The Province’s natural advantages, include

• Largely untapped environmental resources with unparalleled scenic beauty and bio-diversity
• A unique multi-cultural heritage
• Enormous human potential and resources

• The ports of Durban and Richards Bay, which together handle nearly 80 %of South Africa’s cargo tonnage.
• Richards Bay is the country’s centre of aluminium industry operations, producing over 4% of the world’s export of aluminium. It is also the seat of the world’s largest sand mining and mineral-producing operations.
• KwaZulu-Natal is the country’s leading producer of timber, processing over half of all timber used in the country, and accounting for a significant percentage of the country’s wood exports.
• KwaZulu-Natal’s reputation as a leading tourist destination is well established, with potential to grow exponentially.
• The Province has the highest export propensity, as well as the highest level of industrialization in the country.
• The Province is second only to Gauteng in terms of its percentage contribution to South Africa’s GDP.

• Growing the economy
• Reducing unemployment
• Eradicating poverty
• Ensuring greater social inclusion and cohesion

The PGDS is a framework for both public and private sector initiatives. The strategy provides the overarching framework for development in the Province indicating areas of investment opportunities and development priorities.

Priority Areas

The following priority areas of the provincial economy with existing comparative advantages have been identified to drive the growth of the province and address unemployment and poverty:

• Agriculture – including agri-industry (with opportunities to impact considerably on the economic needs of the poor through land reform)
• Secondary industry and manufacturing
• Tourism, including domestic and foreign tourism
• Services sector including financial, social, transport, retail and government

• The following initiatives are intended to kick start a period of intense economic development:
• Completion and implementation of an ambitious industrial development strategy
• Activation of the KZN Growth Fund to expand public and private investment in local job creation opportunities
• Completion of a comprehensive plan for commercial transportation infrastructure with initial focus on an accelerated Trade Gateway programme
• Development and implementation of an aggressive growth strategy to fully unlock the Province’s massive agricultural and eco-cultural tourism potential
• Development and implementation of an Integrated Business Support Programme that is supported by broad based Black Economic Empowerment