MSC CRUISES’s parent MSC Group is the world’s largest container shipping company that has operated in South Africa for more than 50 years.
And on Wednesday evening, this multinational company unveiled its R330 million Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal at the Durban port, a sign of furthering investment in the country.
The 6,000 square metre energy-efficient cruise terminal has the capacity to handle 4,000 passengers a day, and is projected to create 10,000 construction jobs that were primarily sourced locally in Durban and the rest of South Africa.
At the pomp and ceremony graced by President Cyril Matamel Ramaphosa, who said in his address there are few, if any, places in the world that have not heard the name Nelson Mandela or do not know about this iconic stature.
“The global cruise tourism market is worth an estimated R174 billion US dollars and alongside the City of Cape Town, Durban is the perfectly placed as a destination of choice for cruise ships,” says Pres Ramaphosa.
The building was devised and funded by MSC Cruises and its black economic empowerment partner African Armada Consortium and together with Transnet National Ports Authority created the first public-private partnership in South Africa’s cruise industry.
The venture called KwaZulu Cruise Terminal Limited operates the new facility.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises said: “Nelson Mandela was an incredible statesman and leader who continues to inspire progress around the world; and we are honoured that the Nelson Mandela Foundation allowed us to use his name for what is the gateway to the Zulu Kingdom.
“MSC Cruises arrived in South Africa in the early 1990s and since then, thousands of cruise guests have discovered the beauty of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and beyond. The new Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal in Durban will give access to passengers from more than 100 nationalities and they will enjoy the unique experience we offer on board and visits to the beautiful destinations we have developed at Portugeuse Island and Pomene in Mozambique.
“It has been 10 years since the public-private partnership was initially conceived, the first of its kind for the east coast of South Africa.
We were given the privilege together with our black empowerment partner to create new infrastructure that supports the expansion of the South African cruise tourism and the new terminal will be welcomed by all cruise companies from around the world,” says Vago.
This is god news for the troubled Transnet that is experiencing backlogs amongst others.
The KwaZulu-Natal Logistics Hub programme, as part of modernising ports in Durban and Ricahard Bay, has invested R157bn with a plan to create over 570 000 job opportunities ove the period of 15 years.
Talk of job opportunities, MSC Group since 2019 has set up the Shosholoza Academy in South Africa to educate young people and train them in hospitality skills used on board MSC Cruises’ fleet of 22 ships.
The academy will see 5,000 new crew members join MSC Cruises’ vessels in the weeks and months ahead, says Ross “Zulu” Volk- Managing Director, MSC Cruises South Africa.
Continued Pres Ramaphosa:” With the commitment of private sector partners like MSC, we will be able to fully realise our aspirations for economic growth, job creation and socio- economic development.”
Image GCIS (President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises, Premier of KZN, Nomusa Dube- Ncube, Ross Volk- MD MSC Cruises SA and other officials at the opening of the Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal, on Wednesday evening).
