King Misuzulu's recognition ceremony expected to give Durban R130m boost

28 October 2022 - 11:27
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Durban is expecting a boost to the economy with the ceremonial handover of the certificate of recognition to Zulu King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini on Saturday. File image
Durban is expecting a boost to the economy with the ceremonial handover of the certificate of recognition to Zulu King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini on Saturday. File image
Image: Archive

Durban is expecting a R130m boost to the economy as more than 80,000 visitors head to the city for the ceremonial handover of the certificate of recognition to Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini on Saturday.

The ceremony, which will be attended by at least five kings, a prince and a former president among other guests at Moses Mabhida Stadium, is expected to be a money spinner for the hospitality sector.

The KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism and environmental affairs department said according to an assessment by the city, “it is estimated that the visitors will spend about R65m on accommodation, restaurants and other leisure activities, boosting the local economy by as much as R130m and sustaining 207 jobs”.

Economic development MEC Siboniso Duma said the event will have “economic spin-offs for the province, particularly for the tourism sector”.

“To date, the projected occupancy rates for accommodation in Durban is 75% and the tourism trade on the north coast have indicated they are receiving high volumes of inquiries and are confident they will benefit from Durban spill-over bookings.”

Hotels and groups such as Capital Zimbali, Tsogo Sun and Gooderson are confident they will have full capacity for the weekend.

“As we welcome guests from across the province, South Africa, and the globe, I urge the people of KZN to put their best foot forward and welcome our guests with the warmth and hospitality the Zulu kingdom is known for,” Duma said.

“I also encourage our visitors to take the time to explore the myriad tourism activities KZN has to offer, including world-class safari experiences, mouth-watering cuisine, nightlife experiences like no other and adventure activities.”

The province’s tourism recovery plan is “well on track”, he added, with major events such as the Amashova Cycle Race, World Football Summit and the MTN8 semifinals back on the calendar.

Lift Airlines launched its direct route to King Shaka International Airport this week.

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