Durban's festive season: a celebration of culture and community
THE eThekwini Municipality will have a bumper 2024 festive season and we are ready to receive over 1.3 million visitors, who will be descending on our shores.
This will be another great opportunity for us to show the world that Durban is indeed open for business and we remain Africa’s playground.
As part of our efforts to deliver a safe and memorable festive season, the metro police is working with all law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS, Road Traffic Inspectorate, and private security companies to maintain high visibility in all tourism sites and areas that we have identified as crime hotspots.
We are confident that this collaboration will improve the safety of our visitors and residents.
In response to challenge of homelessness, we are making every effort to direct the people living on the streets to three shelters that are currently operating in the city, which are Block AK, Jewish Club, and Strollers. This is a crucial intervention because some, especially those who have become drug addicts, end up resorting to crime.
To control traffic on the beach, certain roads leading to the beachfront will be access controlled. The park and ride facility will be available at no cost every 30 minutes throughout the festive season.
During this period, road safety becomes one of the key components of ensuring we deliver a peaceful and joyful holiday season. Our law enforcement officers will clamp down on drinking and driving as well as reckless behaviour on our roads. Law enforcement operations, including multidisciplinary roadblocks, will be conducted throughout the city to combat all forms of criminality.
A few days ago, we released over 500 new metro police officers from training who have already hit the ground running - assisting in heightening police visibility both on the road and in our communities. Recently, we have also procured over 170 high performance vehicles for the metro police to patrol our streets 24/7. Other specialised units are on horsebacks and bicycles in various tourism sites, assisted by the CCTV camera monitoring and surveillance.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has also been brought on board to deal with crime perpetrated against tourists. This is an ongoing and integrated programme that is aligned to the smart city law enforcement programme.
In addition, we have recruited 540 seasonal workers who are deployed to various tourist destinations. These include 135 litter pickers and 104 beach guides who are stationed across the various city beaches to help visitors. An additional 105 pool attendants are deployed in various swimming pools to ensure the safety of bathers.
For easy identification of children, the city has procured 200 000 armbands and seven tents will be erected along the beachfront to accommodate children who get separated from parents. We have also secured an overnight facility for such children.
As visitors have already started to flock to our beaches, we continue to monitor and conduct weekly assessment of beach water quality to ensure that residents and visitors are kept abreast of the test results. The latest beach water quality results indicate that 21 Durban beaches are open, while 2 beaches are temporarily which are the Reunion and Anstey’s Beaches. There are also over 30 swimming pools open in various parts of the city for the public to enjoy.
We are confident of bumper festive season this December and visitors must be assured that apart from beaches, there are many other attractions and hidden gems throughout the city.
To ensure that visitors and residents make the most of their time in eThekwini, the city has partnered with several event organisers to host 15 signature events from December 1 to January 4. These events, which perfectly blend our pristine beaches, lively nightlife, and rich cultural heritage, will be held under the banner of “Discover Durban’s Endless Waves of Tranquillity”.
There will also be precinct activations in areas such as Umhlanga, Florida Road, Umlazi, Clermont, Amanzimtoti and Shongweni to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all visitors who will descending to our city.
The economic impact of this festive season is also significant. Projections for 2024/2025 anticipate a rise in occupancy rates to 75%, over 1.3 million visitors, a direct spend of R2.5 billion, and a GDP contribution of R6.3 billion. Most importantly, this growth translates into over 11 000 jobs, reaffirming tourism’s vital role in driving economic recovery and growth.
We are also excited about the investment that the city continues to inject in the beachfront in collaboration with the private sector. Few months ago, we announced a R1 billion investment of the redevelopment of Elangeni and Maharani hotels.
Last month, we officially opened the Durban Beach Café, and very soon, a private developer will commence with the redevelopment of the Joe Cools property. We have no doubt that this investment will further enhance the beachfront as a key tourism asset of the city.
During this festive season, we invite residents and visitors alike to rediscover the magic of Durban, support local businesses, and become ambassadors for our incredible city.
eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Councillor Cyril Xaba