Driving Investment Promotion in Durban
2019-07-02
Invest Durban Unit is responsible for driving all investment promotion, foreign direct investment facilitation, foreign investor aftercare and constructive advocacy for investment related policy, programme and process improvements.
The unit’s vision, aligned to eThekwini’s, is that by 2030, Durban will be Africa’s most caring and liveable City, and a globally recognised, preferred African investment destination, through the attraction and facilitation of significant foreign direct investment (FDI) that will stimulate social, financial and economic growth for ALL.
Invest Durban Unit mission is to undertake world class FDI promotion and facilitation by building operational capacity, entrenching best practice approaches, embracing a targeted investor outreach and nurturing partnerships with all stakeholders in order to win new investment for the benefit of ALL in eThekwini.
2018/2019 KEY PRIORITY PROJECTS
Investment Facilitation & Servicing
The Unit has made significant inroads in promoting Durban as an investment destination for the Global Business Service (GBS) industry formerly Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). We are proud to have hosted fortune 500 companies in Durban looking to expand into the region. The Business Process Enabling South Africa partnership along with Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) and the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs will see the KZN Province position itself as the next frontier for investment. Durban was a successful bidder against Cape Town to host the next GBS event in our City.
Investment Support and Advocacy
Since the Presidential Investment Drive launched in October 2018, the Unit has been responsible for advocating for large domestic and foreign investors in the eThekwini Municipal region. We have sought to ensure that any challenges experienced holding up development are readily addressed, and businesses kept informed on progress.
We are proud to have Sappi named as one of the Presidential Projects launched.
Incentives Package
The Unit has compiled an Incentive Package for Investment destined into the region. This document has all incentives ready for investors listed. Investors are encouraged to stay up to date with latest incentives on offer. In the new financial year these will be updated and more advocacy is envisaged going forward.
Investment Promotion and Marketing
The team has applied significantly increased budget and effort to make a step change in the quality and range of investment marketing materials plus channels used. This has included, inter alia, a new range of FDI Sector Briefs, a new website, greater usage of social media and other electronic channels, plus more visible participation in relevant domestic and international events. This is complemented by a greater shift to proactive and targeted outbound investor missions to the foreign diplomatic community based in South Africa.
Aftercare
Investor aftercare has been provided to several companies and projects, including:
Defy; Samsung; CCI; Auto Supplier Park; Spar Group; Illovo Sugar; AVK Consortium; CCI Global (Mauritius) Ltd; Blendcor (Pty); SBS Tanks; SCA Africa; Sappi South Africa Anchor Properties; Crossley Carpets; Sozo Logistics; and Property Solutions.
Successes and Awards
Key executives of the City were handpicked as Team Durban members and this initiative was launched and made public. Various key engagements are underway following the establishment of this initiative.
Literally landing a success for Durban was the announcement of British Airways flights direct from London to Durban. Invest Durban plays an integral part of the Route Development Committee (an initiative that sees private entities, local and provincial stakeholders around one table whose core focus is to attract investment into each respective region).
A significant public private partnership investment roadshow to the United Kingdom (UK) was undertaken in June 2018.
The above collaborations earned the Invest Durban team, including our Business leadership partners, the 2018 Standard Bank KZN Top Business Portfolio Award for the most exceptional Partnership delivery.
The other investment promotion and marketing achievement was being an invited as a fully United Nations sponsored speaker at the UN World Investment Forum in Geneva during October 2018, with three panel speaking invitation slots, shared with our deputy city manager, plus a Durban dedicated panel on “Private Sector Solutions for Sustainable Development: LIV Village†which was one of only 12 case studies picked up by the UN Media/TV Unit for filming, private TV interviews and global broadcast.
In addition, the strategy implementation delivery was awarded in October 2018 with the external business-survey-driven awards known as the Professional Management Review “PMR Diamond Arrow Awards†for the highest ratings in promoting the region for Business, and also doing the most to secure job creation via investment.
A key initiative held in April 2019 saw Invest Durban collaborate with TIKZN at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) held in Dubai. With a jointly branded exhibition stand and a focused Country Presentation slot in which Invest Durban, TIKZN and Invest SA took centre stage.
A repeat roadshow was under-taken to the UK in June 2019.
Future Focus 2019/2020
Planned activations for the next fiscal year include creating closer relationships with the diplomatic community present in the City; Brand SA, Invest SA and global media teams, such as CNBC Africa.
Keeping in line with relationship building, City and Provincial planned projects include the KZN Investment Conference taking place in September 2019, plus the World Routes Conference where new airlines routes are negotiated. The annual UK Investment Drive will be taking place in October 2019 (initiated by eThekwini). This would be the third annual leg of this mission. Trips to the USA are also planned in 2019/20.
In addition, there are additional proactive, outbound engagements with the other BRICS countries, plus the USA, planned. These being via/with various Chambers of Commerce, industrial clusters, international research/media houses, plus the other spheres of South African Government.
We look forward to hosting the Bio Africa Convention 2019 and attracting more investors into the Life Sciences sector. In partnership with local industry body, Durban has earned the rights to host the next global event in August 2019, this follows a Bio Africa event held in the USA in June 2019 in which Invest Durban actively participated.
Economic Development Cluster will be more formally partnering with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry under a signed MOA, and will look forward to working closely with our private industry stakeholders in order to secure investment, development, and improvements to the region. <
http://kzntopbusiness.co.za/site/kzn-parastatals/Invest-Durban/page/276