Transforming Landscapes of The North Coast - Pivot
Transforming Landscapes of The North Coast - Pivot



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Transforming Landscapes of The North Coast - Pivot

2017-06-09

THROUGH RELENTLESS COMMITMENT TO SOUND URBAN PRINCIPLES, WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ENGAGE WITH THIS PLACE.

As one of the largest and most significant placemaking endeavours of its kind in South Africa, Sibaya Coastal Precinct is transforming not only the landscape, but is also gearing towards making a lasting and substantial impact on local and regional
socio-economics, while showcasing a convincing case for property investment in Durban and along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline. Louise Hunt speaks to Tongaat Hulett Developments’ Managing Director, Michael Deighton to find out more about the place that is set to redefine the north coast’s urban fabric. For what has been cited as being amongst the most desirable locations in the country, Tongaat Hulett, in collaboration with many stakeholders, has conceptualised a vision that seeks to create a living, integrated and thriving community at Sibaya Coastal Precinct. Based on best practice benchmarks in terms of integrated urban design, the Precinct will ultimately transform the way in which people engage with their environment, by providing an unique and beautiful place that is premised on the notion of “Reconnect. Rediscover”. What this means, is that at Sibaya Coastal Precinct, residents, visitors
and business professionals are given the opportunity to engage with the important things in life: family, community and nature, all within a carefully considered environment that will create a new paradigm in terms of the way in which we live, work and interface with one another.

Stretching from the natural boundaries of the Ohlanga and uMdloti river estuaries and situated between the N2 highway and the Indian Ocean, the Precinct incorporates seven nodes in total and spans over 1000 hectares of prime beach, forest, river and hilltop landscape. Development at this scale is not easy to conceptualise. When drawing a visual parallel to illustrate the scope of Sibaya Coastal Precinct, Michael Deighton confirms that the total land area far exceeds that of the impressive uMhlanga Ridge. He also confirms that up to 60 percent will remain protected coastal dune forest and open spaces that will be rehabilitated into environmental assets.

While still in the early phases of what is anticipated to be a 15 to 20 year development, construction in nodes one and five commenced in the latter part of 2016. Already, good progress has been made on the implementation of bulk and internal infrastructure in the first two nodes and building work on the first building contracts, with construction activity to the tune of R685 million currently underway. Deighton confirms that market demand remains high. “We have already seen the successful launch of a number of residential components that will deliver an initial 1092 units in the first phase. We have also secured a major retirement scheme in addition to a combined hospitality and retail component. Two private schools are amongst the early adopters who have recognised the potential that resides in this spectacular location and are soon to be launched. We estimate the value of construction work to be undertaken purely from land sales already concluded in the development to represent a further R1,67 billion,” he says. That the development is gaining such significant traction is, in Deighton’s view, a direct reflection of the accelerated growth that we can expect in the next few years.

With the North Coast cited as one of KwaZulu-Natal’s primary growth corridors and one of the fastest growing regions in the country, Sibaya Coastal Precinct will act as critical link between the Durban CBD and emerging aerotropolis. Just 25 kilometres from the City, eight kilometres from the business hub of the uMhlanga Ridge and 10 minutes from King Shaka International Airport, the Precinct represents a link along
the eastern seaboard that will catalyse in the region of 30 000 permanent jobs and approximately 270 000 construction jobs over the duration of the development lifecycle. A primary conduit in maximising the impact and benefits of these long term socio-economic opportunities lies within Tongaat Hulett’s hugely successful Socio-Economic, Sustainability and Innovation Programme (SSIP), being expanded in the region after being piloted through the ground breaking Cornubia development. The SSIP is designed to empower through education, skills development, the development and growth of enterprises and the linking of local individuals and businesses with opportunities created as a result of the construction, development and increased economic activities generated by the development.

Deighton says that Tongaat Hulett’s belief in value creation for all stakeholders through an all-inclusive approach to growth and development and the company’s robust approach towards job and economic facilitation, will provide major opportunities for individuals, businesses and government to collaborate. “This will ensure that the broader Durban community and in particular the neighbouring communities of eMdloti, Waterloo and Blackburn are significantly and positively impacted through this development,” he adds.

As a starting point, to coordinate local community access to opportunities, iThuba-Opportunity Offices have been established by Tongaat Hulett at Waterloo and Blackburn townships where locals can obtain information about and access the opportunities that are available. Immediate opportunities range across employment to enterprise sub-contracting as well as social development. Through this office, initial assessments and profiling is conducted to assist in identifying appropriate interventions, “With a view to supporting an applicant’s readiness for engagement,” comments Deighton. Speaking to the process in more detail, he confirms that the assessment process enables Tongaat Hulett to identify the most appropriate intervention on a case-by-case basis, with the aim of creating long-term, sustainable social and economic transformation. He says, “Skills development, opportunity placements and funding support for community projects, all form part of the lasting value chain that we are creating through the SSIP.” He also confirms that the role of the iThuba Office is a permanent one and will continuously facilitate local community access to opportunities beyond construction and the Sibaya Coastal Precinct development phase. Since the commencement of construction in August 2016, the majority of the work at the Precinct has been bulk earthworks, which has resulted in
creating 182 jobs to date. Deighton further confirms, “Now that a significant portion of the heavy machine-orientated work is nearing completion, the foundation has been
laid for top structure development, which translates into direct and accelerated job creation.

We have been delighted at the response of our clients and their building contractors, who have bought into the principles of the SSIP and will have a massive impact in rolling it out.”

In driving a commitment to integrated place-making, Tongaat Hulett aspires to establish a lasting legacy of socioeconomic transformation for both the local and greater Durban communities. Speaking to this masterplan that will engineer a new urban fabric for the burgeoning coastal corridor, Deighton says that, “Through relentless commitment to sound urban principles, we have already begun to have a significant impact on the lives of the people who will engage with this place. Be it through the work that they do, how they live, their social interactions or the services that they enjoy, Sibaya Coastal Precinct has something to offer everyone, at every stage of life.”

If the sustained success of the uMhlanga Ridge is anything to go by, he is optimistic that the track record and momentum gained by such a pivotal development makes for a very strong business case in the context of Sibaya Coastal Precinct. When assessing the feasibility of such a large scale project he says, “We are fortunate enough to have an extremely robust and vibrant private-public business dynamic in Durban and this relationship has translated into a positive and healthy platform to jointly create opportunity and specifically, attract investment into the region,” he says. This is underpinned by a development agenda that seeks to boost investment into the economy through the full development lifecycle. “The success of the uMhlanga Ridge, which in its early stages took form and thrived despite the challenging economic landscape at that time, is testament to the attractive investment fundamentals that reside in the City of Durban. We expect to see an acceleration in development in the coming years through such catalysts as Sibaya Coastal Precinct,” he says.

For over ten years, residents of Durban, property developers and investors have kept a close eye on the evolution of Sibaya Coastal Precinct. Now as the custodians of this unparalleled land asset are beginning to realise what has been one of the most deeply considered undertakings in their development portfolio, Tongaat Hulett remain mindful of the critical partnership that is shared with local, provincial and national government. Fundamental to ensuring that the value creation that comes from an initiative of this scale benefits the City as a whole, projected municipal rates income from the completed development is estimated at R556 million per annum. Additionally, the creation of this new residential, business and tourist destination will reinforce KwaZulu-Natal as being one of the most attractive investment regions in Africa.

The success of creating a new urban landscape that responds to the needs of society at large is, according to Deighton, fundamentally rooted in successful partnership with key government institutions. In the case of Tongaat Hulett and the influence that their place-making endeavours have had on the functionality and environmental experience of Durban, Deighton confirms that developments like Sibaya Coastal Precinct would not be made possible, “Without a shared vision with the eThekwini Municipality to see Durban become Africa’s most caring and liveable city by the year 2030”. Beyond this, economic and social development is fundamentally linked to infrastructure, access to opportunity, education and more â€" and government partnerships are key enablers in this context. To this end, he says that the company is committed to the value of “Better Together” and as such, acknowledges that the support of and successful partnership with provincial and municipal structures such as the KZN EDTEA, the eThekwini Municipality and national agencies such as SANRAL, amongst others, is critical.

Ultimately Sibaya Coastal Precinct will contribute to the creation of a vibrant, growing and integrated provincial economy where different business operations complement
each other to make an exciting mix of market offerings particularly to those interested in investing in diverse sectors such as tourism, hospitality, recreation, retail, education and residential developments.

For more information on Sibaya Coastal Precinct and to enquire about investment opportunities visit www.discoverysibaya.co.za

Contact Louise Hunt, ITI Brand Publicity, on behalf of Tongaat Hulett Developments on this e-mail louise@iti.ac




Transforming Landscapes of The North Coast - Pivot

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