Durban
Durban is a coastal city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and serves as the country's principal port and third-largest urban centre. With a metropolitan population of about 3.9-million, it is a major economic hub on the Indian Ocean coast. The city is home to the Port of Durban, the busiest container terminal in sub-Saharan Africa and a critical gateway for South African and regional trade, handling automotive exports, bulk commodities and manufactured goods. Durban's economy is anchored by logistics, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture, with significant petrochemical and automotive industries clustered around the port and industrial zones. The city's subtropical climate and beaches make it a leading domestic and international tourist destination. Durban also hosts a diverse population, with a large Indian community that has shaped its cultural and commercial character since the nineteenth century. The municipality has invested in renewable energy and electric-vehicle infrastructure as part of broader decarbonisation efforts. Durban was established as a British settlement in 1835 and named after Sir Benjamin D'Urban, then governor of the Cape Colony, growing rapidly as a port serving the interior and later the industrial heartland of Gauteng.
Durban Updates
Is local lagging?
5th June 2026 Billions are flowing into South Africa’s green economy. #PowerTracker investigates whether local manufacturers, workers and communities are truly... →
SAHRC meets police in KZN and the United Nations agencies to address issues linked to recent marches on immigration and related concerns
2nd June 2026 The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC/the Commission) has continued its strategic intervention programme following the Virtual Human... →
EU aims to use investor roadshow to convert €12bn pledge into South African projects 
By: Terence Creamer 1st June 2026 The EU, which announced a €12-billion investment package for South Africa in October, is undertaking investment roadshows in Johannesburg, Cape... →
The city outside the city: governance and growth on the urban periphery
By: Econ3x3 28th May 2026 Millions of South Africans are opting for a "third way" of urban living: low-density, spacious housing on the urban periphery under traditional... →
The Dogs of Vivo
4th May 2026 What would you sacrifice for your dreams? Sven Axelrad's new novel blends gothic charm with an irresistable coming-of-age tale Pan Macmillan South... →
Daily Podcast – April 23, 2026
By: Lynne Davies 23rd April 2026 Making headlines: SACP tells members to ignore ANC dual membership ultimatum; South Africa ramps up fuel imports from US as war jolts trade; And,... →
South Africa ramps up fuel imports from US as war jolts trade
By: Reuters 23rd April 2026 South Africa is boosting oil-product imports from the US to help replace lost supplies from the Middle East, in another example of how the conflict... →
Ramaphosa urges long-term partnership with Spain amid broader €62bn investment pipeline
By: Thabi Shomolekae 17th April 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday alluded to a massive pipeline of 85 investment projects, valued at over €62-billion, with investment partners,... →
SA: Cyril Ramaphosa: Address by South Africa's President, at the SA- Spain business forum, during working visit to the Kingdom of Spain (17/04/2026)
17th April 2026 This visit reflects the strength of our longstanding partnership and our shared commitment to building a modern, dynamic and mutually beneficial... →
Daily Podcast – April 07, 2026
By: Thabi Shomolekae 7th April 2026 Making headlines: Ramaphosa hands over R40m in symbolic housing cheques to TRC beneficiaries; MKP introduces land expropriation Amendment Bill to... →
