Propagate a Positive Perspective

"The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist sees the hole." - Oscar Wilde|

Maintaining perspective was the overarching message from Invest Durban CEO Russell Curtis when he presented to some of our staff recently. "We need to fight for perspective that is anchored in fact,". Below are some of the facts and key take-aways from Russell's presentation.

• 44 000 jobs were created in eThekwini in Q4:2023, more than any other metro in South Africa. These jobs were mainly in the transport sector.
• eThekwini's GDP in 2023 was R451bn, which exceeded the pre-Covid levels of 2018 and 2019. This after not only Covid, but the riots (2021) and major floods (2022).
• eThekwini's Catalytic Projects have an investment potential of R217bn.
• There are a number of private sector led infrastructure projects in energy, water and sanitation, and logistics/transport (incl. Transnet Pier 2 partnership) that have huge potential to improve services and opportunities in eThekwini.
• Durban is globally recognized as a top BPO (Business Process Outsourcing a.k.a. Call Centre) destination by many European companies.
• 2024's national and provincial elections are shaping up to be the new 1994. It is important to dispel rumours about voting and get as many people to the polls as possible.
   

These facts should give you the necessary perspective to remain optimistic about the future of our city!