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A delegation of Durban business leaders, eThekwini and KwaZulu Natal tourism & investment experts joined Durban Direct Route Development committee to stimulate and expand the UK-Durban Route. Durban Direct partnered with the SA Chamber of Commerce UK The University of Westminster and the AFSIC (Investing In Africa) Team to facilitate the delegation meetings in London.
The purpose of the mission is to revive airline engagements and advocate for the reinstatement of the direct London–
Durban route, position KZN’s emerging sectors, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, logistics, and creative industries to UK investors, promote KwaZulu-Natal as a safe, modern, and investment-friendly destination aligned with global trends, to promote and drive Investment, Trade and Tourism between the United Kingdom and KwaZulu-Natal, to utilise the platforms to grow Air Services and Connectivity into the province thus stimulating those routes, to drive critical synergies through Terminal-Linked Airport and Seaport; and to drive Stakeholder Engagement, thus keeping the KwaZulu-Natal destination top of mind.
The mission’s aim to deepen and expand air connectivity, trade, investment and tourism linkages between KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the UK were highly successful. The platform strategically positioned KZN as a globally competitive destination for investment, innovation, and cultural exchange, all of which was well-received by the UK counterparts, and sparked exciting discussions with a number of UK airlines keen to expand their routes to include Durban as a key destination. From these discussions it is clear the British market is looking forward to the reinstatement of a carrier between the UK and KZN for ease of access into the market.
The mission’s success in leveraging Durban Direct’s multi-stakeholder structure to unlock opportunities for economic cooperation, destination marketing, and knowledge exchange between KwaZulu-Natal and the United Kingdom opens up the possibility of even greater co-operation and investment between the UK, Durban and KwaZulu Natal.
Durban Direct is a route development committee responsible for enhancing air access into Durban through King Shaka International Airport in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The committee is composed of multiple government departments and agencies tasked with advancing economic development, tourism, and transport. Durban Direct is led by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) and includes South African Tourism, Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Tourism, Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), Invest Durban, Enterprise iLembe Economic Development Agency, Dube TradePort Special Economic Zone, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Isimangaliso Wetland Park (Unesco Heritage site), Durban ICC.
In 2018, British Airways launched a direct flight between London and Durban with the support of Durban Direct. This route achieved a 70% load factor in its first year and contributed to an 11% increase in international passenger traffic at King Shaka International Airport. The route was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet resumed. However, with the anticipated 2026 opening of the R2 billion Club Med resort on the North Coast, Durban Direct has developed a renewed strategy to enhance connectivity and drive tourism and trade growth. The province is prioritizing the re-establishment of direct air connectivity with key source markets. The UK remains a strong-performing market, with over 400,000 UK visitors travelling to South Africa annually. Durban Direct expects this demand to increase significantly following the launch of Club Med and other large-scale tourism infrastructure projects.
The traveling delegation consisted of Chief Executive Officers, Executive Managers, Senior Managers, and Technical Officers from the above-mentioned institutions. Each member brings specific expertise aligned to their institutional mandate, ensuring focused engagement with international counterparts across investment promotion, export development, destination marketing, infrastructure development and special economic zones.
To further promote trade and economic cooperation, the delegation included a diverse group of businesses from KwaZulu-Natal who participated in the mission to engage in business-to-business (B2B) meetings, networking events, and partnership discussions. The aim to create meaningful connections, explore market opportunities, and establish long-term trading relationships between KwaZulu-Natal and the host region was met as the outcome of the trade mission shows that there is a strong appetite from the UK market to conduct business in KZN with key interest expressed in tourism, pharmaceutical and the creative industries.
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