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December 2015
Housing
B
rian Ive, a Development Execu-
tive at Tongaat Hulett Develop-
ments, said the wide variety of
opportunities andholistic planning of
both the Bridge City Town Centre and
Business Estate provides for a wide
range of business activities, including
light industrial, medical, legal, com-
mercial, retail and residential.
Bridge City is one of KZN's largest
inter modal transport facilities and
will open up numerous opportunities
across these sectors. It is expected
to be the second busiest transport
interchange in the city, second only
to Berea Road/Warwick Junction.
The first phase of the Go Durban!
integrated rapid public transport
network (IRPTN) is expected to be
completed in 2018, withBridge City as
the meeting point for three bus rapid
transport corridors linking Durban
CBD, Pinetown and Umhlanga. Once
all transport modes are fully opera-
tional, it is expected to service over
100 000 commuters daily.
Ive points out that significant
progress had been made on the first
private development at Bridge City by
independent property development
company, Imabli Props 48. Construc-
tion began in late 2014 and the first
phase is expected to be completed by
December 2015.
Centrally located adjacent to the
shoppingmall, themixeduse 5 500m²
development includes a clinic, Musal-
lah, as well as retail, commercial and
residential spacewith anchor tenants
such as KFC, Lenmed Medical Clinic
and Check Star Supermarket.
Ive said that construction is due
to begin during the first quarter of
2016. So far, half of the sites within
the Bridge City Town Centre (30 ha)
have been sold, whilst there are just
four sites available inBridge City Busi-
ness Estate.
Bridge City mixed use develop-
ment forms part of Effingham Devel-
opment Joint Venture Public Private
Sector Partnership between the
eThekwini Municipality and Tongaat
Hulett.
He explained that Tongaat Hulett
was reinforcing its commitment to
creating meaningful stakeholder
value through the growth and devel-
opment of young entrepreneurs such
as HZ Investments. The R250 million
Phase One of the HZ Empire includes
a petrol station and a six storeymixed
use development.
The design review process is due
to be concluded within the next two
months and all major consultants
have been appointed.
Phase Two will be located on an
adjacent site, the purchase of which is
underway. It is hoped to house a ‘gov-
ernment mall’ - a one stop govern-
ment shop that will include offices of
strategic departments such as Home
Affairs, the Department of Social
Development andmunicipal electric-
ity and water services. Negotiations
are currently underway.
“Through the creation of a gov-
ernment mall, we want to cater for
those who cannot travel far. We want
to provide jobs and are looking at
projects that will have an impact on
the area. We want to see this place
being elevated. That is one of our core
visions,” says Chief Executive of HZ
Investments, Wandile Zulu.
Together with his colleagues
SiyabongaHlengwa, who is joint Chief
Executive, Chairman Bishop Qwabe
and Chief Operating Officer, Robert
Phato, established HZ Investments
in 2013.
Tongaat Hulett Developments also
stepped in to play a mentoring role,
according to Ive. “Although many
other professional developers had
shown an interest in this prime site,
we chose to work closely with HZ
Investments. In the last two years we
have mentored and assisted them in
reaching the position to where they
are now about to see their first de-
velopment. One of our key drivers is
to get local black developers to invest
in Bridge City and we felt that there
was a synergy between the vision of
HZ Investments and that of Tongaat
Hulett Developments.”
■
Bridge City attracts entrepreneurs
Bridge City, a key link in KwaZulu-Natal’s rapidly developing Northern
Growth Corridor, is attracting entrepreneurs and new entrants into
the property sector.
From left to right: HZ team Siyabonga Hlengwa, Wandile Zulu, Robert Phato, Bishop MM
Qwabe and Brian Ive from Tongaat Hulett Developments.