“KEEPING YOU IN THE KNOW”

TEAM WORK CRITICAL TO ENSURE CITY CURBS ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES

ETHEKWINIWEEKLY BULLETIN

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By 2030 eThekwini will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City 25 June 2018 [Issue 127]

TEAM work and utmost dedication is the main reason that City officials are optimistic that the

crackdown on illegal activities and by-law contraventions in eThekwini Municipality will be sustainable. Speaking at the first de-

briefing of the inner city regeneration on 18 June, Head of the Development Planning and Environment Management Unit Musa Mbhele praised officials from various line departments for their hard work and commitment. Mbhele said he was pleased to observe that officials, who are part of the joint enforcement operations, do not have a silo mentality.Some of the units leading the

enforcement operations include

Metro Police, the Security Management Unit, Business Licensing and Cleaning and Solid Waste.“Thank you to the various

Municipal line departments for working together and for adopting a culture of multi-tasking. It is reassuring to see that the team members are positively responding to the vision of the City,” said Mbhele.City officials conducted

an extensive enforcement operation recently calling on residents, traders, and businesses in the Durban Central Business District (CBD) and Isiphingo CBD to comply with Municipal by-laws or face serious consequences. Although the City conducts

daily enforcement operations

in both these areas, the month of June will see continuous intensified operations to deter illegal activity in an effort to clean up the CDB areas, reclaim public spaces and bring law and order to the public realm. The enforcement is part of an effort to regenerate and renew the CBD areas which are key economic hubs.Mbhele added that months

of combined operations and enforcements to rejuvenate the CBD areas are beginning to take shape thanks to the dedicated Municipal teams who are out on the streets every day logging calls and following up on service delivery issues. Viren Sookdeo from the Inner

City Thekwini Regeneration and Urban Management

Programme (iTrump) said zone support officers conduct daily walkabouts in the Durban inner city to address the challenges faced by both residents and businesses. Sookdeo reported that illegal

trading, vagrants and illegal dumping has drastically reduced in the Durban inner city.As a long term regeneration

strategy, the Municipality will deal with issues of security, crime and grime while addressing problem buildings. Residents and business are urged to play their part in ensuring that we live in a clean and safe environment by practicing proper waste management.

Metro Police officers conducted random vehicle inspections in the inner city to verify the validity of driving permits and ensure that vehicles are roadworthy.

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2 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 127

TO ensure increased competiveness in the local chemicals industry, approximately 22 learners were awarded certificates on 31 May in Pinetown for successfully completing a one-year graduate programme.The programme, which ran

from March 2017 to March this year, was co-funded by eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Chemicals Cluster

(DCC) and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA). The programme aims to provide skills development for graduates and prepare them for workplace readiness.Programme Manager, who

oversees the chemicals sector within the Municipality’s Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit, Ravesha Govender said: “This

CHEMICAL SECTOR OFFERS SPECIALIST

SKILLS TO GRADUATES programme is a result of a research study conducted in 2015 which indicated that a skills shortage in the industry is one of the most acute challenges among professionals.”Govender said they then

introduced this customised programme targeting graduates in 2016 where they initially trained 16 graduates. “It empowers graduates

in scarce engineering and technical skills as employers require graduates who are highly skilled in the chemical industry and are ready to hit the ground running.”

“The chemicals sector is one that has specific skills requirements hence such training is critical to realise the full potential of the sector in contributing to economic growth, as it is recognised as a major employer,” she said.Govender mentioned that

KwaZulu-Natal is a national leader in the production of chemicals, with the majority being produced within the eThekwini Municipality area. It is therefore critical to develop and retain skills to ensure sustainability of companies, she said.

Bheki Hlatshwayo, who holds a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from Mangosuthu University of Technology, described the course as a necessity for all graduates as it covers critical topics while providing practical lessons. Topics covered during the

year-long course included Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Production Development, Chemicals Manufacturing, Quality Assurance as well as Risk and Compliance.“My highlight of the course

emerged from the Product Development and Quality Assurance subjects. The mentor explained in detail about the steps and processes to be followed in order to achieve good end results of a product that meets all requirements of the chemicals industry,” said Hlatshwayo. Ntombikhona Shazi, who

studied a Bachelor of Science in Applied Chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal shared Hlatshwayo’s sentiments adding that the course was very interesting as it also highlighted other types of work in the industry that she was not aware of. “I am truly empowered and now possess a diverse range of generic attributes and skills for the workplace.”Thulasizwe Kojane from

CHIETA said they have trained a number of graduates and businesses that are now independently sustainable. “We will keep funding

these programmes as they play a huge role in tackling unemployment.”

“We will keep funding these programmes as they play a huge role in tackling unem-ployment.”

Ntombikhona Shazi receives a certificate from Thulasizwe Kojane who was representing the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority and the Municipality’s Ravesha Govender after undergoing a year-long graduate training programme course.

3 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN ISSUE 55

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ENTREPRENEURS EMPOWERED ON VENTURE CAPITAL AND PRIVATE EQUITY FINANCE

ISSUE 127 ETHEKWINI WEEKLY BULLETIN 3

Executives from various finance and investment companies outlined the many opportunities available to entrepreneurs during the Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance Seminar held on 20 June.

TO boost the profitability of companies located within the eThekwini region, the Municipality’s Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit hosted a seminar themed: “Understanding Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance” on 20 June at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. Addressing entrepreneurs

attending the seminar, Economic Development and Planning Committee Chairperson Councillor Sipho Kaunda said engaging with business and industry players was critical to ensure sustainable economic growth.“Statistics South Africa

recently announced that the country’s economy declined by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2018, therefore such platforms are critical in order to weigh different options on how to grow the economy.”Councillor Kaunda said

there was huge potential for businesses to expand in Durban. “We cannot be discouraged by seasonal challenges, hence we are hosting this cutting-edge session to engage on how we can leverage available funding platforms to boost businesses that create jobs and contribute to economic growth.”Shelley Lotz, Head of

Regulatory Affairs at the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity

Association explained that private equity investors mostly invested in established companies and acquired a percentage of their shareholding, while venture capital funds younger companies with high growth potential. She also revealed that there

is approximately R24.6 billion earmarked for South African investment and described in detail all the investment stages and how to go about sourcing available assets. A robust panel discussion

headlined by executives from Kingson Capital, Nedbank Private Equity, Sanari Capital, the KwaZulu-Natal Growth Fund and Bowmans was a great information sharing

platform which saw panellists share practicalities of private equity and venture capital investment. They also advised businesses that tax compliance is critical in order to qualify for such funding opportunities. The one day seminar also

included one-on-one sessions between investors and businesses to allow them to network.Natasha Xulu of Chemweb, a

company that manufactures cleaning products, said the seminar was very beneficial as it afforded her networking opportunities with potential investors. She said this was timely as they were looking at expanding into the rest of Africa.

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USHAKA WINS KZN’S TOP BRAND FOR 2018

Email: gugu.sisilana@durban.gov.za

If you would like to submit feedback or contribute to eThekwini Weekly Bulletin

EDITORIAL TEAMACTING EDITOR: Mandla Nsele, Acting Head of Communications

CONTENT EDITOR: Gugu Sisilana • ACTING SUB-EDITOR: Charmel Payet • WRITERS: Jessie

Singh, Silindile Maluleka & Nonduduzo Ngcongo • DESIGN & LAYOUT: Sandile Sokhela

ADDING another feather to its cap, Durban’s uShaka Marine World has been announced as the winner of the KwaZulu-Natal’s Top Brand 2018 at the Standard Bank Top Business Awards.The announcement was made

on 21 June at a Gala Dinner hosted at the Elangeni Hotel. UShaka Marine World Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stella Khumalo said the award was testament that Africa’s largest marine theme park is not only an engine for growth and redevelopment within the City’s Point Waterfront precinct but also an economic success in its own right.“UShaka prides itself on

offering a combination of entertainment and outdoor leisure activities that are suitable for all ages and are aimed at both the international

and domestic tourism markets,” she said.UShaka, an integral part of

the City’s tourism offerings, was created about 14 years ago to kick start urban regeneration and boost development in the Durban beachfront area. As a result, it has enabled the creation and growth of related hospitality businesses and contributed towards the overall growth of tourism in the City and province. Other awards received by

uShaka Marine World include a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor, Best Attraction at Durban Chamber of Commerce Tourism Awards 2014 and 2015, Lilizela Award 2017 for Best Marine Experience, Best Tourism Brand KZN 2017, third place in the Sunday Times Generation Next and the company’s CEO

winning a Regional Business Achiever Award by The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa. Furthermore, Trip Adviser

ranks uShaka as the number one attraction out of 118 in Durban.The theme park also boosts

the seventh largest aquarium in the world with 22 million litre tanks housing more than 300 species of marine life and 10 000 sea creatures. Other attractions include water slides at Wet ‘n Wild, sea animal interactions as uShaka Sea Animal Encounter Island, dolphin and seal shows, the Dangerous Creatures exhibit, the Chimp and Zee Rope Adventure Park as well as an attraction for children aged two to 12 years at uShaka Kids World. UShaka Marine World’s beach

mall - The Village Walk retail centre boasts an array of restaurants, fast food outlets as well as retail stores where guests can shop in their swimsuits.Khumalo indicated that

this award will be celebrated with all uShaka employees, who have over the past two years, committed themselves to improving their quality of service having adopted a ‘guest first approach’ by participating in a programme called: “The Good to Great Journey”.“Employees at uShaka Marine

World are grateful for this public vote of confidence and want to continue offering each and every guest that visits the Park, an unlimited fun experience that you can only get at an African Paradise,” she said.

From left, Imraan Noorbhai, Standard Bank KZN Provincial Head hands Stella Khumalo, the CEO of uShaka Marine World a trophy while Lalita Dhasiar-Ventura from KZN Top Business hands Mpume Mabuza, the marketing director at uShaka Marine World a certificate while Grant Adlam from KZN Top Business looks on.