KwaZulu-Natal Business 2016-17 edition
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy. To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za. Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
The 2016-17 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the eighth issue of this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008, has established itself as the premier business and investment guide to the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.
The province is unique in terms of its abundant natural and human resources, and is also one of the key drivers behind the South African economy.
To complement the extensive local, national and international distribution of the print edition of the magazine (15 000 copies), the full content can also be viewed online at www.kwazulunatalbusiness.co.za.
Updated information on KwaZulu-Natal is also available through our monthly e-newsletter, which you can subscribe to online at www.globalafricanetwork.com, in addition to our other business-to-business titles that cover all nine provinces, complemented by our flagship publication, South African Business.
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FOCUS<br />
the country’s leading economic and business hubs.<br />
According to Statistics South Africa’s 2011 population<br />
census, the province of <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> is the<br />
second most populous province following Gauteng<br />
Province.<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> at a glance<br />
Capital city: Pietermaritzburg<br />
Main cities and towns: Durban, Ladysmith,<br />
Newcastle, Port Shepstone and Richards Bay<br />
Provincial head: Mr ES Mchunu<br />
Population: 10.3-million (census – 2011)<br />
Economically active population: 3.3-million<br />
(Q4 2015)<br />
Unemployment rate: 23.2% (Q1 <strong>2016</strong>)<br />
Area: 94 361km 2<br />
Real GDPR: R480.3-billion (US$37.7-billion)<br />
GDPR growth: 2.1% (2014)<br />
Per capital GDPR: R44 880 (US$3 520) (2014)<br />
CPI: 6.7 (March <strong>2016</strong>)<br />
Exports: R116.9-billion (US$9.2-billion) (2015)<br />
Main ports: Port of Durban, Port of Richards Bay,<br />
King Shaka International Airport<br />
Doing business in <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong><br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> is an important hub of industrial<br />
development in Sub-Saharan Africa thanks to its<br />
rich natural resources and well-developed infrastructure.<br />
Economic activities in the province are<br />
mainly concentrated around the Port of Durban<br />
and the inland city of Pietermaritzburg, with further<br />
significant contributions in the Richards Bay/<br />
Empangeni area, the Ladysmith/Ezakheni area and<br />
the Newcastle/Madadeni regions, as well as in the<br />
Ugu/Port Shepstone region.<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> is a competitive region for foreign<br />
investment, and more especially export opportunities<br />
through the Port of Durban. The province<br />
has identified prime targets for inward investment,<br />
including textiles, clothing, plastic products, chemicals,<br />
fabricated-metal products, automotive components,<br />
wood and wood products, footwear, machinery<br />
and appliances, business process outsourcing<br />
and boatbuilding. The ease with which primary and<br />
processed aluminum can be obtained from local<br />
suppliers at world-competitive prices, provides a real<br />
opportunity for investors in these sectors.<br />
Industry<br />
Richards Bay is the centre of operations for South<br />
Africa’s aluminium industry. The Richards Bay Coal<br />
Terminal is the second-biggest exporter of steam<br />
coal in the world and the world’s largest single coal<br />
terminal, while Richards Bay Minerals is the largest<br />
sand-mining and mineral-processing operation<br />
in the world.<br />
The vehicle manufacturing industry has created<br />
a considerable multiplier effect in terms of<br />
component manufacturing and aftermarket service.<br />
The automotive leather industry has grown<br />
rapidly, with exports significantly boosting foreign<br />
exchange earnings.<br />
<strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> has also recently benefited<br />
from rapid industrialisation, thanks to its abundant<br />
labour resources and Sub-Saharan Africa’s<br />
economic expansion. Numerous industries<br />
are located at Newcastle, Ladysmith, Dundee,<br />
Richards Bay, Durban, Hammarsdale, Richmond,<br />
Pietermaritzburg and Mandeni. The King Shaka<br />
International Airport became operational in May<br />
2010, and planning is progressing aggressively to<br />
implement Africa’s first green aerotropolis around<br />
this airport.<br />
Tourism<br />
Tourism is a key driver of the <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> economy.<br />
The province’s tourism attractions are structured<br />
around eight tourism destinations, namely Durban,<br />
Dolphin Coast (North), South Coast, Zululand,<br />
Pietermaritzburg and Midlands, Drakensberg,<br />
Elephant Coast and Battlefields. Better known by<br />
tourists as the 'Zulu Kingdom', <strong>KwaZulu</strong>-<strong>Natal</strong> is<br />
a tapestry of warm, subtropical coastal areas, Big<br />
Five game reserves, two World Heritage Sites (the<br />
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park and the Isimangaliso<br />
Wetlands Park), authentic cultural routes and worldrenowned<br />
historical battlefields.<br />
The province enjoys the lion’s share of the domestic<br />
tourism market and a growing share of South<br />
Africa’s international tourism market, attracting<br />
19 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS <strong>2016</strong>/<strong>17</strong>
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