Durban New Look: Transformed buildings in the city

eThekwini Municipality is making strides in its multi-billion rand plan to rejuvenate the Durban inner city and the Point Precinct to transform the CBD into a place were people want to live, work and play, while enjoying its proximity to the ocean.

eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda took investors and stakeholders on a tour of the Point Precinct on Friday to highlight the city’s plans for the area as a strategic catalytic project positioned to ignite economic growth, international investments, job creation and tourism. 

“With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, a great deal of Foreign Direct Investment was put on hold in the city. We are pleased to report that through our economic recovery plan, we have been able to unlock this investment and with this engagement today, we want to demonstrate to you that Durban is ready and open for business,” Kaunda said.

Kaunda said the city of Durban had already completed “a great deal of work” in the precinct and major infrastructure upgrades to its water and sewage lines were ongoing. 

One of the buildings in the Durban Point area that has been renovated and converted into student accommodation. Photograph: Lyse Comins

“We are on track to completing the watermains project by the end of this year. This R280 million project will assist in increasing bulk water supply in the area and improve public realm in the point precinct. At the end of this year, we must all brace ourselves for a transformed public realm along Mahatma Gandhi, with widened sidewalks, enhanced street furniture and modern streetscapes,” Kaunda said.

“We are anticipating that towards the finalisation of this project, our partner from Malaysia, would have announced the launch of the foreign direct investment into the node. We are confident that with the positive investor climate we have created in this precinct, the private sector investment will, over the next few years, far outstrip investment made by government,” he said.

He said the city had already spent R400m developing the now complete Point Promenade, while Transnet had committed to invest a further R200 million for the construction of a harbour side promenade.  

“This initiative by Transnet is in line with our port expansion strategy as we seek to make Durban an internationally competitive port city,” Kaunda said.

Kaunda said that the city’s plans to deal with 33 “bad buildings” it had identified  were yielding desired outcomes. 

“Great progress has been made by our teams in locating owners of such properties and though constructive engagements we are pleased that 22 buildings have already been renovated. This is part of our effort to make the inner-city safe and conducive for investment,” he said.

He said the city was at an advanced stage of completing a detailed plan for the development of a community precinct centre in the area, which will serve as a shared facility, providing social services and the permanent presence of law enforcement agencies. 

“We strongly believe that this pilot project will result in an effective model that we can begin to rollout in different precincts of the inner city. We remain committed to make the inner city safe and welcoming both to residents; and visitors,” Kaunda said.