Inside Metros Reporter
eThekwini Municipality released 17 properties with a combined market value exceeding R360 million for long-term lease on Friday.
The sites, spanning 18 hectares across Mobeni, Sea View, New Germany, KwaMashu, Pinetown, uMhlanga Rocks and the Durban Beachfront, include industrial, commercial, mixed-use and hospitality parcels.
“These properties will stimulate investment, support small business development, and advance spatial transformation by ensuring equitable access to municipal land,” said Mayor Cyril Xaba.
Monthly rents range from R8 700 to R777 000, with lease terms of nine to 45 years depending on the scale and nature of the proposed development, said the city.
Xaba said the leasing model “gives practical effect to Section 25(5) of the Constitution, which obliges the State to foster conditions for equitable access to land”.
Long-term leaseholds, he said, remove prohibitive upfront costs while allowing developers to secure funding and build equity.
Two high-profile beachfront sites – the former California Dreaming plot and The Joint restaurant – stand out in the portfolio. Both lie in Durban’s core tourism corridor, where foot traffic and visibility command premium value.
The municipality said it would give preference to female-owned companies that meet mandatory and technical criteria.
“Our objective is not only to release land but to do so in a way that broadens ownership, supports transformation, and ensures that Durban’s prime investment nodes reflect inclusivity and diversity,” said Xaba.
The release follows a major deal signed on October 29, when eThekwini inked a 50-year, R1 billion lease with Southern Sun Hotels to redevelop the Elangeni and Maharani towers on the beachfront.
Developers, investors and businesses have until February 27, 2026, to submit proposals.
Two non-compulsory briefing sessions will be held to outline application requirements and site specifics.
The municipality said it expects the 17 sites to generate construction activity, permanent jobs and municipal rate revenue over their lease lives.
Durban’s economy, heavily reliant on logistics, tourism and manufacturing, has faced headwinds from port inefficiencies and load-shedding in recent years. Unlocking prime land for private development is viewed as a low-cost way to stimulate growth without straining public coffers.
INSIDE METROS