Durban beachfront amusement park set to create 1400 jobs - with 500 permanent posts

The Durban amusement park project, earmarked for the old Funworld site on the beachfront, is expected to boost tourism revenue in the city.

The project was unveiled by the eThekwini Municipality on Wednesday. The City explained that the project will be managed by Masithu Consulting and Project Manager (MCPM) and two Italian-based global leaders in amusement engineering will also be involved - Team Park Project (TPP) and Zamperla.

TPP has contributed to major global attractions such as Ferrari World in the UAE, Fun World Taupo in New Zealand and other flagship parks across Europe, United States and Asia.

Zamperla is operating in more than 95 countries, with over 3200 installations including Disneyland Paris, Universal Studios, and Coney Island’s Luna Park.

The City said the development is projected to create approximately 900 construction jobs and over 500 permanent jobs across operations, guest services, technical support, and entertainment programming.

The development will also see the relocation of the popular paddling pools along the beachfront to make way for a new splash-park which will feature interactive water play zones, shaded rest areas and improved lifeguard facilities.

Other features of the park include:

• Lighting Roller Coaster: a neon-lit 500m track reaching speeds of up to 86 km/h
• Disco 24 and Vertical Swing: high-adrenaline signature rides
• 1500m² Virtual Reality Theme Park featuring more than 160 interactive games and global e-sports activations

In terms of economic growth, the City said it is projected that the development will bring

•  R480 million – R750 million in additional annual precinct-wide spend, driven by increased visitor circulation
• Higher hotel occupancy, particularly in off-peak months
• Growth in food-and-beverage turnover, supported by family tourism and night-time activation

EThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba said that construction will commence after the completion of the remaining statutory and commercial processes.

THE MERCURY