undergoing
major upgrades or being added
to, and 22 new schools are
under construction. The recently
completed Tongaat Special School
was built at a cost of R187-million.
The first school in KwaZulu-
Natal to focus exclusively on
maths, science and technology
opened in 2021 when the Anton
Lembede Mathematics, Science
and Technology Academy was
launched. A three-pathways
approach has been adopted for
future educational planning. Three
broad streams can be followed:
academic, technical/vocational
and technical/occupational.
Within that structure, various
schools of excellence will be
established: an Agricultural School
of Excellence in uMgungundlovu
District, a Maritime School of
Excellence and a School of
Autism. More than 200 schools
have been earmarked to offer
Coding and Robotics as part of
the curriculum in Grades 8 and
9. A pilot programme teaching
entrepreneurship was piloted in
the King Cetshwayo District. ■
33
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

OVERVIEW
Development finance and
SMME support
Local suppliers are finding a niche.
With global supply chains under a variety of pressures
that began with Covid and have expanded to wars
and tariffs, local producers are seizing the opportunity
to make themselves indispensable to large retailers.
The KwaZulu-Natal Clothing and Textile Cluster (KZNCTC) is
encouraging local producers, pictured, to ride the wave. Localisation
has grown nationally by 58% since 2019 and Kyle Ballard, Head of
SME Development, points to a programme that is working when
he reflects, “It’s not often you hear about Woolworths, Mr Price, TFG
and Pepkor Speciality in the same sentence, but when it comes
to driving transformation in South Africa’s CTFL economy, they’re
united by a shared goal.”
The Retail-Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather (R-CTFL)
Master Plan, supported by these retailers, aims to revitalise the
sector and more inclusive value chains. The SME Accelerator of the
KZNCTC, supported by the eThekwini Municipality’s Economic
Development Programmes Unit, is a practical and proven platform
helping small manufacturers with market access, standards
upgrading and capital-investment interventions. Other benefits
for SMMEs in being part of an Accelerator programme include
being introduced to experienced mentors. The collaborative
environment of being connected with other small business owners
can also spark growth. The intention is to support 2 000 SMMEs,
with 200 new contracts in place with the formal manufacturing sector.
Other sector-specific accelerators with the backing of the
municipality are the Durban Automotive Cluster and the eThekwini
Furniture Cluster. The SME Accelerator of the Durban Chemicals
Cluster (DCC) not only provides advice and market access to small
businesses within the sector but offers cash prizes in its annual
awards ceremony.
The provincial government’s Sukuma 100 000 initiative is
focused on creating jobs, with all government departments
participating in focussing on opportunities for youth employment.
Examples of companies that received support under the project are
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Department of Small Business Development:
www.dsbd.gov.za
SA SME Fund: www.sasmefund.co.za
Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency: www.sedfa.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Two national support
agencies have merged.
Gelanison Agric, an agricultural
initiative that produces highvalue
crops using the hydroponic
system, and AdNotes, a
telecommunications company
which is 100% black and youthowned.
The company received
funding from the KZN Youth
Fund and provides Internet
services in the Ugu and King
Cetshwayo Districts and
eThekwini Metro.
The Small Enterprise
Development Agency (SEDA)
and the Small Enterprise
Finance Agency (SEFA)
merged with the Cooperative
Banks Development Agency
(CBDA) to form the Small
Enterprise Development and
Finance Agency (SEDFA) on 1
October 2024. The merger was
made possible by the National
Small Enterprise Amendment
Act 2024, which was signed
by President Cyril Ramaphosa on
23 July 2024. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
34
PHOTO: KZNCTC

Banking and financial services
OVERVIEW
Ithala’s future is under discussion.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Old Mutual has high hopes
for its new bank.
In early 2025, the South African Reserve Bank’s Prudential
Authority applied for the liquidation of Ithala Bank, or more strictly
Ithala State Owned Company, because it ruled that it was insolvent.
Ithala is better understood as a development finance institution
which has among its tasks the development of shopping centres,
pictured, and industrial estates in remote regions of the province.
Although the entity has accepted many thousands of deposits,
it was never formally registered as a bank but continued to receive
exemptions from the relevant legislation. The Financial Matters
Amendment Act of 2019 precludes provincial entities from being
licensed as banks. No further exemptions were granted after the end
of 2023 and by the middle of 2025, 257 000 depositors were unable
to gain access to their accounts.
In September 2025 the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-
Natal approved a R300-million rescue package in the hope that
the bank’s affairs would be regularised and that rural people,
township traders, pensioners and grant recipients would again be
able to transact. National Treasury followed this with an offer to put
up a guarantee but said that stringent conditions would be attached
to such assistance.
Financial services company Old Mutual has been granted
approval by the Prudential Authority to establish a bank. Having
ONLINE RESOURCES
Association for Savings and Investment South Africa: www.asisa.org.za
Financial Sector Conduct Authority: www.fsca.co.za
South African Institute for Chartered Accountants: www.saica.co.za
applied for a licence in 2022, the
company has patiently worked
towards the establishment of a
bank. As of November 2025, the
new entity had 150 000 clients
and was said to be signing new
customers at a rate of 5 000 a
day (Sunday Times).
For some time, the group
best known for insurance has
offered the Money Account, a
low-cost transactional account
which doubles as a unit trust
savings account. The 500 000
customers in that division will
be migrated to the bank and
marketing will almost certainly
be directed at the other sevenmillion
customers of the group’s
other businesses. By 2028, Old
Mutual Bank wants to have
2.8-million customers.
Three other new banks are
in the pipeline and have
received regulatory approval:
the Young Women in Business
Network (YWBN) Mutual Bank,
Postbank (a state entity) and
the SA Innovative Financial
Services Cooperative (SAIFSC),
which will be run by the
Department of Women, Youth
and People with Disabilities.
Together with real estate
and general business, the
financial sector in KwaZulu-
Natal accounts for 18% of gross
domestic product (GDP). ■
PHOTO: Ithala 35
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026

LISTING
KwaZulu-Natal metropolitan and
district municipalities
KwaZulu-Natal metropolitan and district municipalities.
ETHEKWINI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY
Durban is the principal city of the province’s
only metropolitan municipality.
Postal address: PO Box 1014, Durban 4000
Physical address: City Hall, 263 Dr Pixley Ka Seme
(West) Street, Durban
Tel: +27 31 311 1111
Website: www.durban.gov.za
AMAJUBA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Newcastle
Physical address: B9356 Amajuba Building,
Madadeni
Postal address: Private Bag X6615, Newcastle
2940
Tel: +27 34 329 7200
Website: www.amajuba.gov.za
Local municipalities: Dannhauser Local
Municipality; eMadlangeni Local Municipality;
Newcastle Local Municipality
HARRY GWALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Ixopo
Physical address: 40 Main Street, Ixopo
Postal address: Private Bag X501, Ixopo 3276
Tel: +27 39 834 8700
Website: www.harrygwaladm.gov.za
Local municipalities: Dr Nkosazana Dlamini
Zuma Local Municipality; Greater Kokstad Local
Municipality; Ubuhlebezwe Local Municipality;
Umzimkhulu Local Municipality
ILEMBE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: KwaDukuza
Physical address: iLembe House, 59/61 Mahatma
Ghandi Street, KwaDukuza
Postal address: PO Box 1788, KwaDukuza 4450
Tel: +27 32 437 9300
Website: www.ilembe.gov.za
Local municipalities: KwaDukuza Local
Municipality; Mandeni Local Municipality;
Maphumulo Local Municipality; Ndwedwe Local
Municipality
KING CETSHWAYO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Richards Bay
Physical address: King Cetshwayo House, Kruger
Rand, Richards Bay
Postal address: Private Bag X1025, Richards Bay
3900
Tel: +27 35 799 2500
Website: www.kingcetshwayo.gov.za
Local municipalities: City of uMhlathuze Local
Municipality; Mthonjaneni Local Municipality;
Nkandla Local Municipality; uMfolozi Local
Municipality; uMlalazi Local Municipality
UGU DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Port Shepstone
Physical address: 28 Connor Street, Port
Shepstone
Postal address: PO Box 33, Port Shepstone 4240
Tel: +27 39 688 5700
Website: www.ugu.gov.za
Local municipalities: Ray Nkonyeni Local
Municipality; Umdoni Local Municipality;
Umuziwabantu Local Municipality; Umzumbe
Local Municipality
UMGUNGUNDLOVU DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Pietermaritzburg
Physical address: 242 Langalibalele Street,
Pietermaritzburg
Postal address: PO Box 3235, Pietermaritzburg
3200
Tel: +27 33 897 6700
Website: www.umdm.gov.za
Local municipalities: Impendle Local
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2026
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LISTING
Municipality; Mkhambathini Local Municipality;
Mpofana Local Municipality; Msunduzi Local
Municipality; Richmond Local Municipality;
uMngeni Local Municipality; uMshwathi Local
Municipality
UMKHANYAKUDE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Mkuze
Physical address: Harlingen No 13433, Kingfisher
Road, Mkuze
Postal address: PO Box 449, Mkuze 3965
Tel: +27 35 573 8600
Website: www.ukdm.gov.za
Local municipalities: Big 5 Hlabisa Local
Municipality; Jozini Local Municipality;
Mtubatuba Local Municipality;
uMhlabuyalingana Local Municipality
UMZINYATHI DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Dundee
Physical address: 39 Victoria Street, Princess
Magogo Building, Dundee
Postal address: PO Box 1965, Dundee 3000
Tel: +27 34 219 1500
Website: www.umzinyathi.gov.za
Local municipalities: Endumeni Local
Municipality; Nquthu Local Municipality; uMsinga
Local Municipality; Umvoti Local Municipality
UTHUKELA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Ladysmith
Physical address: 36 Lyell Street, Ladysmith
Postal address: PO Box 116, Ladysmith 3370
Tel: +27 36 638 5100
Website: www.uthukela.gov.za
Local municipalities: Alfred Duma Local
Municipality; Inkosi Langalibalele Local
Municipality; Okhahlamba Local Municipality
ZULULAND DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
Principal city: Ulundi
Physical address: 400 Ugagane Street, Ulundi
Postal address: +27 35 874 5500, Private Bag
X76, Ulundi 3838
Tel: +27 35 874 5530
Website: www.zululand.org.za
Local municipalities: AbaQulusi Local
Municipality; eDumbe Local Municipality;
Nongoma Local Municipality; Ulundi Local
Municipality; uPhongolo Local Municipality
Mondi Richards Bay produces bleached hardwood pulp and kraft linerboard with the brand names of
Baycel and Baywhite. Together with the company’s papermill at Merebank, Mondi is one of the province’s
most significant manufacturers.