Durban’s Point Waterfront Gets a Refreshing Facelift

When driving through the streets of Central Durban, it is natural to reminisce about the good old days. It seems like eons ago, but believe it or not, there was a time when you could grab a soft-serve ice cream at 10 o’clock at night and walk along the beach without a second thought about safety. Streets were clean and buildings were neat and well maintained. Although this seems like a distant memory to most, Durban’s management team is trying to revive some of those good feelings you had all those years ago.

Construction commenced on elaborate development plans that were created for Durban Point Waterfront, toward the latter part of 2016. An estimated R6 billion has been budgeted for the 750 000 square kilometers that will be given a facelift through this complex project. The media is calling it “a modern reincarnation of the old Durban”.

The development is being headed by the Durban Point Development Company, co-owned by eThekwini Municipality and ROC Point (Pty) Ltd (majority-owned by UEM Sunrise, a Malaysian property group).

As it stands, the plan includes:

• An extension of the promenade from uShaka to Vetch’s Pier (harbour entrance channel).
• Several skyscrapers and high rise buildings along the waterfront that are in excess of 55 floors, incorporating innovative designs and materials.
• A variety of retail outlets, cafés, and restaurants.
You can already see the new precinct starting to take shape when you visit the pier at uShaka and it looks amazing.
This project created a spark that has encouraged investors to consider the potential of other areas around Durban’s CBD. There are already plans in place for a revamp of Durban’s Old Drive-in and a few other areas around the CBD.

These improvements come with a sense of hope that they will create jobs, stimulate the local economy and give tourism a well-needed boost. However, for the residents of Durban, everyone is hoping for a glimmer of what Durban CBD used to be.