An Advantageous Lifestyle

Ugu District Municipality incorporates some of the best examples of unspoiled sub-tropical bushland and forest in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as cultivated land and small rural villages, contrasted by bustling urban centres and major industrial complexes. Boasting a coastline of 112 kilometres, Ugu is a favourite tourist destination, and includes the well established coastal towns of Port Shepstone, Pennington, Margate and Scottburgh. The modern N2 highway runs through Ugu parallel to the sea, passing Port Shepstone, the seat of the District Municipality and the main commercial centre.

The availability of housing, education, health and recreational facilities all contribute to an advantageous lifestyle. Amenities include internationally acclaimed golf courses, cinemas, social services and large shopping malls such as the 28 000m2 Shelly Beach Mall and the new South Coast Mall. Electricity is available throughout the district via Eskom’s national grid and the high level of rainfall ensures that there is an abundance of water.

Economy
The main features of the economy are tourism and agriculture with some manufacturing centred around Port Shepstone. The Hibiscus Coast Municipality is the most concentrated economic hub within the Ugu District Municipality.

Agriculture
Commercial agriculture in the district produces one-fifth of all bananas consumed in South Africa, as well as vegetables, sugarcane, tea, coffee and macadamia nuts. There are a number of businesses successfully exporting these products to some of the most exclusive packers in the United Kingdom.

Ugu’s extensive wattle, gum, pine and poplar plantations are processed by about 200 small sawmills. There is potential for the establishment of new timber plantations and supporting industries including biofuels using sugarcane and timber, and the processing of tea tree and aloe essential oils.

The Ugu Fresh Produce Market provides retailing and limited agri- processing opportunities as well as a link to the Durban and Eastern Cape markets. The market has a large area of land available for the expansion of agro- processing facilities ranging from fresh food to dry goods packaging. The Ugu Fresh Produce Market forms part of the network of markets in KwaZulu-Natal linked to the Dube Trade Port.

Tourism
Tourism is a major economy cultivator in the district and is based on the sea and associated activities. Ugu has a number of highly acclaimed Blue Flag beaches. The large waves are ideal for surfing and the countless bays boast model areas for sea kayaking, kite surfing and scuba diving. Fishing along the coast has become a popular sport for both locals and holidaymakers.

“The Greatest Shoal on Earth” describes the huge number of sardines that leave Africa's west coast to follow the plankton- rich cold ocean current that flows up the south coast during the winter months. 50,000 common and bottlenose dolphins, sharks, schools of game fish, seals and thousands of sea birds all follow the huge shoal, competing for nature’s bounty.

The Ugu region offers unsurpassed natural wonders in the hinterland, with welcoming rural communities eager to share their culture and heritage with the visitors. The Oribi Gorge is a natural gorge that offers sporting activities not for the “faint-hearted”, such as the Wild Swing, Rock Climbing, Abseiling, and many more. Agri-tourism, Horse riding, hiking trails, bird watching is but a few offerings from Umuziwabantu Municipality, where the Town of Harding is located.

The tourism investment opportunities in the area consist of:

• The development of a conference centre that can accommodate between 250 to1000 people,
• The development of the Hibberdene Small Craft Harbour
• Redevelopment of Margate Airport infrastructure to accommodate low cost carriers,
• Redevelopment of the Furniture Industry in the District
• Hotels and Beachfront Leisure facilities,
• Development of Tourist Packages for international markets,
• African / Asian Cuisine Outlets.

Sport
Sport has been identified by the Ugu District Municipality as a valuable community development tool, particularly amongst the youth. The Ugu Sports & Leisure Centre is an investment catalyst project for 2010 and beyond. As a high performance sports development centre, a major goal is to produce elite athletes from the Ugu region and nurture this talent towards national and international recognition.

Manufacturing
The stable manufacturing base includes: clothing, textiles, metal products, food and beverages and wood products. Ugu has the only ‘marble’ delta within the KwaZulu-Natal province, mined for cement and calcium carbonate. NPC CIMPOR KwaZulu-Natal’s premier cement manufacturing company has developed an R 800 million operation in the Oribi Gorge region.

Investment Activity
Investment opportunities exist in the following sectors:

• Business Processing Outsourcing – Call Centres due to the fact that the labour force has abundant skills and speaks diverse languages,
• ICT / Broadband roll-out as an enabler for growth and development,
• Biofuel and alternative energies,
• Warehousing,
• The Park Rynie-Umzinto Industrial Areas provide a strategic link for any business that is within the value chain of companies that are based in the South Durban-Isipingo Industrial Basin,
• Office Accommodation – in the service centres of Harding and Port Shepstone,
• Middle Income Housing Development for the coastal area,
• Creative Industries – crafts, visual arts and performing arts,
• Furniture, clothing and textile industries offers a wide range of prospects within the value chain.