One hundred youth to gain hands-on skills

 

One hundred youth to gain hands-on skills

SANE SHANDU

ETHEKWINI Municipality is taking bold steps to equip local youth with practical, life-changing skills. On 5 March, 100 unemployed young people from Ntuzuma and surrounding areas enrolled in a three-month vocational training programme through the eThekwini Municipal Academy.

One hundred young people have enrolled in a three-month vocational training programme where they  will be equipped with practical skills to find employment. | Photo: Supplied. 

The training spans plumbing, electricity, bricklaying, and tiling, linked to ongoing construction projects including Ntuzuma Mall, Nozaza Node Hub, housing developments, and other community upgrades.

Participants will gain hands-on experience and, upon completion, transition directly into roles on these projects, turning skills development into real employment and enterprise opportunities.

Ward 42 Councillor Fisokuhle Mngadi praised the initiative. ‘’This programme ensures young people can access local opportunities instead of labour being brought in from outside. It is a practical step towards building local capacity and uplifting the community.’’

The programme strengthens local maintenance capacity, accelerates service delivery, and keeps economic benefits circulating within the community.

Participant Nokwanda Mazibuko, a young woman entering the male-dominated trade of tiling, described the programme as ‘’life-changing.’’ ‘’This programme is giving me a real skill and a future. It has also afforded me a chance to uplift my family and my community.’’

Mayor fast-tracks housing for displaced flood victims

 

Mayor fast-tracks housing for displaced flood victims

METRO REPORTER

ETHEKWINI Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba has expressed confidence in the City’s plan to provide decent housing for flood victims.

This follows his oversight visit to Montclair Lodge on 5 March, to assess progress of the refurbishment of the facility, which will temporarily accommodate disaster victims.

The project is being implemented jointly by eThekwini Municipality, as well as the provincial and national government. Mayor Xaba said he was satisfied with the progress made in refurbishing the first 272 units. In total, the project will deliver 500 units.

‘’The completion of this project is crucial, as it will provide government with its own facility to accommodate disaster victims instead of relying on privately-owned facilities. Each time we have disasters, we will know where to take victims to while awaiting permanent housing,’’ said Mayor Xaba.

The refurbishment project is expected to be completed by June this year. The first occupants of the lodge will be flood victims currently accommodated in temporary emergency accommodation. They will be housed there temporarily while awaiting the completion of permanent houses in the Cornubia Housing Project.

The Mayor last month visited the Cornubia Housing Project to assess progress of the construction of permanent housing for flood victims.

Already, 113 houses are nearing completion. The total yield of the project is 1 200 units, which will be able to accommodate all flood victims currently in temporary emergency accommodation.

Boost for City tourism following statue unveiling

 

Boost for City tourism 

following statue unveiling

GUGU MDLALOSE

TWO landmark statues that were recently unveiled have added a boost to the City’s tourism offerings.

The statues of two struggle icons, Nelson Mandela and former ANC President Oliver Tambo, were unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 3 March.

The event was marked with traditional dancing and vibrant displays of culture, with the unveiling described by President Ramaphosa as ‘’historic’’.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to visit the sites and engage with the stories of the two stalwarts whose leadership shaped the nation.

At each statue site there is extensive history about the leader which visitors can download using a QR code to access more information.

President Ramaphosa said eThekwini Municipality has bestowed this honour on two icons in recognition of their contribution towards the struggle for freedom, social justice, and the empowerment of people.

‘’Monuments of this nature are important for preserving our history and heritage,’’ he said.

The location of each statue is significant. The Mandela statue is in the Moses Mabhida precinct near the Kings Park Stadium. Soon after his release from prison in 1990 Mandela addressed his first large mass rally in Durban at the Kings Park Stadium. The rally drew more than 200 000 people.

In the same vein, the towering statue of Oliver Tambo on the beachfront is a reminder of his journey across oceans convincing the world about the importance of breaking down the walls of apartheid.

President Ramaphosa also touched on the impact the statues will have on tourism in the City saying:

‘’We can anticipate that these statues will contribute to exceptional growth in tourism in eThekwini.’’

Cementing the City’s status as an events and sporting capital, he said eThekwini will be the venue for the 46^th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community taking place in August.

‘’This is a worthy recognition of the progress that has been made together with all social partners in restoring confidence in the City.’’

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Xaba said the statues will inspire present and future generations to learn more about the contributions these struggle icons made in building a democratic South Africa.

Speaking on other monuments in the City, Mayor Xaba said the Indentured Workers Monument, commissioned in partnership with the provincial government, was unveiled in November last year at South Beach.

It commemorated 165 years since the arrival of the first indentured Indian workers in KwaZulu-Natal.

‘’We are also engaging the Embassy of Portugal regarding the relocation of the statue of Portuguese poet, Fernando Pessoa, from the city centre to the Durban Botanic Gardens. These monuments form part of our broader strategy to expand tourism infrastructure and enhance tourism offerings,’’ he concluded.

Register for Durban Business Fair 2026

 

By Fred Felton | Mar. 21, 2026

There is high demand for exhibition space at Durban Business Fair. Over 50 businesses have already booked exhibition space for the 28^th Durban Business Fair.

Businesses engage with potential buyers at a previous edition of the Durban Business Fair. Photo: Supplied. 

There is strong demand for the City’s flagship platform that connects small businesses to markets, opportunities, and potential investors.

The theme for the 2026 Durban Business Fair is ‘’28 Years of Connecting SMMEs to Markets and Opportunities.’’ The Durban Business Fair will take place at Durban Exhibition Centre from 30 April to 2 May 2026.

The eThekwini Municipality is inviting local entrepreneurs and business owners to register to exhibit at the fair before the deadline date of 17 April 2026.

The Durban Business Fair is the perfect place to showcase products and services, access new markets, and build valuable business networks. The fair will also feature a series of empowerment sessions focusing on innovation, access to funding, and connecting businesses to international markets.

‘’Since 1998, more than 40 000 businesses have participated in the Durban Business Fair, with over 130 000 buyers and visitors attending and engaging with exhibitors. The initiative has helped create more than 21 000 sustainable jobs, thanks to an investment of over R400 million over the past 28 years to support small businesses through this platform,’’ said Chairperson of the City’s Economic Development and Planning Committee Councillor Thembo Ntuli.

Business owners are encouraged to register early as exhibition space is filling up fast.

You can download a registration form here: https://tinyurl.com/ye96s948

Forms can also be obtained here:

§  199 Anton Lembede Street (7^th Floor), Durban

§  Sizakala Customer Centres

§  Online www.durban.gov.za (click the Business icon, select SMME Development, then the Durban Business Fair page)

§  Email zamani.shezi@durban.gov.za

 

‘’We are very excited to be exhibiting for the first time. We moved quickly to secure a spot as the Durban Business Fair comes highly recommended. We want to showcase our services, connect with new clients for design and construction projects, and position our company among like-minded businesses, potentially leading to subcontract work. We are looking forward to this exhibition,’’ said Anele Mabhoza, founder of Mabhoza Engineers in Hillcrest.

For more information about the Durban Business Fair call 031 311 4500

Regeneration at Heart of Global Blue Economy Agenda for Africa

 

By Fred Felton | Mar. 11, 2026

Ocean Innovation Africa (OIA), in partnership with eThekwini Municipality as host city, will hold its 2026 summit in Durban at the Durban ICC from 23 to 25 March.

Durban will be the host city for OIA 2026. | Photo: Durban Tourism 

This Summit is aimed at positioning Africa at the forefront of the global shift from a sustainable to a regenerative blue economy, and brings together investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, scientists, development finance institutions and community leaders to accelerate implementation, unlock capital and investment, and coordinate tangible action across Africa’s ocean economy.

The eThekwini Municipality is host city and main partner and certainly demonstrates its active leadership in advancing the blue economy by looking towards how to strengthen coastal management, support maritime and port-linked innovation, and align local development strategies with climate resilience and ocean sustainability objectives. As the host of OIA 2026, eThekwini reinforces Durban’s position as an important continental hub for ocean innovation, investment, and policy leadership.

‘’As climate pressures intensify and ocean degradation accelerates globally, our continent stands at a defining moment. With more than 38 coastal and island states and a rapidly expanding ocean economy, Africa has a unique opportunity to lead a regenerative model, one that restores ecosystems, strengthens long-term stability and drives equitable economic growth,’’ said Alexis Grosskopf, Founder of OceanHub Africa and spokesperson for Ocean Innovation Africa.

For the 2026 Summit the focus will be on regenerative blue business models and nature-positive growth; blue finance pathways, from aid to local and blended capital, marine protection, economic expansion and community stability, pan-African innovation ecosystems and solution-oriented workshops and curated Business-to-Business matchmaking and investor meetings and dialogues.

Annually the global ocean economy is valued in the trillions of dollars, yet overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change are undermining both ecological stability and economic security. Incremental sustainability is no longer enough.

‘’We expect that investors, policy-makers, and innovators will join forces and co-ordinate strategies to tackle priority bottlenecks, drive practical collaborations, scale solutions, and reinforce Africa-led regenerative framing within global ocean dialogues,’’ noted Grosskopf.

OIA 2026 positions Africa as both contributor and leader in shaping the future of the blue economy.

For more information or to register go to: www.ocean-innovation.africa

President Cyril Ramaphosa Unveiled Landmark Statues in eThekwini Municipality

 

By Fred Felton | Mar. 8, 2026

On Tuesday 3^rd March 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled statues honouring President Nelson Mandela and former ANC President Oliver Tambo.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was joined by eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba, as well as national and provincial Members of Parliament, councillors and other government officials at the official unveiling of landmark statues honouring struggle stalwarts Nelson Mandela and former ANC President Oliver Tambo. | Photo: Thuli Dlamini. 

The 10-metre statues have been installed in prominent and accessible locations in Durban.

‘’The eThekwini Municipality has bestowed this honour on these two icons in recognition of their contribution towards our struggle for freedom, social justice and the empowerment of our people. Monuments of this nature are important for preserving our history and heritage. They anchor the collective memory of a nation. They are important as a public affirmation of the values which these leaders represented and the principles for which they fought,’’ said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

These statues celebrate the historic contribution made by both leaders to the country’s liberation and democracy and are directed at enhancing the city’s cultural and heritage tourism offering.

‘’It is significant that these statues are unveiled in the year that we celebrate 30 years of the adoption of our democratic Constitution,’’ noted President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The unveiling formed part of the City’s commitment to promote Durban as a heritage tourism destination.

‘’We unveil these statues knowing that people from across our country and across the world will come to see them, eThekwini is one of the premier tourist destinations in our country and we can anticipate that these statues will contribute to exceptional growth in tourism. It is said that more than 6.8 million people visited the beaches and the promenade over the festive season and that more than 1.2 million bathers were recorded at the municipality’s swimming pools. This is a sign both of what the city has to offer and the hard work that has been done by all stakeholders to ensure that eThekwini is a place that people want to visit. I am therefore pleased to announce that eThekwini will be the venue for the 46^th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community – SADC – to be held in August 2026,’’ said President Cyril Ramaphosa.

‘’As we face the challenges of today and tomorrow, we are standing on the shoulders of these brave men and women, their lives will continue to inspire and encourage us as we strive together for a better world,’’ noted President Cyril Ramaphosa.

‘’Each statue celebrates the extraordinary contributions these leaders made to the country’s journey to freedom. We trust that these statues will inspire present and future generations to learn more about the immense contributions these struggle icons made in building the democratic South Africa we enjoy today,’’ said eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Cyril Xaba.

Following the unveiling ceremony, President Cyril Ramaphosa convened a meeting of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group (PeWG) at the Durban ICC.

The Presidential eThekwini Working Group, was established in April 2024, it is a collaborative initiative between The Presidency, the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) to address service delivery challenges, improve infrastructure, stabilise governance, and enhance economic growth in the municipality.

The meeting brought together key stakeholders including business and organised labour leaders, Ministers, Premier Thami Ntuli, Members of the Executive Council (MECs), senior government officials, and the Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Councillor Cyril Xaba.

The engagement took stock of the progress made since the establishment of PeWG and outlined the next phase of focused interventions aimed at strengthening economic growth, job creation, infrastructure development, and improved service delivery in eThekwini.

Billions in Investment unlocked by eThekwini District Model

 

By Fred Felton | Feb. 17, 2026

The eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba was part of a high-level delegation which visited various catalytic project sites in the City on 6^th February 2026.

EThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba led a high-level delegation during an oversight visit to several catalytic projects in the City on 6th February. | Photo: Supplied. 

The oversight visit was done to address challenges related to regulatory approvals, bulk infrastructure provision, and the funding of key catalytic projects.

Mayor Xaba is the Chairperson of the eThekwini District Development Model (DDM) Political Hub and he was joined by the eThekwini DDM Champion and Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Narend Singh.

Both the leaders expressed satisfaction with the progress of key catalytic sites that are set to change the City’s economic landscape.

Key project milestones include:

The Giba Business Estate: With an investment of R1.2 billion this development is moving at full steam. The Municipality has already put over R100 million into critical road infrastructure, which is scheduled to be finished within the next two months.

Isibaya Precinct Development: Developed by DEVMCO, this is a mixed-use hub and is nearing completion. After 10 years in development, it is set for a grand opening later in 2026. The precinct will feature an International Convention Centre, a 4 000-seater Playhouse and a 200-bed facility.

There were also positive updates received for the Avoca Node, Cato Ridge Node, and the Malaba Canal Project.

‘’The goal is to ensure the work of the Presidential Working Group is seamlessly integrated into the DDM framework. This ensures sustainability so that even as the Presidential Working Group phases out, the momentum of these projects continues uninterrupted,’’ said Mike Mabuyakhulu, Co-Chairperson of the eThekwini Presidential Working Group.

Mr Mabuyakhulu stressed the importance of immediate intervention to secure R21 billion in total investment.

‘’We are seeing a truly collaborative effort from government to create a conducive environment for investors. Today’s site visits proved that progress is happening on the ground, not just on paper,’’ said Deputy Minister Singh.

Deputy Minister Singh also praised the ‘’hands-on’’ approach of the current leadership.