KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Siboniso Duma conducts an oversight visit to monitor the progress of the Drakensberg cable car project. Picture: Supplied
The Drakensberg region could boast a cableway providing awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the Drakensberg mountains.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Siboniso Duma recently conducted an oversight visit to monitor the progress on the Drakensberg Cable Car project and assess the proposed location for the cableway in the Mazizini area of the uThukela Local District.
The EDTEA project, implemented by a steering committee led by Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), in collaboration with Tourism KZN, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the uThukela District Municipality and the traditional council in the area, is part of the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Master Plan and touted to boost tourism by taking advantage of tourism in bordering Lesotho and the Free State.
According to Duma, the cableway will bring about an increase in business in the area, which will create a considerable number of new jobs, particularly in the construction and hospitality industries, including an increase in the number of retail and restaurant outlets.
“The cableway itself will place 151 people in permanent and sustainable formal jobs. The seven ancillary projects attached to the anchor project will generate hundreds more jobs and business opportunities will extend to all sectors of the economy,” said Duma.
He also said that since the area attracts both international and domestic leisure tourists, who mostly come for hiking and adventure, the plan is for the cableway to be located in a part of the Drakensberg that currently has minimal tourism infrastructure and accommodation.
“This will unleash the tourism potential of this area without impacting on existing attractions.
“The additional volume of tourists the cableway is expected to attract presents massive opportunities for cross-border initiatives to enhance the tourism product offering and beyond tourism, looking at other investment opportunities,” said Duma.
Providing a status update on the project, TIKZN CEO Neville Matjie said a feasibility study and business plan had already been developed and there was interest in the project from an investor perspective; however, certain studies still needed to be completed, including packaging the project for investment.