Originally built as a catalyst for economic development for the City of Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal
province, the Durban ICC has made an immense contribution to both the provincial and national economies since its foundation. In spite of the challenging economic environment, the Durban ICC has managed to show a profit consecutively in the last five financial periods.

Ms Lindiwe Rakharebe, CEO of the Durban ICC said, "I believe our continued success is a result of a concerted effort between our staff, our strategic partners in the City and Province and the loyal support of our clients.  This coupled with diligent management and sound financial controls at all levels of the organisation all help to contribute to the overall success of the Durban ICC."

Tracked by independent researchers, the Durban ICC's contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has exceeded R25-billion over the past nine financial years, not counting its contribution
over the first nine years of its operation. During the 2015 Financial Year alone, the Durban ICC contributed R4.6-billion to South Africa's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with the bulk of this benefiting the KwaZulu-Natal economy directly, by adding R4.5-billion to the province's Gross Geographic Product (GGP).

Rakharebe has been the chief executive officer of the Durban ICC since 1st April 2015. Her passion and dedication in growing the KwaZulu-Natal economy as well as her strong background in corporate management has helped to continue to propel the forward momentum of the organisation.  Rakharebe said, "I am driven to achieve excellence in every way in my duty and delegation."

In addition, Rakharebe is well aware of the challenges of a being a woman leader in the often male dominated world of business.  She commented, "As a woman, you are gifted; you are a natural life-giver and whatever you give life to will increase and grow.  So whatever challenges you face as a woman, you know how to manoeuvre, whether it's leading a company or propelling a cause.  I believe a woman influences everything she touches."

Empowering others to achieve their highest performance by instilling confidence in all of her team is an important part of Rakharebe's daily activities.  "I believe I have an ability to get the best out of people,
enabling them to perform at their optimum. My staff tells me that I lead with love and respect.  By loving and respecting my staff I hope to bring the best out of them, which ultimately benefits the organisation," said Rakharebe.

The ability to "get the best" is reflected in that the Durban ICC was awarded the World Travel Awards in 2015, the 14th time the Durban ICC has scooped this award. In order to continue to be a world leader, the Durban ICC has many good plans in the pipeline regarding the securing of high-profile international
events for the City and the ongoing investment into the continuous improvement of our facility.

Rakharebe said, "But the most important thing in remaining Africa's Leading Convention Centre is that we exceed our clients' expectations and provide an exceptional experience for each and every event we host."  She continued, "I am looking forward to hosting the Tourism Indaba in May and the SA Music Awards in June. I am excited about the International AIDS Conference which returns to Durban in July is expected to attract over 20,000 delegates to our city. Looking ahead, I am also excited that the Durban ICC will host eight sporting codes for the 2022 Commonwealth Games."

In the future, the Durban ICC plans to work in collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality to develop projects in the pipeline. The long-term expansion plans includes the addition of a hotel on the premises, the redevelopment of the Durban Exhibition Centre and the incorporation of a monorail station connecting the complex with King Shaka International Airport.

Rakharebe strongly believes that the Durban ICC has an important role to play in promoting sustainable economic growth for eThekwini including job creation.  Rakharebe commented, "I would like to see meaningful enterprise development for SMMEs taking place at a grass-roots level.  The Durban ICC has always recognised that the growth of the South African economy is largely dependent on the extent to
which historically disadvantaged South Africans participate meaningfully in its growth.  However, In order to grow it is also necessary to facilitate a positive future business development environment to attract both domestic and international investment in Durban and South Africa."

"Whilst we celebrate all the good strides we have made in business, we must be mindful that there is still a lot more that needs to be done," concluded Rakharebe.