ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR OF ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY, CLLR CYRIL XABA, AT THE MAYORAL TOURISM EDITORS’ ENGAGEMENT LUNCHEON, 15 JANUARY 2026
Programme Director
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee of ECOD
All Councillors present
City Manager
Senior Management
Editors and reporters from various media houses
Our host, The Octavia Hotel Management
Tourism stakeholders
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon, and compliments of the New Year to you all.
We trust that you had a joyous festive season and a smooth transition into 2026. May this year bring success, prosperity, and fulfilment to all your endeavours.
As the leadership of the City, we have convened this engagement to report to you and the residents of eThekwini on the performance outcomes of the 2025/2026 festive season. During the meeting, we will also share our plans to attract more tourists to our City this year and beyond.
This platform will further allow us to highlight the economic impact, visitor numbers, and outcomes of the integrated safety plans implemented during the festive period. More importantly, with this engagement, we seek to strengthen our working relationship with the media to foster ongoing collaboration and future partnerships. Our shared objective is to drive a positive and accurate narrative about Durban’s tourism sector. We firmly believe that together we can tell a compelling story that reflects Durban’s resilience, growth, and success.
Allow me to express our sincere appreciation to the media for the balanced and responsible coverage provided during the festive season, which played a significant role in attracting large numbers of visitors to our City.
Let me state without hesitation that this was the best festive season the City has experienced in many years. For the first time in five years, we enjoyed a relatively stable water supply, except in areas supplied by Pipeline 53 from Pietermaritzburg, which experienced a burst that resulted in intermittent water supply in some parts of the Outer West region. Additionally, for the first time since the 2022 floods, all 23 of our bathing beaches were open and safe for swimming. As a safety precaution, we temporarily closed one or two beaches when necessary to ensure they met the highest safety standards.
This demonstrates our continued commitment to repairing and upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure, which is fundamental to creating a conducive environment for tourism growth and investment.
With all beaches operational, the City welcomed thousands of visitors during the festive season, with many areas reaching full capacity as holidaymakers enjoyed Durban’s warm summer weather. Our beaches recorded over 6.8 million visitors, including swimmers and promenade users from 1 December to 12 January 2026. At our 43 municipal swimming pools, we recorded more than 1.2 million bathers.
Dedicated lifeguards and emergency services remained on high alert throughout the festive season, responding swiftly to several rescues involving swimmers caught in challenging conditions. Their professionalism, vigilance, and teamwork ensured that incidents were managed effectively, safeguarding lives and maintaining a safe and enjoyable environment along our coastline.
The City’s beach guides issued 275 000 wristbands to children, and 1 855 children who were separated from their parents were successfully reunited within 24 hours.
To maintain cleanliness, the City implemented a comprehensive Waste Management Plan, which included the deployment of additional cleaning teams, structured shift systems and roving teams. These measures ensured a clean, safe, and welcoming coastline. We will maintain this standard throughout the year, and we thank residents and visitors for their cooperation in keeping Durban’s beaches clean and enjoyable.
As part of our festive season management strategy, we implemented an integrated safety plan involving all law enforcement agencies, including SAPS, Metro Police, and private security companies. This ensured heightened law-enforcement visibility across the City, particularly in entertainment precincts.
Multidisciplinary operations, including roadblocks targeting reckless driving, unroadworthy vehicles, and drinking and driving, were conducted. More than 2 000 officers were deployed for day and night patrols on freeways, the beachfront, shopping centres, and crime hotspots, supported by a network of over 500 CCTV cameras. Official statics on crime and road safety will be released by the Ministers of Police and Transport in due course.
To encourage visitors to extend their stay, the City introduced additional tourism offerings. In addition to hosting 23 signature events across the City, we reinstated the New Year’s Eve fireworks display along the beachfront and successfully hosted Durban’s New Year Carnival on 2 January. These events will now form part of our annual calendar, as they promote unity and social cohesion while stimulating economic activity.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are pleased to report a significant increase in visitor numbers compared to 2024. Preliminary figures indicate that the City welcomed close to 1.2 million visitors, up from 998 000 last year - a 19% increase. Accommodation occupancy rose to 77%, from 72% in 2024. Direct tourism spend increased from R2.2 billion to R2.7 billion, reflecting a 24% increase. The sector’s GDP contribution grew from R5.5 billion to R9.6 billion, creating over 14 000 job opportunities. These figures reaffirm tourism as a key driver of our local economy.
Looking ahead, we aim to sustain this momentum through several strategic initiatives:
In the coming weeks, we will unveil giant statues of former President Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. These iconic symbols of our liberation history will significantly enhance Durban’s tourism offering.
This month, we commence the countdown to the 5th Durban Tourism Business Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation in the tourism sector. Nominations will open in February.
From 19 to 22 February, Durban will host the Jonsson Workwear Durban Open professional golf tournament at Durban Country Club. The City is co-sponsoring this event as it seeks to position Durban as a globally competitive city and a mecca for major sport events.
In April, Durban will host the Metro FM Music Awards as the official host city for the next three years, boosting tourism and reinforcing our status as a cultural and entertainment capital.
Next month, we will celebrate the launch of a new airline route between King Shaka International Airport and Saint-Pierre Pierrefonds Airport in Reunion Island, with the inaugural flight scheduled for 27 February 2026.
Throughout the year, the Municipality will participate in major domestic and international trade shows to promote Durban, attract investment, and strengthen global partnerships.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Durban continues to attract world-renowned artists. We are pleased that Anthony Hamilton will perform live in Durban on 28 February 2026, followed by Bryan Adams in March and UB40 featuring Ali Campbell in June 2026. These performances enhance Durban’s cultural appeal, drive tourism, and support local businesses.
Other major events scheduled for 2026 include:
• Durban International Marathon – May
• Comrades Marathon (Up Run) – June
• Hollywoodbets Durban July
• Durban International Film Festival – July
Ladies and Gentlemen, Durban’s tourism sector is firmly on an upward trajectory. We invite you, as our valued media partners, to continue working with us to ensure that the industry not only recovers fully but surpasses pre-COVID-19 growth levels.
I thank you.
