Part of agriculture and agroprocessing group Tongaat Hulett and the eThekwini municipality’s Bridge City mixed-use development is being earmarked for small business incubators, with the integrated rapid public transport network set to benefit existing and emerging businesses.
The industrial, commercial and residential public–private joint development, located north of Durban, was expected to unlock economic development and job creation in regions such as Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu, as well as greater Durban, said Tongaat Hulett Developments development executive Brian Ive on Tuesday.
“Business incubators will be located in areas that are designed to provide opportunities for small businesses and are also close to intermodal/multinodal transport and movement nodes,” Shunnon Tulsiram, head of the municipality's Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit explained.
A feasibility study for eThekwini municipality’s small business incubator is still needed to ascertain the market it will serve.
Bridge City will eventually boast an intermodal transport network linking nine transport corridors through bus, rail and taxi by 2027, serving some 100 000 commuters a day once fully developed.
Ive pointed out that the first leg of the Go!Durban bus transport link to Bridge City was expected to be completed in the first half of 2017, while the half diamond interchange on the M25 would be open and fully functional by year-end.