Party time in Durbs for fans and fashionistas

Durban partied like it was 1999 this weekend with a festival of sport, fashion and music - despite it not being a holiday weekend.

More than 40000 fans poured into the Moses Mabhida Stadium for the PSL clash between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu, one of three deciders in the championship league.

Across the road, at Kings Park Stadium, an estimated 35000 rugby supporters queued for the Super 15 game between the Sharks and the Blue Bulls.

Management of both stadiums held a number of meetings this week to finalise their crowd and traffic control plans.

Moses Mabhida Stadium manager Imraan Mahomed said Durban's law-enforcement agencies had also attended the meetings.

About 31000 tickets had been sold by Thursday midday for the soccer match, which attracted thousands of fans from Gauteng and other parts of the country.

Durban Tourism boss Phillip Sithole estimated that Durban businesses could rake in as much as R25-million, thanks to the two games. Hotels, restaurants and bars would be the biggest beneficiaries.

He said about 65% of Durban's 20000 rooms in hotels, lodges and guesthouses had been snapped up.

Last night, fashionistas flocked to an extravaganza featuring British supermodel Agyness Deyn.

The 031 Collection show, hosted by retailer Mr Price, showcased eight Durban-based designers, with Deyn being among the judges.

Deyn, who has graced the covers of fashion magazines like Vogue, famously upset fellow supermodel Kate Moss three years ago when she became chums with her ex-boyfriend, Pete Doherty.

On the musical front, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra opened its winter season schedule with a performance at the Playhouse Opera Theatre on Thursday.

Sithole said that, in the past year, Durban had "outdone itself" as a host of major events, including the Indaba travel expo, World Cup soccer and a cricket match between the Proteas and India at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

These had given the "Durban brand" precious international exposure, he said.

In coming months, Durban will welcome thousands more visitors when it hosts a series of international meetings.

The Southern African Aids Conference will be held in the city next month, followed by the International Olympic Committee plenary in July and a major UN climate-change conference at the end of November.