KwaZulu-Natal Business 2022-23

KWAZULU-NATAL
BUSINESS
2022/23 EDITION
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT
IN THE KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
JOIN US ONLINE
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.KWAZULUNATALBUSINESS.CO.ZA
E S T 1 8 5 6
DURBAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY NPC
ABOUT THE
COMMERCE
The Durban Chamber o
is the oldest and larges
eThekwini business com
The Durban Chamber d

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The city of
Durban (eThekwini
Municipality) is South
Africa’s second most
important economic
region
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Extensive first-world
road, rail, sea and air
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Dube
TradePort
and King
Shaka
International 1
Airport - 60-
year Master
Plan - driving
growth of
aerotropolis,
or airport
city
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Rated in top 5
‘Quality of Living’
cities in Africa and
Middle East by
Mercer Consulting in
2015
Named one of the
New 7 Wonders Cities
by the Swiss-based
New 7 Wonders
Foundation in 2014
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BUY LOCAL
INVEST LOCAL
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Let’s come together and heal as a nation.
Let’s focus on Renewing, Restoring and Rebuilding
successful partnerships and investment opportunities so we
can get back to promoting our city as the ideal destination
for business and pleasure to the rest of the world.
Your support coupled with our world-class infrastructure,
innovative business environment and ever evolving
investment opportunities, means we can get back to
‘connecting continents’ in no time.
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Tel: +27 31 311 4227
Email: invest@durban.gov.za
web: invest.durban
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DURBAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY NPC
IN BUSINESS FOR A
BETTER WORLD
A: 101 Isaiah Ntshangase Road, Durban 4001 | E: info@durbanchamber.co.za
W: www.durbanchamber.co.za | T: +27 31 335 1000
@DurbanChamber
@DurbanChamber
Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC
@durbanchamber

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
with both private and public sector.
• Offering business support
services and advice (CIPC,
Human Resources/Capital,
relevant to decision-making
process.
more); and
CLAIM YOUR EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS BENEFITS
InBusinessForABetterWorld

CONTENTS
CONTENTS
KwaZulu-Natal 2022/23 Edition
Introduction
Foreword 7
A unique guide to business and investment in KwaZulu-Natal.
Special features
Regional overview of KwaZulu-Natal 8
Stability has been restored after a turbulent 2021 and companies
are looking at investing in increasing capacity. Provincial and
national government are ramping up spending on infrastructure.
Private investments in ports are
gathering speed 14
Upgrades at KwaZulu-Natal’s two big ports will mean South Africa
is better prepared for the next commodity boom.
Economic sectors
Agriculture 28
Packaging firm expands on increased agricultural production.
Forestry and paper 30
A campaign to plant 10-million trees has begun.
Mining 31
Operations at Richards Bay Minerals have resumed.
Engineering 32
UCL’s expansion included three large projects.
Oil and gas 33
South Africa’s largest crude oil refinery is likely to come
on the market.
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
4

DURBAN ICC AFRICA’S LEADING CONVENTION CENTRE
The Durban International Convention
Centre (Durban ICC) prides itself on
being leading venue for meetings,
business events, conferences and
exhibitions on the African continent.
However, this is not their own opinion,
but rather the overwhelming feedback
received from their clients who have
voted it in the top 1% of Convention
Centres worldwide, as well as “Africa’s
Leading Meetings and Convention
Centre” no fewer than 17 times!
The Durban ICC is a versatile venue
of enormous dimensions, flexible
enough to meet any need, no matter
how extraordinary. The Centre offers
the largest column-free, multipurpose
event space on the African continent.
International and national conventions,
exhibitions, sporting events, concerts
and special occasions of every kind
can be accommodated. Flexibility and
versatility are key factors in the design
of this state-of-the-art, technologydriven
Centre. The Centre also offers
a range of innovative solutions such
as Live-streaming events, Remotepresentation
events, Hybrid events,
and Video-on-Demand.
The Durban ICC’s highly experienced
and friendly team will ensure that
your event is seamlessly executed
giving you complete peace of mind.
Providing exceptional customer
service remains the heartbeat of the
Durban ICC, striving to ensure that
every delegate who walks through
the five-star facility has a memorable
experience.
Delegates visiting the Centre can
look forward to superb standards of
culinary excellence and hospitality.
As part of the Durban ICC’s gourmet
evolution over the past decades in
the industry, they are completely
reinventing their culinary offering
in order to showcase some of
Durban’s authentic African Cuisines.
Furthermore a wide range of new
innovative packages have been
designed to meet the unique needs
of each target market, at the best
possible rates.
Demonstrating its commitment to
quality, the Durban ICC is five-star
graded by the Tourism Grading
Council of South Africa and maintains
its ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO22000
certifications ensuring the highest
international standards in Quality
Management, Environmental
Responsibility, Food Safety and Health
and Safety.
The DURBAN ICC offers you first-world
convenience and a proudly African
meetings experience. The Centre is
fully Wi-Fi enabled and connectivity
is complimentary to its delegates and
guests.
Durban ICC Fast Facts
• Located in Durban, known as
South Africa’s entertainment
“playground”.
• Durban International Convention
Centre (Durban ICC) comprised
of the Durban ICC Arena and the
Durban Exhibition Centre.
• Voted “Africa’s Leading Meetings
and Conference Centre” by the
World Travel Awards no fewer
than 17 times and continuously
strives to deliver excellent service
• Largest flat floor, column-free
multi-purpose event space in
Africa.
• Ranked in the world’s Top 15
Convention Centres by the
International Association of
Congress Centres (AIPC).
• The Centre is located 30-minutes
from the King Shaka International
Airport and over 3,600 Hotel
rooms are within a 10-minute walk
of the Centre.

E S T 1 8 5 6
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.
CONTENTS
Energy 36
eThekwini plans to sign up independent power producers.
Construction and property 37
R6-billion business and logistics park for Umhlanga.
Water 38
Bulkwater schemes are coming on line.
Tourism 40
Resumed flights augur well for the economy.
ICT 41
Infrastructure has to be rebuilt after severe flooding.
Manufacturing 42
Sappi’s giant plant at Umkomaas is set to grow again.
Education and training 44
New streams are being introduced at schools.
Development finance and SMME support 46
Billion-rand plan to transform the sugar industry will benefit the
SMME sector.
Banking and financial services 48
Financing of infrastructure is becoming a priority.
References
Key sector contents 22
Overviews of the main economic sectors of KwaZulu-Natal.
rate
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connectedKZN@mtn.com
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN KWAZULU-NATAL
2022/23
KWAZULU-NATAL
BUSINESS
THE GUIDE TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT
IN THE KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE
JOIN US ONLINE
2022/23 EDITION
WWW.GLOBALAFRICANETWORK.COM | WWW.KWAZULUNATALBUSINESS.CO.ZA
DURBAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE AND
INDUSTRY NPC
ABOUT THE DURBAN CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY NPC
ABOUT THE COVER:
Top left then clockwise to the right: Mark Harpour on Unsplash; Mondi;
International Convention Centre; Transnet Port Terminals; Bell Equipment;
Durban, Captureson Photography on Unsplash; rhinos, Kevin Folk on Unsplash.

KwaZulu-Natal Business
A unique guide to business and investment in KwaZulu-Natal.
FOREWORD
Credits
Publishing director:
Chris Whales
Editor: John Young
Managing director: Clive During
Online editor: Christoff Scholtz
Designer: Tyra Martin
Production: Yonella Ngaba
Ad sales:
Gavin van der Merwe
Sam Oliver
Tahlia Wyngaard
Tennyson Naidoo
Gabriel Venter
Vanessa Wallace
Shiko Diala
Administration & accounts:
Charlene Steynberg
Kathy Wootton
Distribution and circulation
manager: Edward MacDonald
Printing: FA Print
The 2022/23 edition of KwaZulu-Natal Business is the 14th issue of
this highly successful publication that, since its launch in 2008,
has established itself as the premier business and investment
guide for the KwaZulu-Natal Province.
In addition to the regular articles providing insight into each of the key
economic sectors of the province, there is a special feature on national
government’s campaign to encourage private investment in ports. The vital
role of the ports of Durban and Richards Bay in the South African economy
cannot be understated and putting them in a better position to deal with
commodities and cargoes of every sort is clearly in the national interest. A
special purpose vehicle is to be created within Transnet to make dealing with
private companies less complicated.
The increasing importance of the Oceans Economy to the future of
the provincial and national economy is relevant to any examination of the
economy of KwaZulu-Natal. This applies as much to trade and ship-repair
as it does to the exciting gas discoveries which have been made off the
coast of Mozambique and South Africa.
To complement the extensive local, national and international
distribution of the print edition, 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.gan.co.za, in addition to our complementary business-tobusiness
titles that cover all nine provinces, our flagship South African Business
title and the addition to our list of publications, African Business, which was
launched in 2020. ■
Chris Whales
Publisher, Global Africa Network Media | Email: chris@gan.co.za
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
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 | Bosch Holdings; Department of Forestry, Fisheries
and the Environment; Dormac; Dube TradePort; Engie Peakers
Operations; Enterprise iLembe; Hesto Harnesses; Hillside Aluminium;
KZN Department of Education; RBCT; Richards Bay Minerals; SA
PUBLISHED BY
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Directors: Clive During, Chris Whales
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Email: info@gan.co.za | Website: www.gan.co.za
ISSN 1995-1310
Canegrowers Assocation; Sappi; Sapref; The Brickworks; Transnet
National Ports Authority; Qatar Airways; UCL Tetra Pak; Umgeni Water.
DISCLAIMER | While the publisher, Global Africa Network Media (Pty)
Ltd, has used all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information
contained in KwaZulu-Natal is accurate and up-to-date, the publishers
make no representations as to the accuracy, quality, timeliness, or
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any reliance placed on such information.

A REGIONAL OVERVIEW OF
KWAZULU-NATAL
Stability has been restored after a turbulent 2021 and companies are looking
at investing in increasing capacity. Provincial and national government are
ramping up spending on infrastructure. The province’s ports are the focus of
programmes designed to encourage private investment.
By John Young
In 2021, citizens and businesses in KwaZulu-Natal
were starting to get used to the disruptions caused
by Covid-19 when in July, a series of riots broke out.
The other province hit by riots was Gauteng.
Thankfully the riots lasted less than a week but,
like Covid-19, they brought tragedy in their wake.
Some have claimed that the riots were linked to
the court case of former President Zuma, being
pursued in various cases linking him to alleged
corruption during his terms of office as president
and deputy president. While it is true that many
of his supporters took to social media to stoke up
violent sentiment, nothing happened at the courts
where Zuma was appearing or at the jail to which
he had been consigned. Foreign truckers were
attacked on the N3 (a recurrence of earlier attacks)
and shops were looted and burnt.
The resilience of KwaZulu-Natal residents and
business owners was tested. Many insurance claims
have been lodged but some businesses, such as
the packaging business burnt to the ground in the
course of the riots, have closed their doors.
Companies in the logistics and storage sector
were boosted by the move to home shopping that
came with the Covid-induced lockdowns. This is a
trend that had been growing for some time and
that was accelerated by the pandemic.
On the energy front, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s
announcement that private investors could
generate up to 100MW without having to go
through a tangled web of licence procedures was
a boon for the province’s larger companies. The
likes of Sappi and Mondi produce great quantities
of biomass waste and all of the province’s sugar
producers are potentially generators of electricity.
Many of them already are producing power for their
own use, now they can sell it to the grid.
The signing of a long-term contract for energy
supply by Eskom and South32 for its Hillside
Aluminium smelter was another very welcome step
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
8

SPECIAL FEATURE
King Shaka International Airport.
in the energy field. The deal expires in 2031.
The first steps in a move by national government
to partner with the private sector in boosting
efficiency at ports were taken in 2022: deals were
signed at the Port of Durban and at Richards Bay.
A 15-year concession for the loading of grain at
one of Durban’s agricultural terminals was won by
Afgri, one of South Africa’s biggest agricultural firms.
Afgri will deal with the operation and maintenance
of all landside operations, and the deal includes
a similar arrangement at East London. The other
two terminals in Durban are operated by SA Bulk
Terminals and Bidvest Bulk Terminals.
Tourism is a key sector in the KwaZulu-Natal
economy and provides livelihoods to many
thousands of families in urban and rural areas. The
closing of borders brought real hardship to many
areas. The first half of 2019 brought in a total of
R14.4-billion in tourist spending and the year as a
whole delivered an increase of 8% in international
visitor numbers. The newly-created Cruise Ship
Terminal at the Port of Durban was ready to
welcome guests, but it would be at least a year
before cruises could resume.
Investment
Between May 2019 and February 2020, inward
investment commitments to the value of more than
R15-billion were made. These included amounts
pledged in most of the priority sectors identified by
the provincial government, namely agro-processing,
healthcare, manufacturing, renewable energy and
tourism and property development.
Other priority sectors include aloe processing,
bio-ethanol fuel, fish processing and, more broadly,
the Oceans Economy.
In his 2021 State of the Province Address (SOPA),
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala announced that
through the two SEZs and investment drives the
province had secured the following projects:
• Coconathi, a R50-million agro-processing factory
specialising in healthcare products, Dube
TradePort
• Ubuhle Towels, a R130-million investment has
created 200 permanent jobs in Richards Bay
• Ndumo Retail Development, a R100-million
investment project in a shopping centre, taxi
rank and service station. The project is expected
to create 400 construction jobs
• Vodacom South Africa, R1-billion 5G network
rollout in Durban. The company also spent
R320-million in 2020/21 on building new longterm
evolution (LTE) base station sites in urban
and rural areas
• Unitrade, a R105-million investment for the
manufacture of Ford Ranger and VW Amarok
components, KwaDukuza
• The Frymax potato chips company, a R380-
million investment, 600 new jobs created in
Verulam
• Goodlife Foods, a R70-million investment
• Hesto Harnesses, a R900-million investment in
support of a big order from Ford Motor Company
Southern Africa which will support 3 300 jobs,
Stanger
These investment projects will produce a total
3 435 permanent jobs. Beside these projects, the
provincial government is working on an investment
pipeline, through the SEZs, of R22-billion.
Special Economic Zones (SEZs)
The Special Economic Zones (SEZs) at Richards
Bay and King Shaka International Airport (the
Dube TradePort) are key components of the
strategy of attracting investors to the province.
9 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

Agro-processing of the province’s abundant natural
resources is a major economic sector and the source of
many jobs. Pioneer Food’s Sasko bakery at Shakaskraal
north of Durban is the primary source of bread for
the company in the province, and its distribution hub.
Credit: Enterprise iLembe
Dube TradePort attracted R7-billion between
2012 and 2019 and the same amount is expected
to accompany the development of Phase 1A
and Phase 1F of the Richards Bay Industrial
Development Zone (RBIDZ). Investors include
edible oils manufacturer Wilmar Processing SA,
which is investing more than R1-billion in a plant,
and Elegant Afro Line, which will spend about
R900-million on its chemicals plant.
Milestones have been reached in the plan for
creating a provincial Clothing and Textile SEZ. A
business case has been completed by units within
the provincial government and land at Ezakheni
(Ladysmith) in the uThukela District has been identified
and secured. Dube TradePort will be the SEZ operator
and R780-million in investments has been pledged by
companies keen to relocate to the SEZ.
To spread the benefits of the SEZ, the concept
of “The Textile Belt” will be followed. The corridor
approach will leverage comparative advantages
of various regions in the clothing and textile
value chain. This belt will start from Newcastle
and link Ladysmith, Mooi River, Pietermaritzburg,
Hammarsdale, Durban, Isithebe and the
Dube TradePort to the Richards Bay Industrial
Development Zone.
Infrastructure
The province’s existing infrastructure, good soils
and fine weather provide a solid base for future
growth. KwaZulu-Natal already 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.
Sappi’s dissolving pulp mill at Umkomaas
south of Durban is one of the province’s most
significant industrial sites as it produces huge
quantities of a material that is used in viscose
staple fibre, which in turn is used in clothing
and textiles. Together with production
volumes from Sappi’s mill in neighbouring
Mpumalanga province, the company is the
world’s largest manufacturer of dissolving
pulp. Mondi is the province’s other global
giant in forestry, paper and packaging.
Toyota and Bell Equipment are dominant
players in the automotive sector.
Oceans Economy
KwaZulu-Natal province, has a long coastline
that stretches from the Mtamvuna River in the
south to the Isimangaliso Wetland Park in the
north. The province’s contact with the sea has
brought obvious benefits: fishing, fine beaches
enjoyed by millions of tourists and two great
ports. These ports export vast quantities of
minerals (mostly through Richards Bay) and
manufactured goods (Durban) and serve as an
important conduit for imports of all sorts. The
Richards Bay Coal Terminal exports massive
quantities of coal while the Port of Durban is
the busiest port in Africa.
However, planners want to expand the
economic benefits that the ocean can bring.
Strategies to grow the Oceans Economy dovetail
with ongoing projects to boost the capacity of
the province’s ports and to explore for gas and
oil in the Indian Ocean. If oil rigs were to start
visiting the KZN coastline on a regular basis, the
ship-repair industry would grow exponentially.
The Oceans Economy is one of the focus
areas that has been chosen by national
government to be part of Operation Phakisa,
a focused, goal-driven attempt to jump-start
a specific economic sector. Overall, Phakisa
intends creating a million jobs by 2033 and
injecting R177-billion into national GDP.
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
10

SPECIAL FEATURE
The decision to build a cruise-ship terminal at the
Port of Durban is a good example of the kind of decision
that is in line with an “Oceans Economy” approach.
Geography
The mixed topography of the province allows for
varied agriculture, animal husbandry and horticulture.
The lowland area along the Indian Ocean coastline
is made up of subtropical thickets and Afromontane
Forest. High humidity is experienced, especially in
the far north and this is a summer rainfall area. The
centrally-located Midlands is on a grassland plateau
among rolling hills. Temperatures generally get colder
in the far west and northern reaches of the province.
The mountainous area in the west – the
Drakensberg – comprises solid walls of basalt and
is the source of the region’s many strongly running
rivers. Regular and heavy winter snowfalls support
tourist enterprises. The Lubombo mountains in the
north are granite formations that run in parallel.
Regions
KwaZulu-Natal has 10 district municipalities and a
metropolitan municipality, the most of any province
in South Africa. In economic terms, the province
offers diverse opportunities.
Southern region
This area is the province’s most populous. The
city of Durban has experienced booms in sectors
such as automotive, ICT, film and call centres.
The promenade now reaches all the way to the
harbour and the Point development will benefit.
Major investments are taking place at the Port of
Durban with the current centrepiece being the
Durban Cruise Terminal. The Container Terminal is
also undergoing an extensive overhaul. Durban’s
conference facilities are well utilised, but many
opportunities still exist in chemicals and industrial
chemicals, food and beverages, infrastructure
development and tourism. Further south, Margate’s
airport and Port Shepstone’s beachfront are assets.
Western region
Also known as the Midlands, this is a fertile
agricultural region which hosts the popular
annual Royal Show. It produces sugar cane, fruit,
animal products, forestry and dairy products.
Pietermaritzburg is the provincial capital and
home to a major aluminium producer along
with several manufacturing concerns, including
textiles, furniture, leather goods and food.
The city has good transport links along the N3
national highway, excellent schools and a lively
arts scene. The Midlands Meander is a popular
tourist destination.
Eastern region
Although most of this area is rural, Richards Bay is
one of the country’s industrial hotspots because
of its coal terminal, port and aluminium smelters.
The Richards Bay Industrial Development
Zone is a major economic node and with the
possibility of a power plant being built, the
RBIDZ could become an energy hub. Mining
is an important sector in this region. The other
major urban centre is Empangeni which has
several educational institutions. The King Shaka
International Airport is adjacent to the Dube
TradePort, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which
is attracting investors.
Northern region
The economic powerhouse is Newcastle in the
north-west: coal-mining, steel processing and
manufacturing are major activities. Some old coal
mines are being reopened by new coal companies
to cater for the country’s power stations’ demand
for the fuel. Game farms, trout fishing and hiking
are part of an attractive package for tourists, and
Zululand is a popular destination for cultural
experiences. The region is rich in Anglo-Boer
War history which includes battle sites such as
Islandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. ■
The province’s substantial rivers flow from the
Drakensberg mountains to the Indian Ocean.
11 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

FOCUS
MTN invests in
KwaZulu-Natal
Keeping the province connected, even during times of crisis.
MTN SA is investing
in modernising its
existing network
and is deploying
new network infrastructure across
the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The
R700-million investment, which
is an addition to the R500-million
invested in 2021, is going toward
MTN’s “Modernisation of Network
South Africa project” (MONZA)
Matthew Khumalo, as well as expanded rural reach,
KZN General Manager 5G expansion and restoration of
Regional Operations vandalised network infrastructure.
The KZN investment forms
part of plans to modernise the entire MTN network,
68% of which has already been completed nationally.
An additional 1 350 sites are still to be finalised across
South Africa by the end of 2022. The project will
increase network coverage and improve throughputs
and customer experience in the region. Previously
unconnected areas in the province will have a
broadband platform for the first time.
MTN has over 1 400 active 5G sites across the
country. The extension of MTN’s 5G connectivity in
KwaZulu-Natal has seen over 100 live 5G sites added
and more are planned for 2022.
A vital component of the deployment of 5G is
the emphasis on previously underserved areas. The
company is not only deploying 5G in ultra-urban
areas. In recent months, MTN has rolled out 5G in
areas such as Chatsworth and uMhlanga. Urban areas
such as Pietermaritzburg and Durban central have
also received attention.
devastating consequences on business operations and
in emergencies. MTN urges community members across
the country to continue being vigilant and report any
incident of vandalism and theft at network towers.
In 2020 the company began its optimisation and
resilience programme on backup power and security.
The programme is aimed at stabilising the network.
Some of the actions taken include beefing up security
significantly, hiring the private security company
Bidvest, installing CCTV and the introduction of cement
and steel safehouse carriages.
The heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal caused
widespread infrastructure damage and power outages
resulting in over 500 MTN sites going down in the region.
Due to the serious nature of the outages, MTN activated
contingency plans for site restoration. MTN also donated
a total of R1-million to the flood-relief efforts. To assist
families and friends to keep in touch during this trying
time MTN also provided a free SMS bundle, for 50 SMSs
valid for three days, to all KwaZulu-Natal customers.
We rerouted traffic and put 190 generators at
numerous sites to bypass this part of the fibre. This
would have impacted over 200 000 customers.
MTN also enabled functionality on the mobile
payment app, MoMo, which allowed users to donate
to the flood-relief efforts. The funds go directly to Gift
of the Givers in support of their efforts in the region. ■
Staying connected
Network towers keep customers connected. If they
don’t work, the network doesn’t work and South
Africans will have no network signal. This can have
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

MTN – trusted by businesses
and government
FOCUS
Helping students and healthcare workers connect to improve service delivery.
As an official mobile provider to SA
government, MTN Business has been key
in driving several government initiatives.
As South Africa’s and Durban’s best network,
more businesses and government entities
are showing an interest in our services.
Through MTN Business, we have been
connecting more enterprise clients, particularly
government entities, thanks to the National
Treasury’s RT15.
In 2021, the National Treasury RT15 bid-evaluation
committee appointed MTN SA as a service provider to
government, through its new mobile communication
services contract, known as RT15-2021.
The RT15-2021 transversal contract allows for
all entities of state to utilise the contract for mobile
communication services, which will further assist
with cost containment.
The scale of the government’s requirements has
allowed MTN to develop industry-leading systems
and innovative pricing and products that will not
only add value to the state but will also significantly
improve on existing mobile telecommunications
service delivery. This also allows for a high degree of
control of spending by the individual entities.
Education and health
MTN Business’s cost-effective and
quality solutions have enabled remote
learning for thousands of South African
students during the lockdown.
MTN Business has also aided state
employees to collect revenue quickly
and effectively, courtesy of the leading
technology provider’s extensive range
of digital solutions and connectivity
products. On revenue collection, the
state is enabled with the necessary
technology tools to improve the lives of South
Africans through provision of essential services.
Another area of importance is strong health
services in South Africa and MTN Business has
played a key role in assisting this sector.
Access to uncapped data is not only
available to healthcare workers but is also
available to other state departments that sign
up with MTN Business.
Doing more
MTN Business is committed to doing even
more to help government improve the lives of
South Africans.
There are big plans to partner with more state
entities and departments to help them improve
their operations with cutting-edge and robust
digital solutions.
This is because South Africans deserve the
benefits of a modern connected life and MTN
Business is proud to be working with the government
to deliver this.
13
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

FOCUS
Two unique offerings
As part of its bid to empower the nation, MTN
Business has developed two unique offerings that
are available to qualifying state employees to enjoy:
• Uncapped data with no Fair Usage Policy (FUP)
• Uncapped Closed User Group (CUG) minutes
• Uncapped Closed User Group (CUG) SMSs
• Voice minutes to call other networks
• Variety of smartphones
• Enterprise Sharing is a customisable and scalable
solution that lets state institutions size their
shared voice, data, Closed User Group voice
usage and SMS bundles at cost-effective rates.
Key benefits of MTN Enterprise Sharing include:
Standard billing: removes the need for complex
review processes
Improved scalability: additional users can be
added at no extra cost
Top-up: users can use their own money once their
allocation is finished
All-in-one: personal and business usage happens
on the same SIM and device
Separate limits: if you max out your limit in one
area, it does not affect your other resources
Simple invoicing: each department will receive a
single invoice that covers all employees
Enterprise Sharing also comes in three forms:
Services-only, device-only and both services and device.
Business All Day
The second solution is called Business All Day,
and lets users pay for the resources they use on a
monthly basis. This package is based on flat rates
that are set for voice, data, SMS and Closed User
Group voice usage.
Government entities can also configure spend
limits for each user and can monitor and manage
these at an institutional level. Users get access to a
selection of services on demand and can monitor
their own spending limits through alerts.
Both of these offerings will involve MTN
Business splitting the state employee’s SIM card into
an enterprise wallet and a personal wallet, with the
state institution allocating resources and managing
the enterprise wallet.
The personal wallet is then the responsibility of
the user and is what they will use for their non-work
mobile costs.
These products are available through a
standardised billing structure that is scalable and
simple to manage. ■
MTN Enterprise Sharing can provide each
department up to 47% more value for the same
spend, saving state entities a lot on communication
spend while still striving to enable service delivery
to all citizens.
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
14

FOCUS
Helping small business
get connected
MTN’s new Flagship store at Gatemax allows SMME
owners to experience the latest in technology.
Customers can get information and see demonstrations
of a wide range of 5G services in-store:
• Cloud solutions
• Managed networks
• Unified communications
• Security as a service
• Enterprise mobility
• Software as a service
• Mobile solutions
• IOT
Two dynamic new stores have been added to
MTN’s KwaZulu-Natal range, offering state-ofthe-art
innovation and services at the Pavilion
Shopping Centre and Gatemax in Umhlanga.
Umhlanga
MTN opened the doors to its flagship Enterprise Business
Unit (EBU) store in Gatemax on 1 April 2022. This MTN
store is dedicated to SMMEs, where both new and
existing clients come to experience a range of ICT
solutions to meet their business and personal needs.
The first of its kind in South Africa, this store boasts
solution stations where our enterprise and consumer
clientele can interact with our latest products and services.
SMMEs can book and utilise any of the available
meeting rooms or hot desk workstations should they
require a venue for a meeting. This provides an attractive
solution to alleviate some of the impact on business
operations during load-shedding.
Experiencing Centre
Our aim is for this store to be an Experiencing
Centre. It will showcase MTN’s latest products and
services with live demo units for both Enterprise and
Consumer clientele.
If customers require a venue for a meeting, we
encourage them to have their meetings at the store so our
customers (or potential customers) can experience our
products. You can contact the store to book a boardroom.
This idea of experiencing the product will give added
value in that our Enterprise customers will be able to
experience our products before purchasing. It will also
serve as a learning platform to new solutions that we
have on offer, that could add value to their business.
Consumer customers
The store will still have all the type of service a
consumer customer has come to expect. There will be
dedicated counter spaces for consumers and they will
receive the same service they would at any other MTN
store. We have enhanced the consumer experience by
adding a dedicated counter for our Fintech solution,
MoMo, in the store.
The sales and distribution team have done
outstanding work on this store, and MTN is looking
forward to them rolling out this experience to the rest
of the regions. If you are ever in Umhlanga, stop by this
masterpiece and enjoy the experience. ■
15
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

Leading digital solutions
for Africa’s progress
Ambition 2025 underpins MTN’s new strategy to expand
across many platforms and drive growth across the continent.
MTN has, over the years, been connecting millions of
South Africans. Currently, MTN shares the benefits of
a modern connected life with 33-million customers
across South Africa.
Our “Ambition 2025: Leading digital solutions for
Africa’s progress” is driving accelerated growth and
faster deleveraging, positioning MTN for greater
relevance to 2025.
Our brand refreshed is inspired by our new strategy,
Ambition 2025. MTN is ushering in a new look that is
aligned to our evolution from a telecommunications
company to a technology company underpinned
by one simple, consistent, yet striking brand.
As a platform business we build digital platforms
that enable Africa’s progress across the telecom,
fintech, fibre-data, API and content and
messaging ecosystem.
The new brand identity is modern, simple,
bold and digitally dynamic. It kicks off with a
provocative and simple question, “What are we
doing today?”
With a clear and concise brand strategy that
Opportunity + Energy = Progress, MTN understands
that to truly unlock the full benefits and potential of
the digital world people require a combination of
drive, progressive thinking and the right tools.

Bill
Thrive with
productivity
that is
always on
MTN Business Work from home solutions
Doing works everywhere—thanks to a range of MTN Business hybrid connectivity
solutions designed to reduce the cost of remote working and to ensure team connectivity.
Build your bundle with any of our offerings today
SIP
Trunking
Direct
Team
Routing
Fixed
LTE
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URL
APN
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365
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Mobility
Security
Cloud
So. What are we doing today?
Call 087 743 3718 Visit mtnbusiness.co.za Email getconnectedKZN@mtn.com

SPECIAL FEATURE
Private investments in ports
are gathering speed
Upgrades at KwaZulu-Natal’s two big ports will mean South Africa is better
prepared for the next commodity boom.
Exports from the Hillside Aluminium smelter keep cranes busy on the docks. Credit: Hillside Aluminium
A
sharp spike in commodity prices in 2021
meant that the South African government
collected R120-billion more in tax
revenue than it had thought it would.
But it could have been much more.
The country’s ports are not as efficient as
they might be, and to address this the National
Department of Public Enterprises has announced
a plan to bring private investors into port and
logistics operations to a greater extent. Opening
third-party access to the country’s freight rail
network is part of the same plan.
Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is
on a path to become an independent subsidiary
of the state entity Transnet. This will enable it to
partner more efficiently with private companies.
Plans have been presented for turning the
Port of Durban, already a large and busy harbour,
into a “super terminal” that would deal with more
volumes of cargo than any other harbour in Africa.
Private investors are being encouraged
to investment an amount of R100-billion into
the port in the next decade. In early 2022, two
companies stepped up.
Dormac Marine Engineering has renewed its
leases and is undertaking investment in expanding
infrastructure its machine shops and cranes. This
follows a R400-million investment in a new floating
dock which has a lifting capacity of 8 500 tons.
Dormac employs 136 employees and the
rental paid for the company’s facilities contribute
significantly to Transnet’s income and to the economy
of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality.
A new liquid bulk terminal at the Maydon Wharf 6
in the Port of Durban will be developed and operated
by Mnambithi Terminals. The investment is worth
R1.5-billion and will create more than 1 500 temporary
direct and other indirect job opportunities.
A $26-million chemical tanker forms part of the
investment. The vessel is the first such vessel to be
acquired by a South African company and will be
flagged locally.
Also at Durban, TNPA and the KwaZulu Cruise
Terminal (KCT) consortium – in which MSC Cruises
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
18

SPECIAL FEATURE
is a partner alongside empowered investment
entity Africa Armada Consortium – the new R200-
million Cruise Terminal Facility is functioning.
In Richards Bay, home to the Richards Bay Coal
Terminal which exports most of the country’s
coal, Hillside Aluminium, the largest aluminium
smelter in the southern hemisphere, announced
in early 2022 that it would renew existing leases
in the Port of Richards Bay, benefiting Transnet
and the municipality with a revenue stream of
R338-million and local procurement spend in the
amount of R2-billion a year.
Transnet and the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) are undertaking processes to
conduct a feasibility study that will determine
the viability of a natural gas hub in Richards Bay.
The two bodies have agreed a commitment of
R28-million as part of the cost-sharing agreement
towards the liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage
and regasification terminal to be established at
the Port of Richards Bay by 2024.
Existing infrastructure
The focus on new investment in the ports at
Durban and Richards Bay also serves as a reminder
of the other strengths of KwaZulu-Natal as a
logistics hub, with the King Shaka International
Airport and associated Dube TradePort also
playing key roles. The N3 highway linking Durban
with the Highveld and the industrial hub of South
Africa is the country’s busiest road.
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). The Port of Durban is a
key hub in the transport and logistics chain,
with 60% of all imports and exports passing
through it.
The Port of Durban exports a broad range
of products, including automotive vehicles. In
2018/19, the year in which South Africa’s total
vehicle exports topped 350 000, Durban’s Car
Terminal boasted a record of putting more than
500 000 fully-built-up units (FBUs) through the
port. The figure includes FBUs that are not motor
vehicles and includes vehicle imports. Toyota’s
popular Fortuner is exported at a rate of about
150 per month.
Within the Port of Durban there are a number
of specialised facilities. Several projects are
underway to increase capacity. Transnet National
Ports Authority and Transnet Port Terminals (TPT)
are combining to upgrade infrastructure and
buy new equipment to improve efficiencies at
the Ro-Ro Terminal (vehicles and break bulk) and
Maydon Wharf (mixed cargo and agriculture) but
the biggest project is at the Durban Container
Terminal (DCT).
DCT has a capacity of 3.6-million TEUs (twentyfoot
equivalent unit) and the current project aims
to extend that beyond five-million TEUs. The Brics
New Development Bank has approved a loan of
$200-million for the DCT expansion project.
TNPA states that the multiplier effect in the
marine sector creates five jobs for every direct
job. A large drydock project created direct jobs
for 29 skilled employees.
The KwaZulu Cruise Terminal (KCT) won
the contract to finance, build and run the new
Durban Cruise Terminal and started operating
in 2019, shortly before the Covid-19 epidemic
temporarily put an end to cruises.
The cruise terminal is an important step
forward for Durban and fits in well with the
larger project that links the port to the upgraded
southern end of the promenade, the Durban
Point Waterfront. A joint venture between MSC
Cruises SA and Africa Armada Consortium, KCT
will spend about R220-million on the financing‚
construction‚ maintenance and operation of the
cruise terminal for a 25-year concession period.
The cruise terminal covers 32 000m² and
caters for two ships and at least 5 000 passengers.
A ship with 2 000 passengers is worth in the
region of R2-million per day for the host city.
The number of annual passengers is expected
to grow from the current 200 000 to more than
700 000 by 2040. Durban’s hosting of 60 ships
per annum is expected to rise to 150 or more.
South Africa attracts 0.5% of the world’s cruiseship
market which comprises about 15.4-million
passengers annually.
The Port of Richards Bay, 160km to the
north-east of Durban and 465km south of the
Mozambican capital of Maputo, handles more
than 80-million tons of bulk cargo every year.
19
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

The deepwater port at Richards Bay handles a variety of cargo and hosts the Richard Bay Coal Terminal. Credit: TNPA
Richards Bay is a deepwater port. Among its 13
berths are terminals that handle dry-bulk ores,
minerals and break-bulk cargo.
The Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), with
capacity of 91-million tons per year, is South Africa’s
primary portal for the export of coal. In 2020, 65
collieries delivered coal to RBCT. The quay of the
RBCT is 2.2km long with six berths and four shiploaders.
The 276ha site contains a stockyard that
can store 8.2-million tons while the terminal itself
has a design capacity of 91-million tons per year.
More than 900 ships visit RBCT every year.
In 2020, 92% of South African coal went to
Asia, with India and Pakistan being the biggest
importers. Africa imported less than the previous
year and made up a total of 5% of volumes while
3% went to Europe.
Among the exporters which use RBCT are
ARM Coal, Exxaro Coal, Glencore Operations
South Africa, Kangra Coal, Koornfontein Mines,
Mbokodo, Optimum Coal Terminal, Sasol Mining,
South African Coal Mine Holdings, South Dunes
Coal Terminal, Seriti, Thungela, Tumelo Coal
Mines and Umcebo Mining. Several junior miners
also have rights.
TNPA has approved in principle the
construction of a floating dock near the existing
Small Craft quay. TNPA will have to create new
onshore infrastructure and do some dredging
before it can call for tenders from the private
sector to build the dock, which would be able to
handle large and ultra-large cargo vessels.
The authority that runs the ports at Durban
and Richards Bay, TNPA, and Transnet Freight
Rail have been working with the private sector
to try to improve efficiencies at both ports.
Backlogs at Durban in particular have proved
frustrating for exporters. Logistics company
OneLogix has opened its own distribution hub
in Umlaas because of crowded conditions and
slow loading.
The other entity involved in the loading and
unloading equation, Transnet Port Terminals
(TPT), is investing R2-billion in new equipment
to improve coordination between truckers, tax
authorities, port staff and ships’ captains.
Dube TradePort has facilities devoted to
logistics, warehousing and export support.
Proximity to the airport is vital and freight
volumes are growing. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
20

Offering a wide range of
services to boost small business
Cedric Mnguni, Provincial Manager for Seda, reports on the opportunities for
small business in KwaZulu-Natal.
INTERVIEW
What is the mandate of Seda KwaZulu-Natal?
The Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) is an agency of
the Department of Small Business Development. It is mandated to
implement government’s small business strategy; design and implement
a standardised delivery network for small enterprise development and
integrate government-funded small enterprise support agencies.
Seda’s mission is to develop, support and promote small enterprises,
ensuring their growth and sustainability in coordination and
partnership with various role-players, including global partners, who
make international best practices available to local entrepreneurs.
Cedric Mnguni, Provincial
Manager
BIOGRAPHY
Cedric Mnguni has degrees in
Electrical Engineering (Wits) and
Business Management (Durban
University of Technology) and a postgraduate
diploma in management
from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
He studied production management
in Japan on a JICA bursary. Prior to
working at Seda, Cedric was active
in the fast-moving consumer goods
(FMCG) environment, where he held
management positions at Sasol
and National Sorghum Breweries.
His passion lies in packaging small
enterprise development programmes.
Where are your regional branches located?
eThekwini, Port Shepstone, Richards Bay, Ixopo, Pietermaritzburg,
Ladysmith and Newcastle.
Are there particular economic sectors in which you specialise?
Seda offers non-financial assistance to all forms of small businesses and
in all sectors. These include manufacturing, ICT, agriculture and agroprocessing,
tourism, textiles and clothing, health and wellness, arts and
crafts and various other sectors. Our main priority target groups are
women- and youth-owned businesses and in particular, township- and
rural-based small businesses.
What are the major challenges that small businesses face in
KwaZulu-Natal?
Small business in KwaZulu-Natal have been adversely affected by the
outbreak of Covid-19 and the restrictions that were introduced which
hampered their sales revenue and ultimately their growth. The July 2021
unrest dealt small businesses a huge blow and the recent floods in April
had a devastating impact on small businesses. In all these challenges,
Seda has responded with interventions and assistance in trying to help
the SMMEs recover and rebuild their businesses.
Where are the best opportunities in KZN?
Durban remains the economic powerhouse in the province and its
geographical location enables many sectors to flourish. This includes
manufacturing, logistics, tourism, wholesale and retail and ICT. Richards
Bay continues to expand and it is developing in the mining and
production sector. The province is also very rich in agriculture.
What is Seda doing to encourage business competitiveness and viability?
Seda offers a wide range of services including business diagnostics,
information dissemination and training. ■

FOCUS
Fashion business turnover increased
nearly 100% after focussed interventions
Seda helped fashion designer Lindiwe Makhoba take her
Colenso-based business to another level.
Fashion design business Unalisa was
established and registered by Lindiwe
Makhoba in 2016. The business operates
from the founder’s home and is located in
Narrow Lane in Colenso in the uThukela District.
Lindiwe is a self-taught designer who
provides beauty and fashion products. As the
entrepreneur who started the business, Lindiwe
aimed from the beginning to serve customers
with simple, elegant and stylish fashion.
The fashion-designing idea came about
while Lindiwe was studying in Durban. She
would often do fashion consulting and offer
advice to friends and fellow students. The next
step was to establish relationships with other
small sewing businesses in Tsakane to do the
sewing after the design phase.
Unalisa has been represented at various
trade fairs in KwaZulu-Natal and in Mpumalanga
since it was established.
As part of the business idea was to offer
beauty products to her customers, Lindiwe
signed up for training in perfume and lotion
manufacturing. After this training, these
products were added to Unalisa’s offering to
the market.
Intervention and solutions
The business was assisted with access to the
Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg (Trade Exhibition)
for more exposure to the market.
In May 2021 Unalisa (Pty) Ltd received
funding of R93 000 from Sefa and this was used
to purchase five pieces of industrial sewing
equipment and two over-lockers.
Seda’s interventions benefitted the client in
the following ways:
• The number of employees doubled from two
to four.
• The Sefa funding came through to boost the
business.
• Annual turnover increased by 98%.
Through the trade exhibition the following
improvements were noted:
• Unalisa was noted by TIKZN and the business
was later assisted to exhibit at the London
Fashion Week.
• A contract was secured to supply Superbalist,
an online shop, with designer clothing.
Challenges
An assessment of the business conducted by
Seda revealed the following challenges facing
the business:
• Lack of business exposure, marketing
• Lack of finance to purchase equipment
“I am very delighted about the help I got from Seda and wish other businesses
could be helped like I was.”
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
22

FOCUS
An interactive website propelled a
tourism business to success
PSN Travel Frenzy gained access to multiple markets
after Seda gave advice.
PSN Travel Frenzy is a black-, female-owned
business established and registered in
2017. It is currently run by the youthful
owner, Pretty Ngubane, and is based at
No 86 Ceramic Curve, Unit 7, Alton, Richards Bay.
The business provides travel management
services (local and international), tourism
marketing for township-based hospitality
establishments, tour operator services and events
management. Its focus is on historical, industrial,
cultural heritage and township tourism.
The business works hand-in-hand with
prominent events management companies,
game reserves and hospitality establishments in
KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo in order to
gain a sustainable market and promote its brand.
It is affiliated to the Umhlathuze Community
Tourism Organisation and Tourism KwaZulu-
Natal to have access to industry-related market
information, compliance information, advocacy
and marketing platforms, as well as continuous
training and development.
Challenges
PSN Travel Frenzy was initially assisted by
the uThungulu branch of Seda with the first
intervention in September 2019 through a trade
exhibition. An assessment was conducted and it
was found that the business needed assistance
with access to markets. There was limited exposure
of the business to customers and no platform for
customers to access information that could be
used to improve its base. The business also had
very limited marketing material to put into effect
the marketing strategy it had adopted.
Interventions and solutions
Seda recommended e-marketing through
website development. The website was designed
and developed to have a responsive and
mobile-friendly eight-page website, allowing
tour-package bookings (including booking
forms, automated responses and a secure
online paygate), flight bookings, car rentals
and accommodation. The digital platform was
developed for the client to tap into the national
and international markets.
Seda’s interventions benefitted the client in the
following ways:
• Revenue increased by 109%. This was as a result
of online presence which allowed accommodation
establishments to secure shuttle as well as
car-hire services offered by the client.
• The number of employees remained at two
(including a tourism intern).
“The intervention is assisting a lot in terms of generating leads and I can interact
directly with customers while they are busy viewing the website.”
23 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

FOCUS
Kerry opens largest and most
advanced taste facility in Africa
New Durban facility will produce sustainable nutrition
solutions for consumers across the continent.
Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina and the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development,
Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay, join the Irish Ambassador, Fionnuala Gilsenan,
and Kerry Foods executives at the official opening of the Kerry Foods plant based in Hammarsdale
KwaZulu-Natal.
Kerry, the world’s leading taste and
nutrition company, officially opened
the largest and most advanced taste
manufacturing facility on the African
continent on Tuesday, 10 May 2022. The new
R650-million facility is located in Hammarsdale,
Durban, and will produce sustainable nutrition
solutions that will be consumed across the
African continent.
The official opening was attended by Deputy
Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC),
Nomalungelo Gina, KwaZulu-Natal Economic
Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC,
Ravi Pillay, and Ambassador of Ireland to the Republic
of South Africa, Her Excellency Fionnuala Gilsenan,
plus eThekwini Municipality’s Executive Committee
Member and Chairperson of the Governance
Committee, Councillor Nkosenhle Madlala.
The 10 000m2 facility is one of the company’s most
environmentally efficient manufacturing sites with
numerous sustainability features including low energy
usage equipment, solar power generation to reduce
consumption from the local grid, waste heat capture
and efficient water capture, reuse and reduction.
Commenting on the opening, Edmond
Scanlon, CEO Kerry Group, said, “The opening of
the facility in Hammarsdale is a significant step
forward in helping to realise our vision of creating
a world of sustainable nutrition. For 50 years, Kerry
has focused on meeting local consumer needs
grounded in great taste, one of the most important
criteria in any food or beverage. Our suite of worldleading
technologies combined with our expertise
and now this state-of-the-art manufacturing
facility ensures that we can continue to work with
our customers to produce great-tasting, nutritious
products that are respectful of our planet.”
The project is recognised as a key strategic
investment in the Durban region and within South
Africa’s food manufacturing industry. It has been
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
24

FOCUS
included as part of the South African presidential
investment drive to stimulate sustainable,
equitable and inclusive growth as the foundation
for socio-economic transformation in the country.
“As the DTIC, we are excited about this
investment because it aligns very well with our
reimagined industrial strategy. As a department,
we undertook to support improved industrial
performance through localisation, dynamism and
the competitiveness of local companies,” said Gina.
“Our economic vision is to lift the rate of inclusive
economic growth and investments such as this
will assist us to achieve these objectives.”
Invest Durban together with other spheres
of government and organised business bodies
played key roles in positioning the region as an
attractive Metro destination for high-value-add,
export-oriented production.
The eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
declared itself pleased with these efforts for and
by a global firm like Kerry Foods. The Kerry Group’s
first enquiries involved teams from Invest Durban
directly and the council and its agency have both
been intimately involved in all aspects of building
construction, local supplier engagement, local
finance arrangements and tax and customs support
through to the final factory launch. Invest Durban
will continue to work with Kerry Foods as part of the
City’s Key Investor Aftercare Programme.
Kerry is also expanding its Development
and Application Centre in Nairobi, Kenya, to
further support customers in East Africa and the
development of sustainable food processing
for the continent. Paul Hewitt, Vice President,
Sub Saharan Africa Kerry Group said, “Kerry
has had a presence in South Africa since 2011
and our success has been based on our ability
to deliver truly authentic African taste by
identifying traditional food and flavours and
reimagining it into today’s modern context.
More than understanding consumer taste, we
are committed to predicting global and regional
trends and innovating with our customers to
lead the industry towards the next generation
of sustainable African food and nutrition.
South Africa is in a unique position to service
East, Central as well as West Africa and we look
forward to working with food and beverage
companies to create products that will be
enjoyed across the continent.”
With Kerry’s innovation expertise, solutions
portfolio and sustainability commitments,
the company ultimately aims to decrease
the environmental and social impacts of the
food industry value chain so that consumers
everywhere can make better, healthier choices
and leave a better world for future generations. ■
About Kerry Group
Kerry is the world’s leading taste and nutrition
partner for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical
markets. We innovate with our customers to create
great-tasting products with improved nutrition
and functionality, while ensuring better impact
for the planet. Our leading consumer insights,
global RD&A team of more than 1 000 food
scientists and extensive global footprint enable us
to solve our customers’ complex challenges with
differentiated solutions. At Kerry, we are driven to
be our customers’ most valued partner, creating a
world of sustainable nutrition, and will reach over
two-billion consumers with sustainable nutrition
solutions by 2030. For more information, visit
http://www.kerrygroup.com
25
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

KEY SECTORS
Overviews of the main economic
sectors of KwaZulu-Natal
Agriculture 28
Forestry and paper 30
Mining 31
Engineering 32
Oil and gas 33
Energy 36
Construction and property 37
Water 38
Tourism 40
ICT 41
Manufacturing 42
Education and training 44
Development finance and SMME support 46
Banking and financial services 48
Feasibility studies are underway on constructing a plant to produce furfural at Sappi’s already large Saiccor Mill at
Umkomaas. The pilot plant will be erected in the course of 2022. Sappi’s two South African mills and its US plant are
responsible for the company being the world’s largest manufacturer of dissolving pulp. The product is used in a wide
range of consumer products, especially for viscose staple fibre (VSF), which is used in clothing and textiles. Credit: SAPPI

OVERVIEW
Agriculture
Packaging firm expands on increased agricultural production.
The decision by processing and packaging company
Tetra Pak to spend R500-million on expanding capacity
at its packaging material plant in Pinetown indicates an
uptick in agricultural production.
The new plant allows the company to increase its local content
to 80% and to make the Pinetown plant a production hub for the
region. Among the company’s clients are dairy companies such as
Clover and Woodlands Dairy which package milk for major retailers.
The Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal has announced
that nurseries are to be the focus of targeted development: the
Makhathini Nursery will be brought to full operational status during
2022, and two new large nurseries are to be built at Cedara and
Dundee. These nurseries will produce varieties of seedlings for
distribution to small-scale farmers.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)
has been working with the Tembe Traditional Council to bring
a marula-processing plant near Manguzi in the municipality of
Umhlabuyalingana into production. There are an estimated twomillion
fruit-bearing trees in KwaZulu-Natal, and DARD estimates that
they have the potential to create 1 000 seasonal fruit-harvesting jobs.
KwaZulu-Natal is South Africa’s major sugar-producing province.
A start has been made on tackling the many challenges faced by
the sugar industry: in 2020 the Sugarcane Value Chain Master Plan
2030 was signed by two national government ministers and various
sector participants. Among the steps to be taken include diversifying
revenue streams and an agreement by users and retailers to buy
more South African sugar. Imports have a devastating impact on the
local industry.
Two mills have recently closed, the Umzimkulu mill run by Illovo
Sugar and Tongaat Hulett’s Darnall mill. This will put additional
pressure on the country’s remaining 12 mills.
Neither of the Big Two companies relies exclusively on South
African sugar earnings: Tongaat Hulett has a big property portfolio
and Illovo draws most of its profit from operations elsewhere in
Africa. Diversification is vital for the future of sugar producers and
power generation will be an important part of that.
Tongaat Hulett continues to search for ways to reduce its huge
debt. Shareholders were faced with tough choices in 2021 and 2022
as what the Financial Times called “an opportunistic new investor”,
Magister Investments, made a play for the group.
An important part of the transformation of the sugar industry
involves supporting small-scale farmers. Of the 10 443 farmers who
SECTOR INSIGHT
New nurseries will supply
high-quality seed.
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. Production sent to the
company’s Sezela factory more
than doubled and income for
the growers is expected to be
about R64-million annually.
National Treasury and the SA
Canegrowers were partners in
the project.
SA Canegrowers represents
23 866 growers and is
responsible for the production
of 18.9-million cane tons.
The Sugar Terminal at
Maydon Wharf, Durban, serves
11 mills and can store more than
half-a-million tons of sugar. It also
has a molasses mixing plant.
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
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
28

Select milk dairy equipment. Credit: Tetra Pak Group
ONLINE RESOURCES
Fresh Produce Exporters Forum: www.fpef.co.za
KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union: www.kwanalu.co.za
Milk Producers Organisation: www.mpo.co.za
South African Cane Growers’ Association: www.sacanegrowers.co.za
South African Sugar Association: www.sasa.org.za
and fruit, with subtropical fruits doing particularly well in the north.
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 (as
Transvaal Wattlegrowers Co-operative) 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. Nuts such as pecan and macadamia thrive.
KwaZulu-Natal has two colleges offering higher qualifications in
agriculture, Cedara in the Midlands and the Owen Sitole College of
Agriculture near Empangeni.
Enterprise iLembe is the development arm of the iLembe District
Municipality and is looking for investors to further develop an agriprocessing
hub near the King
Shaka International Airport and
Dube TradePort.
So-called superfoods have
potential to grow the agricultural
sector via greatly increased exports:
these include avocados, pecans
and dates. Another possibility is
macadamia nuts (already a thriving
sector in other parts of the country)
and in new areas such as the
farming of rabbits.
Among the new lines of
agricultural produce being
investigated is cannabis.
The provincial government
initiated a feasibility study to
identify opportunities in the
production of cannabis and
downstream beneficiation.
A Cannabis Investor Protocol
has been developed and a
dedicated Cannabis Unit has
been established within the
Moses Kotane Institute to
assist emerging cultivators
and entrepreneurs with
infrastructure assistance,
funding and licensing. ■
29
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Forestry and paper
A campaign to plant 10-million trees has begun.
The National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the
Environment has set a target for South Africa to plant
10-million trees, two-million per year for five years.
The National Arbour Month campaign was held in 2021
under the title “Forest Restoration: a path to recovery and wellbeing”,
signifying the importance of protecting and conserving the
country’s biodiversity.
Sappi has 19 production facilities on three continents (of which
five are in Southern Africa) and 12 800 employees in over 35 countries.
Sappi’s Stanger Mill is situated close to sugar cane fields from which it
takes bagasse (dry sugar cane pulp) for use in its production processes.
Typek office paper is made at this mill, which has the capacity to
produce 80 000 tons of paper and 30 000 tons of tissue.
At the company’s Tugela Mill up to 200 000 tons per annum of
containerboard (corrugating medium) can be manufactured from
recycled and virgin fibre. The giant Sappi Saiccor mill 50km south of
Durban is the world’s biggest manufacturer of dissolving wood pulp.
Business Times reports that Sappi’s December 2021 results showed a
26% improvement in sales, driven largely by containerboard, consumer
packaging and self-adhesives. Journalist Thabiso Mochiko further
stated that South Africa’s printing industry is experiencing something
of a revival because of some unforeseen features of the move to online
shopping. These include security features on labels and a future trend
called printed electronics. Digital print, outdoor signage, billboard
advertising and vehicle wraps are other markets doing well.
The Mondi Group has grown into an international behemoth with
26 000 employees and operations in more than 30 countries. In 2019
Mondi announced that its primary listing would be in London and the
JSE will carry the company’s secondary listing.
Mondi’s Merebank Mill produces a range of office paper products
including the well-known brand, Mondi Rotatrim. Uncoated
woodfree reels are manufactured for the South African and Sub-
Saharan African markets.
Nampak produces crêpe paper at Verulam and Rafalo produces
tissue paper. SA Paper Mills is another paper producer.
In 2015, Australian packaging company Amcor purchased flexible
ONLINE RESOURCES
Forestry South Africa: www.forestry.co.za
National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment:
www.dffe.gov.za
South African Institute of Forestry: www.saif.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Sappi reports an uptick in
packaging and speciality
paper sales.
The 10-million Trees Programme
has begun. Credit: DFFE
packaging manufacturer Nampak
Flexibles for about R250-million.
This included production facilities
in three provinces but in July
2021, rioters burnt the Pinetown
factory to the ground. It has not
reopened.
Mpact’s upgrade of its Felixton
mill has increased capacity and
improved efficiency. The project
cost R765-million and takes overall
production up to 215 000 tons
and a lightweight containerboard
option has been included in the
product lines.
Mpact has plastics and
paper operations, with the
paper section divided into three
divisions: paper manufacturing,
corrugated and converted paper
products and recycling. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
30

Mining
OVERVIEW
Operations at Richards Bay Minerals have started again.
Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), a subsidiary of the Rio Tinto
Group, resumed operations at its mineral sands plant and
refinery in August 2021 but has not yet committed to
continuing to invest in a major minelife extension.
Operations were suspended because of violence
specific to the mine, quite apart from the riots which
affected parts of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in July
2021. The suspension of the proposed $463-million
Zulti South development remains in place. It is
estimated that if the project were to go ahead, its value
to the national economy over 25 years would be about
R100-billion. The main products of the RBM mine are
zircon, rutile, titania slag, titanium dioxide feedstock
and high-purity iron.
Since 2018, titanium dioxide producer Tronox
Holdings has contributed R22-million per year to local
communities, including through local procurement
opportunities. 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. About 21% of the company’s workforce is made up of
women. The KZN Sands mineral sands operation comprises a central
processing complex in Empangeni and the Fairbreeze Mine.
The Covid pandemic in 2020 added to the ongoing problem of reliable
electricity supply, which is a critical issue for a big energy user like a smelter.
After extended negotiations, South32 and Eskom have signed a long-term
energy supply agreement for the Hillside Aluminium smelter to 2031.
Most of the product from the smelter (high-quality primary
aluminium ingot) is exported but some liquid metal form is sent to
Isizinda Aluminium which supplies Hulamin, a company that has had
a rolling mill in Pietermaritzburg since 1949. Hulamin is the only major
aluminium rolling operator in the region and it makes rolled products
and extrusions.
Other processing facilities in the province include the steel plant
owned by Arcelor Mittal in Newcastle and Safa Steel’s metal-coating
factory in Cato Manor.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Council for Geoscience: www.geoscience.org.za
Geological Sciences, University of KZN: www.geology.ukzn.ac.za
National Department of Mineral Resources: www.dmr.gov.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
South32 and Eskom have
finally signed an energysupply
agreement.
Credit: Richards Bay Minerals
Some of the coalfields of
the province have been revived.
Petmin’s Somkhele Anthracite
Mine, north of Richards Bay, has
one of the biggest reserves of
open-pit anthracite in South
Africa, with measured and
indicated reserves of more than
51-million tons.
Luxembourg-based Traxys
Africa, which has chrome mines
Mpumalanga and Limpopo
provinces, runs a high-carbon
ferrochrome plant at Richards Bay.
Finnish company Metso is
spending about R53-million on
building a second furnace at its
Isithebe foundry in the iLembe
District Municipality. This is in
response to increased demand
for large crusher wear parts. The
KwaZulu-Natal foundry is one of
five foundries the company runs
on four continents. ■
31
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Engineering
UCL’s expansion included three large projects.
SECTOR INSIGHT
The School of Engineering at
UKZN offers nine specialisations.
UCL hired Bosch Projects to expand its factory. Credit: Bosch Holdings
Bosch Projects recently undertook three projects at the
Dalton factory of sugar producer and wattle-bark miller
UCL Company.
The projects were completed over a nine-month period
which included parts of the Covid-19 lockdown. Cane input was
increased by 25% through a widening of the chainless diffuser, a
procedure that the company claimed as a world-first. UCL Company
manufactures wattle tannin extracts, sugar and pine lumber.
All of the province’s biggest industries require sophisticated
engineering skills: aluminium smelters in Richards Bay and steel works
in Newcastle, Richards Bay and Cato Ridge. There are also chemicals
and plastics production plants, and large automotive works.
Marine repair and engineering are important, with established
companies such as EBH South Africa offering comprehensive services
at the ports of Durban and Richards Bay.
Dormac, which is headquartered in the Bayhead area of the Port
of Durban, is best known for its marine engineering but it offers
specialised services to the sugar industry and provides machinery for
industrial giants like Toyota and Defy.
One of the largest independent wire manufacturers in the country,
Hendok Group, is steadily increasing its exports to other African
countries. With more than 1 000 employees at the factory in the
Phoenix Industrial Park in Durban, the company makes a wide variety
of wires and is the country’s biggest producer of nails.
ArcelorMittalSA is Africa’s biggest steelmaker and it has a plant
at Newcastle, but tough times in the steel business have meant that
ONLINE RESOURCES
Consulting Engineers South Africa: www.cesa.co.za
Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering: www.saiie.co.za
WASH R&D Centre: www.washcentre.ukzn.ac.za
the company has shut down
some of its facilities. The first to
be shuttered was Saldanha in the
Western Cape and an analysis of
the profitability of other centres is
underway.
A big project that has created
a lot of work for engineers is the
multi-year Western Aqueduct
project to bring fresh water to
greater Durban.
The Transnet Engineering (TE)
plant in the Port of Durban houses
six business units and has 3 555
employees. The Port Equipment
Maintenance unit and units
specialising in wheels and locomotive
overhaul are other entities.
The Pollution Research
Group (PRG) at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has a new
name and an extended brief. It has
been re-established as the Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene Research
and Development Centre (WASH
R&D Centre).
The unit continues to fall under
Chemical Engineering, where 34
staff contribute to lecture modules
in a variety of fields but which now
go far beyond the original brief of
water in industry. In addition to
Chemical Engineering, the School of
Engineering offers a range of degree
options in nine areas of specialisation
including Bioresources, Electronic
and Computer Engineering and
Land Surveying. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
32

Oil and gas
South Africa’s largest crude oil refinery is likely to come on the market.
OVERVIEW
SECTOR INSIGHT
Petroleum Agency SA
has awarded gas
exploration rights.
Shell Downstream South Africa and bp Southern Africa
announced in February 2022 a “spend freeze” and paused
operations at the SAPREF oil refinery in Durban.
The refinery, pictured, accounts for roughly 35% of the
country’s refinery capacity and is likely to be offered for sale. The first
announcement of the “pause” did not give reasons for the decision but it
is likely that the violent riots of July and the decision by a court to block
Shell’s offshore seismic surveys in December 2021 played a role.
Durban’s other oil refinery, Enref, was hit by a fire in December 2020
and there are plans to convert it to a storage facility. South Africa is
a net importer of fuel and the Port of Durban handles 80% of South
Africa’s fuel imports.
The regulator and promoter of oil and gas exploration in South
Africa, Petroleum Agency South Africa, has awarded coalbed-methanegas
exploration rights in KwaZulu-Natal to NT Energy Africa, which has a
partnership with the Central Energy Fund. These awards are for onshore
exploration. The Petroleum Agency SA is an agency of the National
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE)
The Port of Richards Bay is investing in new infrastructure. The supply
of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is set to be made much easier and more
reliable with the erection of the 22 600-ton Mounded LPG Facility at
Richards Bay.
Bidvest Tank Terminals has constructed the R1-billion storage facility
for Petredec, which trades, transports and distributes LPG and other
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Energy Regulator of South Africa: www.nersa.org.za
Petroleum Agency SA: www.petroleumagencysa.com
South African National Energy Association: www.sanea.org.za
South African Petroleum Industry Association: www.sapia.co.za
commodities. South Africa’s
annual consumption of LPG,
currently at 400 000 tons, is
expected to rise to 600 000 tons.
If a private partner can be found,
an LNG plant will produce 2 000MW
at Richards Bay. This forms part of
national government’s allocation
of 3 126MW to natural gas in its
medium-term energy policy to
2030. The National Department
of Mineral Resources and Energy
allocated one of the first two gasto-power
plants to be constructed
under the Independent Power
Producer Procurement Programme
to Richards Bay. This has the potential
to turn the Richards Bay Industrial
Development Zone (RBIDZ) into an
energy hub.
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.
Getting fuel to the province
of Gauteng is the key mission of
the new multi-purpose pipeline
(NMPP). Refined products such as
jet fuel, sulphur diesel and both
kinds of octane petrol are carried.
The infrastructure of Transnet
Pipelines is said to reduce the
number of fuel tankers on South
African roads by about 60%. ■
33 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

FOCUS
Offshore exploration will
benefit the KwaZulu-Natal
economy
The CEO of Petroleum Agency South Africa CEO,
Dr Phindile Masangane, explains how gas can drive
economic growth and play a role in the transition to
a clean energy future.
Today the biggest threat to humanity is
climate change and the biggest threat
to South Africa’s social stability is the
high unemployment rate, which has
primarily been caused by economic stagnation.
As the global economy recovers from the
devastating effects of Covid-19, demand for oil and
gas has gone up significantly. If there was ever a
need for proof that oil and gas still drive the global
economy, recent statistics demonstrate the trend.
The world’s developed economies
industrialised on the back of oil and gas production
and use. Now, just as Africa is on the cusp of being
a significant gas producer and is making plans to
use such gas for power generation, industrialisation
and economic growth, the negative effect of
greenhouse gas emissions on the environment has
become undeniable.
The urgency for action to mitigate the risk of
climate change is no longer debatable. Between
1990 and 2018 the top five emitters have
produced more than 50% of greenhouse gas
emissions. During the same period South Africa has
contributed 1% to global emissions. This is by no
measure insignificant, and as a responsible global
citizen South Africa must take steps to reduce its
carbon footprint.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change was established in 1992 to coordinate the
global response to mitigate the threat of climate
change, and specifically to get countries to commit
to policies and plans that will ensure that the
average global temperature rise is kept less than
1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) proposes
that to achieve this goal the world’s energy sector
must reach net zero emissions by 2050. In its
global energy net zero 2050 pathway, the IEA
acknowledges that there is no single pathway to
this goal, as developed and developing countries
face different socioeconomic challenges and have
contributed disproportionately to greenhouse gas
emissions to date.
Country-specific pathways
What a number of environmental interest groups
seem to be ignoring in the IEA “Net Zero by 2050”
report is the acknowledgment that there will be a
differentiated approach to a clean energy future,
taking into consideration the cost of the new
clean energy technologies and the economic
consequences of transitioning for each country. The
IEA emphasises that each country must develop its
own pathway to a net zero emission future.
South Africa’s economy has been
predominantly powered by coal, which is also a
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23 34

significant contributor to the country’s economy
in terms of GDP as well as employment. Of
all primary energy resources coal is the most
carbon-intensive, and South Africa therefore
has a relatively high carbon-intensive economy,
contributing about 1% of annual global
greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to coal, South Africa imports oil, gas
and petroleum products for its energy needs as the
upstream petroleum industry is still at a nascent
stage. The two recent world-class gas discoveries
in the Outeniqua basin off the south coast of the
country are the biggest petroleum discoveries
made in South Africa.
The development of these discoveries has
the potential to replace more than 2 300MW of
diesel-fired electricity generation in Gourikwa,
Dedisa and Ankerlig, thereby reducing the carbon
emissions from these plants by more than 50%
while eliminating sulphur oxide and nitrogen
oxide emissions, which are also harmful to the
environment. Gas is therefore an obvious bridge to
a lower carbon future in South Africa.
Importantly, these gas discoveries could
restore the gas-to-liquid refinery in Mossel Bay
to full production and profitability, saving about
1 200 direct jobs. A complete shutdown and
abandonment of this refinery would not only
lead to job losses at the refinery, but the effects
would reverberate throughout the town of
Mossel Bay and the Southern Cape region, since
the refinery contributes about R2-billion a year,
or 26% of the Mossel Bay economy, and 6% to
the Southern Cape economy when producing at
full capacity.
The Petroleum Agency South Africa awaits the
licensee of these gas discoveries submitting its
production right and environmental authorisation
applications when the exploration right expires, or
earlier. The agency expects the licensee to use worldclass
technologies and standards to minimise the
effects of the gas and gas condensate production on
the environment, while maximising the in-country
benefit or local content from this development to
support South Africa’s economic recovery.
These discoveries could indeed support both
the country’s economic recovery and its transition
to a clean energy future. ■
Database management
The continental shelf of the Republic of South Africa
covers some 200 000km² and the country has a
coastline approximately 3 000km in length.
Petroleum Agency SA is responsible for the
archive and management of the national hydrocarbon
exploration database on behalf of the State. It has
digitised, indexed and archived all of the data and
reports resulting from the drilling of more than 300
offshore and some 200 onshore boreholes.
The exploration database also include seismic field
and processed data for more than 300 000km of 2D
and 40 000km² of 3D seismic data that was acquired
offshore and some 9 800km of seismic processed
data that was acquired during the late 1960s in the
Karoo, Algoa and Zululand onshore basins.
Being the custodian of the National Petroleum
Exploration and Production Database of South Africa,
the Agency relies on a sustainable and effective
Information Management Infrastructure in order to
comply with its mandate to:
• Archive and maintain a database on petroleum
exploration and production data.
• Provide access to existing data, cores, well samples,
information and literature on request.
• Add value and incorporate new as well as interpreted
data into the database.
• Maintain records of all hydrocarbon exploration and
production activities.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tel: +27 21 938 3500
Email: plu@petroleumagencysa.com
Website: www.petroleumagencysa.com
35
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Energy
eThekwini plans to sign up independent power producers.
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.
Before launching a bidding process for independent power
producers, the municipality will formally adopt the energy policy
as a council and then assess the market. Goals include being
carbon neutral by 2050 and having renewable energy provide
40% of the metro’s power by 2030.
Food packaging and processing company Tetra Pak has also
set ambitious goals when it comes to energy. A new plant being
built in Pinetown has reduced carbon emissions, which will
help the company on its way to carbon neutrality by 2030. New
technology is being used at the plant which will advance the goal
of using sugarcane to produce a bio-based plastic.
Illovo Sugar SA is keen to produce biofuel and bio-energy
and at the company’s Eswatini mill, Ubombo, it has a commercial
supply agreement with the Eswatini Electricity Company.
The province’s other sugar giant, Tongaat Hulett, produces
between 12MW and 14MW of power at its mills and believes
that the national sugar industry could generate between 700MW
and 900MW. A 17MW biomass project represents the province’s
only approved project in terms of the national Renewable Energy
Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
An open cycle gas turbine plant at Shakaskraal in the iLembe
District Municipality can be converted to gas-fired technology, a
method which energy planners are encouraging. The 670MW plant
came on stream in 2017. Its project company, Avon Peaking Power,
is jointly owned by a community trust, Mitsui (Japan), Legend Power
Solutions (South Africa) and ENGIE of France.
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.
Khanyisa Projects has set up 26 biodigesters which produce gas for
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Department of Energy: www.energy.gov.za
National Energy Regulator: www.nersa.org.za
South African National Energy Development Institute:
www.sanedi.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
The iLembe District is an
Industrial Economic Hub
(IEH) for the renewable
energy sector.
The Avon Peaking Power Plant in
the iLembe District Municipality.
Credit: ENGIE Peakers Operations
cooking at Ndwedwe in the
iLembe District. The project forms
part of the Working for Energy
programme of the South African
National Energy Development
Institute (SANEDI) which promotes
the use of sustainable clean energy
in rural areas.
The Richards Bay Industrial
Development Zone (RBIDZ)
has been named as the site
for 2 000MW liquefied natural
gas (LNG) plant in terms of
national government’s gas-topower
plan. RBIDZ is also the
site of a new biomass plant.
Biomass technology is at
the centre of the conversion
scheme of South African
Breweries at its Prospecton
plant south of Durban.
Methane-gas emissions from
a nearby effluent plant are
piped to the plant where they
are converted to electricity. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
36

Construction and property
R6-billion business and logistics park for Umhlanga.
OVERVIEW
Investec Property is behind a major new development, The
Brickworks, strategically located between the Port of Durban
and King Shaka International Airport.
The R2-billion first phase, on which
construction will start in the middle of
2022, will see the old Corobrik factory site
transformed into a business and logistics park.
Once the project is complete there will be
more than 450 000m² of leasable space.
This investment is especially welcome for
the property and logistics sector which was
badly hit by the riots which took place in and
around Durban in July 2021.
A major milestone was reached in
November 2019 when Durban’s beachfront
promenade extension reached the harbour.
This means that residents anywhere in the city
can now step onto the promenade, from the harbour in the south
to Blue Lagoon in the north. The project began in early 2018 and
cost R400-million.
According to the organisers of the 2019 KZN Construction Expo,
infrastructure will attract more than R200-billion in investment over
seven years and R35-billion will be spent over 15 years at the Port
Waterfront development.
The King Shaka International Airport and Dube TradePort are
also attracting property investments. Two new industrial parks are
being developed: Cornubia is part of a larger project near Umhlanga
and Clairwood in Durban South will offer more than 300 000m² of
A-grade industrial space.
Tongaat Hulett Developments (THD) has for some years been rolling
out a series of developments on land it owns north of Durban and it has
launched the nTshongweni Urban Development on either side of the
busy N3 highway west of the city.
KwaZulu-Natal has a number of brick companies and four cement
factories. Three of these are run by NPC at Simuma, Durban and
ONLINE RESOURCES
Construction Industry Development Board: www.cidb.org.za
Master Builders Association KwaZulu-Natal: www.mba-kzn.co.za
SA Estate Agency Affairs Board: www.eaab.org.za
SA Institute of Valuers: www.saiv.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Infrastructure spending is
set to grow.
Newcastle, and the company
has a further six sites for concrete
and two for aggregate. NPC is
part of the Intercement group.
Lafarge has several aggregate
quarries and eight Readymix
plants around the province. The
company’s grinding operation in
Richards Bay has closed.
The Dolphin Coast
continues to attract high-end
investors. Seaton, The Bay, in
Sheffield Beach Estate, north of
Ballito and Simbithi Eco-Estate,
distinguishes itself from its
neighbours by offering direct
access to the beach.
Collins Residential reported
R179-million in sales in two
months in late 2020, for the first
two parts of the development.
Owners are expected to take
up residence early in 2022.
Further south, Zimbali is
another estate holding its own
in terms of value. ■
37 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Water
Bulkwater schemes are coming on line.
The R50-million uMshwathi Bulkwater Scheme was officially
inaugurated in November 2020 as part of a broader scheme
to improve water supplies across the province. Two new
dams will add 800-million litres of water per day to the
available supply in KwaZulu-Natal. As part of the lower uMkhomazi
scheme, utility Umgeni Water will spend about R26-billion on the
Smithfield Dam and R2.4-billion on the Ngwadini Dam.
The provincial government has listed some major projects
currently in progress:
• Lower uMkhomazi Bulkwater Scheme, Umgeni Water, R3-billion,
estimated to be completed in 2023
• Cwabeni Project, R1-billion estimate, completion in 2022
• Stephen Dlamini Dam, R1-billion estimate, completion 2023
• uMkhomazi Water Project, R23-billion, once phase two is complete,
it will be one of the biggest water transfer schemes in the country
A new tender was issued in 2020 for the completion of a
35-megalitre-per-day upgrade of the Darvill Waste-Water Works. The
facility receives and treats both domestic and industrial wastewater
from the city of Pietermaritzburg.
A provincial Water Intervention Plan is being rolled out in
hotspots where municipalities are struggling to provide consistent
services. The main pipelines of Kokstad and Underberg are receiving
upgrades, as are the water supply systems at Bergville, Skhemelele
and Moyeni Zwelisha.
The area north of the Durban central business district is one of the
fastest-growing urban areas in South Africa, with a number of large
office and accommodation projects going ahead simultaneously.
This is a welcome development for the economy, but the new
buildings also create pressure on infrastructure.
The multi-year, R250-million Northern Aqueduct Augmentation
project was initiated in 2014 and the fifth phase of the project is
underway. This will provide water for Durban North, Umhlanga,
Newlands, KwaMashu, Phoenix and Cornubia.
Umgeni Water currently supplies more than 400m³ of potable
water to its six large municipal customers. The company has five dams,
10 waterworks, five water-treatment plants and two wastewater works,
including Darvill.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Mhlathuze Water: www.mhlathuze.co.za
National Department of Water and Sanitation: www.dwa.gov.za
Umgeni Water: www.umgeni.co.za
Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
The Northern Aqueduct
Augmentation project is a
massive undertaking.
Anaerboic digesters at
Darvill Waste-Water Works.
Credit: Umgeni Water
Large parts of the northern
part of the province are served
by Mhlathuze Water. The utility
has assets valued at more than
R3-billion and its area of supply
covers 37 000m².
New technology has
been installed at the Verulam
Wastewater Treatment Works
of the eThekwini municipality.
Murray & Roberts Water and its
European technology partner,
Organica Water, has installed an
environmentally-friendly system
that uses 30% less energy and
produces 30% less sludge.
Richards Bay has installed a
10-container desalination plant
next to the municipal water
treatment plant at Alkanstrand. The
first mobile sea water purification
unit in South Africa, it comprises 10
containers and is located adjacent
to the water treatment plant at
Alkantstrand. It can deliver 10
megalitres of drinking water. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
38

The CSIR Water Centre has
the capabilities to support
the water sector
Touching lives through innovation.
FOCUS
network can be identified and repairs done at the
same time.
Legally, water incidents should be recorded as part
of a Risk Abatement Plan. A Corrective Action Request
and Report System (CARRS) application is used for
water incident reporting.
The Water Centre of the Council for Scientific
and Industrial Research (CSIR) is wellequipped
to support agencies and utilities
working in the water sector. Some of the
problems of water supply and distribution came
into sharp focus in the wake of the 2022 floods in
KwaZulu-Natal.
Pinpointing water infrastructure damage
ICT-based Dynamic Hydraulic Models (DHM)
with real time/near real time data are used for the
optimisation of water distribution networks (faulty
pipeline diagnostics).
Pressure monitoring and control are used
to reduce the amount of non-revenue water
due to dilapidated water treatment plant (WTP)
infrastructure. Therefore, damages on the distribution
Water quality monitoring and treatment
A decentralised (mobile) water and wastewater
treatment system (WWTS) is used to as an emergency
or temporary treatment system directly from source.
Water is treated at the source for human use.
The CSIR Laboratory has the capability to test water
quality as per the drinking water standard (SANS 241).
Through this testing procedure, acceptable water
quality can be guaranteed.
Amadrum is a point-of-use water treatment system
which treats raw water to an acceptable drinking
quality.
The CSIR can prepare comprehensive assessments
and monitor water resources over a period of time.
Additionally, drinking water pollution incidents which
are caused by interruptions in water supply can be
addressed.
Decentralised wastewater treatment systems
Decentralised systems can be used to augment
existing WWTSs. Decentralised wastewater treatment
systems (DEWATS) are renowned for low operation
and maintenance requirements. They require
smaller-scale investment commitments compared to
centralised solutions. ■
Contact: Manager, Water Research
Centre, Dr Rembu Magoba
Email: RMagoba@csir.co.za

OVERVIEW
Tourism
Resumed flights augur well for the economy.
SECTOR INSIGHT
The KZN Tourism Relief Fund
is helping Covid-stressed
businesses.
Both Qatar Airways and SAA had resumed flights to King
Shaka International Airport by early March 2022, a good
sign for the recovery of the regional economy. SAA is
flying three times a week while the Doha-based airline
is offering four flights per week.
The KZN Tourism Relief Fund was put in place to provide relief
to majority black-owned tourism businesses. The R20-million
fund, modelled on the National Tourism Relief Fund, was capped
at R50 000 per business.
Rural tourism, as well as women- and youth-owned businesses,
are at the centre of the provincial government’s Tourism Recovery
Plan. The projects include the development of a tourism precinct at
Howick Falls in uMgungundlovu District Municipality, improvements
at KwaXolo Caves Adventures in Ugu District Municipality and the
construction of uMtubatuba Tourism Information and SMME Centre
in uMkhanyakude District Municipality.
The combined contribution of retail and tourism to provincial GDP
is 14%. Research by Tourism KwaZulu-Natal shows that the coastal
province consistently has the best hotel occupancies in the country.
The Docklands Hotel at the Durban Waterfront is a four-star
Signature development that cost about R100-million to develop.
Tsogo Sun has spent R1.6-billion on refurbishing its Suncoast
complex on Durban’s Golden Mile. Suncoast Casino Hotels &
Entertainment covers a huge area and offers a wide variety of
entertainment options.
Tsogo Sun has four other hotels on the Golden Mile and six hotels
in Durban with a further four in nearby Umhlanga, where one of the
group’s most luxurious hotels, the 89-room Beverly Hills, is located.
A “mega-hotel” was created with the amalgamation of the Southern
ONLINE RESOURCES
Durban International Convention Centre: www.icc.co.za
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife: www.kznwildlife.com
Tourism KwaZulu-Natal: www.zulu.org.za
Credit: Qatar Airways
Sun North Beach and Southern
Sun Elangeni hotels.
Premier Hotels & Resorts will
spend about R420-million on two
new hotels at Umhlanga. The 207-
room Hilton Garden Inn has been
operating at Umhlanga Arch
since 2020. The new Radisson
Blu Oceans Umhlanga Hotel is
expected to open in 2022. The
Royal Hotel in the heart of Durban
is one of eight Three Cities Group
hotels in the province. The Golden
Horse Casino Hotel is a Three
Cities property, and the Group
administers the International
Hotel School in Westville that also
hosts the Christine Martin School
of Food and Wine.
IFA Hotels & Resorts runs
several luxury properties including
the Zimbali Coastal Resort and
Zimbali Lakes Resort. Signature
Life Hotels has 13 properties and
Gooderson Leisure has a varied
portfolio. Sibaya Casino and
Entertainment Kingdom, a Sun
International property, is north
of Durban between Umdloti
and Umhlanga. The casinos
in Newcastle (Century City),
Empangeni (Tusk Umfolozi Casino)
and Pietermaritzburg (Golden
Horse Casino) are run by Century
Casinos Newcastle, Peermont
Global and Akani Msunduzi
Management respectively. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
40

ICT
OVERVIEW
Infrastructure has to be rebuilt after severe flooding.
One of the results of the violent floods that affected
KwaZulu-Natal in 2022 was the destruction of ICT
infrastructure. Mobile operator MTN lost connections
to 500 sites through a combination of towers being
knocked down and interrupted electricity supply. Some fibre
ducts also became water-logged. The major
telecoms companies worked quickly to restore
connectivity and donated blankets and other
supplies to affected communities.
More than 500 SMMEs are expected to participate
in a rollout of more than 20 000 public hotspots
across the province. Key areas will include taxi ranks,
schools and public health facilities. More than 140 sites
have been successfully connected in several districts
through the SA Connect programme.
A provincial strategy for creating smart cities is
targeting three districts: Ugu (Ray Nkonyeni Local
Municipality as anchor); iLembe (KwaDukuza); Richards
Bay (uMhlathuze).
Broadband Infraco is providing layer two
network services to Dube TradePort (pictured) to
provide over 810 WiFi hotspots at 405 selected sites
across the province.
Over the next five years, the Moses Kotane Institute, another
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.
A SmartXchange SMME Incubator has been launched in
Port Shepstone on the South Coast. The concept of ICT has been
ONLINE RESOURCES
Dube TradePort: www.dubetradeport.co.za
Information Technology Association of South Africa: www.ita.org.za
SmartExchange: www.smartxchange.co.za
South African Vanguard of Technology: www.savant.co.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Dube TradePort is a
provincial leader in
digital technology.
expanded to include media and
electronics, so the hub is called an
MICTe Incubator.
The province’s SmartXchange is
an example of a successful publicprivate
partnership that supports
businesses in the information
technology and communications
sector. Incubation strategies for
start-ups and skills development
(including links to educational
institutions) are important parts of
the organisation’s brief.
KwaZulu-Natal has an
established skills base in
microprocessors and radiobased
systems and a strong
manufacturing base. ■
41 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Manufacturing
Sappi’s giant plant at Umkomaas is set to grow again.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Hulamin is supplying a US
electric car manufacturer.
EBH has extensive facilities in the Port of Durban.
Sappi’s massive Saiccor Mill on KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast is
on course to grow even bigger. The company is conducting
feasibility studies to construct a plant to produce furfural. The
pilot plant will be erected in the course of 2022.
The Saiccor mill has the capacity to produce approximately
800 000 tons of dissolving pulp per annum, mostly export.
Capacity will rise above 900 000 tons once an expansion project
is complete.
Aluminium producer Hulamin experienced reduced demand
during the Covid-19 lockdowns but has secured a number of good
orders, including to supply product to a US manufacturer of electric
vehicles. Hulamin had previously laid off some workers and closed
one of its factories in another province. The company believes that
its restructuring is working well, and its beverage business is thriving.
Hulamin also makes rolled products at Edendale, Pietermaritzburg
and at Camps Drift.
Dube TradePort attracted R7-billion in private and public sector
investment between 2012 and 2019 and, with its ideal position for
logistics operations, is expected to attract much more.
The province’s other Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the Richards
Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), is attracting investments
in a wide range of sectors.
Cipla, the Indian manufacturer of generic drugs, is building a
new facility at Dube TradePort to complement its existing factory in
Durban. LG Electronics South Africa has opened a R21-million factory
and distribution centre in Cornubia, north of Durban.
The manufacturing sector contributes 17.7% to the provincial
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of KwaZulu-Natal. The strongest
ONLINE RESOURCES
Aluminium Federation of South Africa: www.afsa.org.za
Chemical and Allied Industries’ Association: www.caia.co.za
Enterprise iLembe: www.enterpriseilembe.org.za
export sectors are base metals
(32% including aluminium),
mineral products such as ores,
vehicles and chemical products.
New opportunities in
the Blue economy (shipbuilding
and maintenance,
oil-rig repair and servicing)
and the Green economy (solar
panel manufacture, solar,
biogas and wind energy plant
construction, management
and maintenance, heating
and cooling devices) are set to
grow in KwaZulu-Natal with the
allocation of geographical hubs
to support these sectors, and
the introduction of policies and
incentives designed to make
them competitive.
Two large oil refineries
and a sophisticated sugar
milling and refining industry
underpin provincial chemical
manufacturing although the
SAPREF refinery announced
a suspension of operations
in February 2022. The
chemicals and petrochemicals
subsector makes up 17% of
the manufacturing output of
KwaZulu-Natal, with industrial
chemicals accounting for nearly
a third. Steel and aluminium
are other heavy manufacturing
products. Newcastle is a
chemical manufacturing hub. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
42

31391
Commercial Banking
Nedbank partners
with the automotive industry
to drive competitiveness
amid turbulence
By Amith Singh, National Manager Manufacturing
The South African automotive industry,
which generates around 18,7% of domestic
manufacturing output, plays a significant role
in our country’s economy, with a GDP contribution
comparable to that of mining and agriculture.
The 2022 Automotive Export Manual released
by the Automotive Industry Export Council earlier
this year also revealed that vehicle and automotive
component exports increased by 18,1% in 2021
to comprise 12,5% of total South African exports.
Unfortunately, the industry has been hit hard
by recent global and local events, including
global supply chain disruptions and operational
efficiencies at South African ports that are well
below international standards, further exacerbated
by riots and cyberattacks. More recently
the flooding in automotive-intensive KwaZulu-
Natal and onerous load-shedding schedules
resulted in the manufacturing production figures
released for April 2022 showing a substantial
decline of 7,8% year-on-year.
With most of these setbacks hopefully behind
us, and efforts being made to stabilise electricity
supply and improve the situation at our ports,
savvy automotive manufacturing firms should
consider the five trends that Deloitte’s 2022
manufacturing industry outlook pinpointed
to watch. With business agility critical for
organisations to operate through unprecedented
turbulence, the report identifies key strategies
to drive competitiveness. These include
embracing technology to create more connected,
reliable, efficient and predictive processes;
carefully reviewing cyberdefences and resilience
in the event of cyberattacks; and closely
monitoring the fast-evolving environmental,
social and governance (ESG) landscape and
adjusting operations accordingly. Proactive
approaches to these challenges will help
automotive manufacturers mitigate setbacks
while creating a competitive advantage.
Nedbank’s deep understanding
of the manufacturing industry has enabled
us to develop tailor-made solutions in this field,
making us the expert strategic banking partner
to grow our clients’ businesses. The bedrock
of our manufacturing portfolio is the deep,
lasting and value-adding relationships
we develop with our clients and key industry
stakeholders. These solutions are underpinned
by our continuous drive to innovate our
financial and administrative functions, enabling
you to take your business to the next level.
Through this profound insight we provide
bespoke, innovative financial solutions
to help grow our clients’ businesses
and strengthen their competitiveness in
the market. For example, because we know
that present macroeconomic challenges
coupled with power supply issues lead
to having cash flow constraints that could
prohibit delivery and growth, we have a range
of solutions to mitigate that risk. Similarly,
as the green bank, we offer a comprehensive
range of solutions to promote the sustainability
of clients’ businesses, giving them the
competitive advantage that is so vital
in the market.
Our vast experience in global trade
enables quicker, more efficient cross-border
transactions when importing and exporting,
and easy access to funds smooths out cash
flow fluctuations between production cycles,
enabling clients to take advantage
of discounts and bulk offers.
But the real value we offer is our partnership
approach, which means clients benefit
from a committed partner with industry
expertise who will advise on growth,
investment and financial strategies based
on our deep insight into each client’s unique
financial situation.
For more information about our specialist
manufacturing services, email us at
manufacturing@nedbank.co.za.
Singh is Nedbank Commercial Banking’s
national manager for the manufacturing
sector. He holds a degree in business
management from the University of Cape
Town, a postgraduate degree in sales
management, and is a qualified Neethling
Brain Institute practitioner. He has been
in banking for 19 years.
Nedbank Ltd Reg No 1951/000009/06. Licensed financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP16).

OVERVIEW
Education and training
New streams are being introduced at schools.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Coding and Robotics are part of
the programme at 200 schools.
Science on show at the Anton Lembede Mathematics, Science
and Technology Academy. Credit: KZN Department of Education
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.
In 2022 four new schools will implement the teaching of technical
occupational subjects which was piloted in 2020.
More than 200 schools will soon start to offer Coding and
Robotics as part of the curriculum in Grades 8 and 9. A pilot
programme teaching entrepreneurship was piloted in 2021 in the
King Cetshwayo District and will now be rolled out in other areas.
The Sukuma 100 000 programme was launched in 2020 by the
Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal with the goal of helping
young people make the transition from an educational environment
into the world of work.
With the assistance of the private sector, the Youth Directorate in
the Office of the Premier wants 100 000 young people to benefit every
year from in-service training, apprenticeships and internships. Stateowned
entities and government departments will also participate in
the programme, which is scheduled to last five years.
In another initiative related to competencies, a skills audit is to
be conducted among senior
officials across the province. The
audit began in municipalities and
will be extended to provincial
departments and agencies of the
province in due course.
KwaZulu-Natal has nine
Technical and Vocational
Education and Training (TVET)
Colleges with 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
boiler-making. The Mnambithi
TVFET 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.
Universities
There are two universities and
two universities of technology in
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
44

OVERVIEW
KwaZulu-Natal, 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 its specialities are fine art, theology and agriculture.
UKZN also hosts the National Research Foundation.
The Durban University of Technology (DUT) has six faculties
operating in seven campuses in Durban and in the Midlands. DUT is
well known for its outstanding graphic-design school and offers one
of only two chiropractic programmes in South Africa.
The University of Zululand offers diploma and degree courses on
two campuses at Empangeni and Richards Bay.
Several provincial government departments make tertiary
bursaries available to qualifying students, including Agriculture and
Rural Development, Human Settlements, Public Works, Transport
and the Treasury. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
supports 26 public universities across the country in advancing
payment of registration fees for poor students.
The private sector also actively supports education through
bursaries. A crowdfunding platform set up by Standard Bank, the
Feenix Trust, raised more than R35-million in three years to support
more than 1 000 students. The bank’s Ikusasa Student Financial Aid
Programme (ISFAP) provides bursaries for students from families
earning less than R600 000 per annum.
Schools
KwaZulu-Natal has 2.8-million school pupils, many of whom are
in rural areas. With 30% of South Africa’s pupils in its schools, the
province’s results have a big bearing on how the nation fares in
annual examinations.
There is now near universal access to primary and secondary
schooling and a new drive to enrol pre-school children in Grade R
ONLINE RESOURCES
Council of Higher Education: www.che.ac.za
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education: www.kzneducation.gov.za
National Research Foundation: www.nrf.ac.za
National Skills Authority: www.nationalskillsauthority.org.za
has achieved a 70% success
rate. The province has 1 689
early childhood development
centres.
Transport is provided to
350 schools, covering 59 000
pupils, and 2 400 bicycles have
been made available under the
Shovakalula programme.
A primary school in the
Harry Gwala District was the site
of the launch of an e-learning
infrastructure programme that
is intended to be rolled out
to rural areas throughout the
province. Digital access will
allow pupils in remote areas
to be connected to the best
teachers in the province.
The unbundling from the
successful Curro group of a
separate tertiary entity which
listed on the JSE as Stadio
Holdings is a good indicator
of the growth of the private
sector in education. Stadio
currently has three institutions:
Southern Business School,
AFDA (the School for the
Creative Economy) and the
Embury Institute for Higher
Education which has a campus
in Musgrave, Durban. There are
seven schools in KwaZulu-Natal
operating under Curro brands.
Advtech, the other big
private company in the sector,
already has 27 tertiary campuses
nationally, in addition to its
78 schools operating under
a variety of labels. Advtech
operates 10 educational sites
in KwaZulu-Natal, including
schools such as Crawford and
Trinity House, a chefs’ school
(Capsicum), three Varsity
Colleges and the Design School
for Southern Africa. ■
45 KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23

OVERVIEW
Development finance and
SMME support
Billion-rand plan to transform the sugar industry will benefit the SMME sector.
The sugar industry’s R1-billion five-year plan to transform
the sector will have positive spinoffs for small-scale
growers and distributors.
Contributions from millers and growers have allowed for sums
of R165-million (transformation) and R60-million (Value Chain Masterplan)
to be allocated as the first part of the scheme. National government
supported these measures with initiatives of its own, including providing
input vouchers to small-scale growers. The aim is to reach up to 250 000
small-scale farmers (including the 21 000 contributing to the sugarcane
value chain), in partnership with the private sector.
The provincial government’s Sukuma 100 000 surpassed
its target by creating 137 000 job opportunities in 2021, with
all government departments participating in focussing on
opportunities for youth employment.
Examples of companies that received support under the
project are Gelanison Agric, an agricultural initiative that produces
high-value crops using the hydroponic system, and AdNotes, a
telecommunications company which is 100% black and youth
owned. The company received funding from the KZN Youth Fund and
provides Internet services in the Ugu and King Cetshwayo Districts
and eThekwini Metro.
Operation Vula Fund is an SMME grant funding scheme run by the
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and
Environmental Affairs (DEDTEA). A total of 961 applications to the value
of R305-million have been approved to date.
Funding from the National Department of Trade, Industry and
Competition’s (dtic) Black Industrialist Programme and from the
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) secured 70% of Newcastlebased
Boschpick Engineering for entrepreneurs Bongani Khumalo and
Phillip Majali and their company Lipsobex. The IDC provides finance
across a range of sectors from agriculture to tourism.
The Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) is active in
supporting entrepreneurs. Seda gives non-financial support through
ONLINE RESOURCES
National Department of Small Business Development: www.dsbd.gov.za
SA SME Fund: www.sasmefund.co.za
Small Enterprise Development Agency: www.seda.co.za
SECTOR INSIGHT
Operation Vula Fund disburses
grant money to SMMEs.
training, assistance with filling in
forms, marketing and creating
business plans.
In KwaZulu-Natal, Seda runs
12 Incubators which either help
new businesses get started or
with the rehabilitation of existing
enterprises. Three models are
used: Technology Demonstration
Centres (demonstration and
training); Technology Incubators
(where the focus is rehabilitation);
Hybrid Centres, which combine
elements of the other two models.
The KwaZulu-Natal Incubators
include ICT and construction
(three centres each), furniture and
hi-tech (two each) and chemicals
and essential oils.
Sappi is helping honey-makers
make money. A project run jointly
by Sappi and the African Honey
Bee programme is supporting
about 100 beekeepers in northern
KwaZulu-Natal and encouraging
them to invest in sources of
income such as vegetable gardens
that can keep their families going
between honey harvests. A
benefit to Sappi is that fires which
used to be used as a method of
smoking out bees has largely
been eliminated, reducing the risk
to Sappi’s plantation assets. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
46

SEDA
Seda offices
Seda contacts
KWAZULU-NATAL MANAGEMENT
Provincial Office
Koenie Slabbert - Provincial Manager
Tel:
Provincial
Seda Limpopo
+27 15 287
Manager:
Provincial
2940
Mr Cedric Mnguni
Mopani Branch
Fax: Physical
Office
+27 15 297 address: 4022 46 Essex Terrace,
(located
Essex Park
in Tzaneen)
Email: Ground Mr kslabbert@seda.org.za
Koenie Floor, Slabbert: Block Provincial B, Westville 3629 Ms Maseje Nchabeleng: Branch
2nd Tel: Manager Floor (031) Suite 6, 277 Maneo 9500 Building, | Email: 73 Biccard cmnguni@seda.org.za
Street, Manager Polokwane 0700
Postnet Tel: Suite +27 15 32287 Private 2940 Bag X 9307 Polokwane 0700 Tel: +27 15 306 6400
Branch Fax: +27 Manager: 15 297 4022 Sibongile Sabela Fax: +27 15 307 2233
Seda Physical Email: Vhembe kslabbert@seda.org.za
address: Branch 46 Essex Terrace, Email: Essex Park
Mr Ground Marcus Physical Mukumela Floor, address: Block - Branch 2nd Floor B, Manager Westville 3629 mnchabeleng@seda.org.za
Tel: Tel: +27 15 960 8700
Nictus (031) Building 277 9500 | Email: ssabela@seda.org.za
Physical address: 2nd Floor
Fax: 086 634 8964
68 Hans van Rensburg Street ABSA Building
Email: mmukumela@seda.org.za
Branch
Old Polokwane Manager: Michael Zondo
Mutual Building, Old Group Scheme Offices, Mphephu 13 Danie Road, Joubert Thohoyandou Street 7950
Physical 0699 address: 283 Langalibalele Tzaneen Street
Seda The Capricorn Tourism Branch Hub, 2nd Floor, Pietermaritzburg 0850 3201
Mr Tel: Peter Capricorn (033) Maredi 264 - Branch 3100 Manager | Email: mzondo@seda.org.za
Tel: (located +27 15 290 8720 in Polokwane) Waterberg Branch
Fax: Branch Mr.
+27
Peter
15 Manager: 290
Maredi:
8736
Branch Dennis Manager Ndlovu (located in Mokopane)
Email: Physical pmaredi@seda.org.za
Tel: +27 15
address:
290 8720
LOT 611237, Via Verbena
Mr Steve Botha: Branch Manager
1st Veldenvlei, Floor Pharmarama Building, 68 Hans van Rensburg Street, Polokwane 0699
Fax: +27 15 290
Richards
8736
Bay 3900
Tel: +27 15 492 9600
Tel: (035) 901 2660 | Email: dndlovu@seda.org.za
Seda Email: Waterberg pmaredi@seda.org.za
Branch
Fax: +27 15 491 7361
Mr Steve Physical Botha address: - Branch 1st Manager Floor
Email: sbotha@seda.org.za
Branch Manager: Thembinkosi Kunene
Tel: Nictus +27 15 Building 492 9600
Physical address: Old Nedbank
Physical address: 28 Bazley Street, Office 4
Fax: 68 +27 Hans 15 491 van 7361 Rensburg Street Building
Email:
First
Polokwane sbotha@seda.org.za
Flood, Port Shepstone 4240
40 Retief Street
Old Tel:
0699
Nedbank (039) Building, 688 1560 40 Retief | Email: Street, Mokopane tkunene@seda.org.za
Mokopane
0600
Seda Branch Mopani Manager: Branch Justice Shange
Vhembe Branch
Martin Physical Rafferty address: - Acting Branch 48 Margaret Manager Street
(located in Thohoyandou) Sekhukhune Branch
Tel: Ixopo +27 153276
306 6400
Fax: Mr +27 Marcus 15 307 Mukumela: 2233 Branch (located in Groblersdal)
Tel: (039) 834 7100 | Email: jshange@seda.org.za
Email: Manager mrafferty@seda.org.za
Mr Sabelo Ntshangase
27
Branch
Peace Tel: +27 Street,
Manager: 15 960 1st Floor, 8700Thanda Prosperitas
Khathi
Building, Tzaneen Tel: +27 0850 13 262 9430
Physical Fax: +27 15 address: 962 4285 94/96 Murchison Fax: Street +27 13 262
Seda Sekhukhune Branch
Ladysmith Email: mmukumela@seda.org.za
3371
Email: sntshangase@seda.org.za
Mr Sabelo Ntshangase - Branch Manager
Physical address: Bindulavhathu Physical address:
Tel: Tel: +27 (036) 13 262638 94309780 | Email: tkhathi@seda.org.za
Email: Office sntshangase@seda.org.za
Building
Mutual Building
Bareki Branch 3rd Mall, Floor Shop Manager: No. 20B, Dumisani Cnr Chris Wild Zikalala and Van Shop Riebeek 4 and Street, Office Groblersdal 10, 12 0407
Physical Thohoyandou address: 28 Scott Street Hereford Street
Newcastle 0950 2940
Groblersdal
Tel: (034) 328 0620 | Email: dzikalala@seda.org.za
0470
We have built a strong team in the province made up of 16 Business
Advisors, two Regional Facilitators and five Information Officers who have
Our goal the responsibility is to make of measurable making measurable differences differences in the in the businesses businesses that
we assist. they assist. The Seda This team team of Business of Business Advisors Advisors works works closely closely with a team with of
a team
carefully
of carefully
selected
selected
service providers
service
who
providers
possesses
who
expert
posses
knowledge
expert
in
knowledge in different areas of business and industry sectors.
different functional areas of business and industry sectors.
For more information contact contact us at: us 015 at 287 031 2940 277 9500 or visit or our visit website: our website: www.seda.org.za www.seda.org.za
TOGETHER ADVANCING SMALL ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
“Together advancing small enterprise development”

OVERVIEW
Banking and financial services
Financing of infrastructure is becoming a priority.
The launch by Sanlam Investments of a Sustainable Infrastructure
Fund is a sign of the times. The South African state and
the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal have promised
a huge infrastructure drive but in the context of climate
change caused by the use of fossil fuels, the investment community
is increasingly putting emphasis on sustainability. Sanlam Group will
invest R6-billion in the fund and aims to attract a further R5-billion from
institutional investors. Investments will be made in housing, transport,
health, water, waste, communication, conventional energy and renewable
energy, a fast-growing sector with enormous potential.
The Brics New Development Bank has made a $200-million loan
for the expansion of the container terminal in Durban. The busy port
is currently stretched beyond capacity and waiting time for trucks
can be extremely long.
Activist groups in Durban’s southern suburbs are opposing
the loan and the expansion, saying that further development will
increase pollution in the area and lead to even more dangerous
traffic congestion.
Up the coast at Richards Bay, the World Bank’s International
Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $2-million to a feasibility
study on the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage
and regasification terminal. The study’s costs are shared with Transnet
and a private investor will be sought if the feasibility study is positive.
Aspen Pharmacare is a speciality pharmaceuticals company with
a presence in more than 50 countries and nearly 9 000 employees.
The company’s headquarters are in La Lucia Ridge north of Durban.
Aspen’s decision to register a second listing on one of South Africa’s
newest stock exchanges (the primary listing remains on the JSE) was
a boost for A2X, which set out to attract secondary listings.
Of the four new exchanges that South Africa has seen since 2017,
ZARX has been suspended and 4AX has rebranded as the Cape Town
Stock Exchange. Equity Express Securities Exchange (EESE) trades in
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE).
Together with real estate and general business, the financial sector
in KwaZulu-Natal accounts for 18% of gross domestic product (GDP).
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
SECTOR INSIGHT
Aspen has launched
a secondary stock
exchange listing.
Credit: Unsplash
Big strides have been made
in providing banking services
to the previously unbanked
but there is still a long way
to go. The widespread use of
smartphones is creating new
opportunities for banks and
other financial service providers
to further close the gap.
Standard Bank introduced
the low-cost MyMo account
in KwaZulu-Natal in 2020. With
free electronic transactions,
unlimited card swipes and a low
monthly fee, the MyMo account
is ideal for low-income earners,
micro-entrepreneurs and the
poor. Customers do not have to
visit branches to sign up for the
account. They can take a selfie
on the mobile app. ■
KWAZULU-NATAL BUSINESS 2022/23
48

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