The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development (KZN DED) has a broad mandate for the province including growing the local economy, empowering the community and stimulating job creation, and can count a number of successes over the last year towards meeting this goal.
As demand for its services continues to grow, prompted by poverty and unemployment in the community, the Department is required to regularly review its strategies in order to meet its service delivery objectives.
Despite the increasing demand for its services, however, there are clear positives that KZN DED can take note of since the beginning of the year, including the expansion of its services to districts across the province.
The ongoing establishment of One Stop Shop Business Support Centres also serves to demonstrate the department’s commitment to the empowerment of all communities, including the remoter parts of KwaZulu-Natal.
Having equipped its district offices with the skilled staff and necessary infrastructure, going forward the KZN DED hopes to have fully operational facilities in all districts by the end of the 09/10 financial year.
Success in the steam trains
The Department’s continued efforts to promote the region as a tourism destination were paid off recently, with the launch of several tourism projects in the Sisonke District, including the luxurious Sisonke Stimela Steam Train project.
It is expected that the Steam Train project will attract high spending foreign visitors to that predominantly rural district, thereby empowering the community and proving economic development.
The Department injected about R6 million towards the train project – just one the many initiatives currently underway in the south western district – which is a collaboration with the local municipality and other partners.
Gijima instrumental in developing KZN’s agri community
Gijima KZN has backed many initiatives across the province and is instrumental is assisting emerging agri-businesses that are targeting export markets.
A number of agricultural businesses have already been helped in preparation for the opening of the multi-billion rand Dube Trade Port, being constructed at La Mercy, which aims to serve as a reliable conduit for fresh produce destined for overseas market.
This is a collective programme between the provincial government and the European Union, and subsequently Gijima KZN has become a role model for all EU funded initiatives in the country.
2010 around the corner
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup looming large, the province has also been hard at work preparing for the sporting gala, recruiting staff to deal with 2010 matters in the Department.
KZN DED’s objective is to ensure that its programmes help highlight the barrage of opportunities for SMMEs and co-operatives offered by this football event.
The World Cup will boost tourism, infrastructural development and leave a lasting mark on the country’s sporting heritage.
In keeping with its efforts to empower and include rural communities in the province’s economic development, the Department has also targeted remote communities in the rural districts who are mainly the epi-centre of its cultural heritage that holds the fascination of many foreign visitors.
For more information, contact the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development:
Contact: Boyce Mntambo, Manager for Information & Communication Technology
Tel: +27 33 264 2500
Fax: +27 86 679 6404
Email: mntambob@kznded.gov.za
Postal
address:
Private Bag X001
Bishopsgate
4008
Physical address:
270 Jabu Ndlovu Street
Pietermaritzburg
3201
