Industrial projects lift eThekwini building plan approvals to R3.97 billion

Staff Reporter

Industrial and warehousing developments helped lift the value of building plans approved by eThekwini Municipality to R3.97 billion in the first half of 2026, the city said.

The total represented an 18% increase from the same period in 2025 and a 24% rise compared with the first six months of 2024.

Growth was driven by non-residential developments, with the value of approved plans rising 166% from R536 million to R1.43 billion.

Approvals for industrial and warehousing developments increased by 167% in value, while their approved floor space grew from 24,497 square metres to 83,708 square metres.

The value of approvals for office and banking developments rose by 158%, while approvals in the municipality’s northern region nearly doubled to R1.16 billion.

The municipality said the figures coincided with improvements in two economic indicators.

Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey recorded eThekwini’s unemployment rate at 21.2% in the second