eThekwini squanders tourism goldmine as jobs crisis deepens - IOL

A breathtaking coastline, warm waters and abundant natural assets give eThekwini a formidable tourism advantage. Yet years of poor infrastructure and municipal failure have seen the city squander an opportunity to create jobs and grow its economy, argues the writer.

While the latest StatsSA employment figures brought some good news for the ANC-run eThekwini Municipality, there is a figure in the report that matters enormously. The labour underutilisation measure.

But what does this represent? It is the revised and broader indicator implemented by Statistics SA to document not only unemployment but also the number of people that are discouraged work-seekers. People that are capable of working, but who have given up hope of finding suitable employment. Someone who has applied for a job so many times - and been rejected so many times - that they no longer have the will to keep trying.

According to StatsSA, eThekwini Metro’s labour underutilisation measure is at 37.8% while the City of Cape Town’s is 24.3 % - a deeply significant 13.5% lower.

What is the key to Cape Town's ability to maintain low unemployment figures? It's no secret that the City of Cape Town managed to capitalise on tourism and has become a world-renowned destination. This didn't happen by chance – nor did it happen overnight. It emanates from years of stable, clean governance focused on infrastructure development and strategically marketing the city through agencies such as WesGro.

Further to this, the city's outlay in maintaining its infrastructure and investing in new infrastructure has led to further investment and flourishing business. This has revitalised precincts and attracted visitors and is a knock-on effect created by the Democratic Alliance’s good governance.

eThekwini has at least the same if not more tourism potential. The question is: Why is a city with one of the most extraordinary coastlines in South Africa still not reaching its full potential?

Cape Town currently boasts eight Blue Flag beaches for the 2025/26 season. eThekwini has none. Blue Flag status is not cosmetic. It is demonstrative of a functioning municipality – one that is able to manage its water quality. In a province such as KZN, where tourism is one of the easiest ways to turn natural assets into jobs, how has this gold mine been squandered?

Cape Town’s tourism economy generated approximately R24.5 billion in direct tourism spending in 2025 and sustained more than 106 000 jobs. Its airport handled 11.1 million two-way passengers during the year, including 3.3 million international passengers. The 2024/25 cruise season brought 83 liners to Cape Town, including 11 inaugural visits. 

As I said earlier, this is not a happy accident. Working, functional and resilient infrastructure is 100% intentional:

Cape Town still has sewer spills - every major city has infrastructure failures. The difference lies in its investment, preparedness, and responsiveness to ensure that repeat failures do not occur. KZN – and eThekwini in particular - must learn from these lessons and apply them right here on our home shores.

eThekwini Municipality itself has acknowledged the impediments to tourism. Its own 2025/26 Spatial Development Framework identifies “crime and grime” and the need for investment in infrastructure among the challenges facing Durban as a tourism destination.

For KZN to succeed, eThekwini needs to be fixed. We must not forget the 1000’s of people that have given up hope of finding a job. Nor should we forget that eThekwini has lost all its Blue Flag beach status’, devastating the tourism sector. But – all is not lost. eThekwini holds amazing potential, if local government and infrastructure work again. The voters of our province’s only Metro are the key to making this happen when they go to the polls in the Local Government Elections on 4 November.

Hannah Lidgett is MPL and DA KZN spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the National Media Group or its associated platforms and brands.