Durban’s maritime cluster focuses on holistic logistics strategy

DURBAN WILL shortly have its own unique maritime cluster, an overarching association akin to a Chamber of Shipping and representative of every aspect within the port economic activity. As the leading port city in Africa, the eThekwini Municipality’s (Durban) Economic Development Department took the initiative in helping create a cluster that would be fully representative of all bodies, organisations and companies involved in the maritime business around Durban. A series of workshops and one-on-one meetings was then held to introduce the concept which has now reached the point of buy-in. Motivation for the cluster came from a lack of full liaison between the relevant authorities, including the city and Transnet and the maritime industry as a whole. This has become self-evident in recent years with several major developments in the port and surrounding backof- port areas. But equally important during this time has been the lack of consultation involving the massive private maritime industry. The concept of an industry cluster is nothing new to Durban with the city having already initiated several similar clusters in other spheres of business, including the motor industry cluster, the furniture manufacturing sector and waste-management, but nothing has been tackled quite on the scale of the maritime sector, says Trivi Arjunan, the department’s sector development manager. The intention of the cluster is to become the ‘champion’ for Durban as the region’s leading port city with the creation of a body helping to strategically evolve the total logistics industry – port, rail, road, pipelines and all attendant constituents, and in constantly identifying priority objectives and raising the profile of Durban as a major port in the international arena. At a recent cluster workshop an American Hong Kong-based consultant, Matthew Flynn, who has been working with Transnet Port Terminals for several months, pointed out that the establishment of the maritime cluster sent a loud signal to all other ports and trading nations worldwide which said that Durban as a port city meant business and intended doing it efficiently and professionally.