October is National Transport month and this year, the focus falls on job creation and service delivery. Port cities in the world are gateways for capital investment, job creation and technology and therefore have a critical role to play in economic development and growth and serve as a conduit of the growing world market.

It is against this background that the eThekwini Maritime Cluster in partnership with Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal; Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit of the eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism will be hosting a Maritime Summit on the Economic Value of Durban as a Port City.

Date : 26 October 2011
Time : 08h00 -16h00
Venue : Delano Room at the Suncoast Conference Centre, Durban.


The objectives of the Summit are:
1. To provide an overview of the maritime industry and the economic value of the Port City of Durban
2. To identify the opportunities of growth and development and critical challenges that exists in Durban
3. To identify clear and practical recommendations for interventions

Plenary Speakers:
Professor Trevor Jones of the University of KwaZulu-Natal: The Economic value of a port city and the maritime value chain.
Mr. Selvan Pillay of Transnet: Overview of the Port of Durban.
Mr. Andrew Mather of eThekwini Municipality: Port/City developments.
Mr. Andrew Thomas of Ocean Africa Container Lines: An overview of the Durban operating environment from South Africa Association of Ship Owners and Agents' perspective.
Mr. Dave Watts from South African Association of Freight Forwarders: An overview of the Durban freight environment.
Mr. Rob Deane of Elgin Brown and Hamer: An overview of the boat and ship building and repair sector.
All speakers will outline key issues and challenges, gaps and opportunities in their sectors and give possible recommendations for intervention.

Other areas identified as key drivers of economic growth in maritime business that will be dealt with are:
• Enterprise development;
• Infrastructure Development and Access to Market and Finance;
• Maritime Skills Development and
• Port City Tourism

Global trends dictate that for successful port and urban development; it has become necessary to increase the relationship between city government, port authorities, operators and users of facilities and services thus promoting public-private partnership for broader economic development.

The eThekwini Maritime Cluster:
Through joint efforts between the Economic Development Unit of the eThekwini Municipality and the maritime industry; the eThekwini Cluster, which is a section 21 was established with the role to create a platform on which Durban maritime stakeholders can work together towards a common goal of improving competitiveness thereby contributing to economic growth of the city and the province.



Programmes of the eThekwini Maritime Cluster:
Enterprise Development
Knowledge Management
Marketing (Maritime Industry Promotion, Netwoking & Advocacy, Market Access)
Maritime Safety, Health and Environment
Skills Development
For more information, please contact Lwandile Mabuza at 031 311 4247 or mabuzaL@durban.gov.za