eThekwini plans to host local economic development summit

Plans are under way to host an eThekwini Local Economic Development (LED) Summit in Durban on October 28, 2025. 

In a report presented to the Executive Committee (EXCO) on Tuesday, the Economic Development and Planning Committee stated that communities in eThekwini remain excluded from the mainstream economy due to structural inequalities, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to finance and skills. 

The proposed LED is expected to take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, while a proposed pre-summit stakeholder engagement workshop will be conducted on October 4 at the Durban City Hall.

The proposed budget for the LED is R781,000, with catering and venue hire costs estimated at R467,000. Approval for the LED will be sought at an eThekwini council meeting on Tuesday. 

"An alternative to conventional approaches to economic development, LED emphasises local participation, partnership building, and tailored development strategies to ensure that previously excluded areas and populations can meaningfully participate in and benefit from the broader economy," the municipality stated.

According to the report, the LED is a strategic approach to address disparities by empowering communities to harness local resources, attract investment and create inclusive and sustainable economic growth. The LED summit could provide a strategic platform to coordinate efforts, strengthen partnerships, and align local initiatives with national, provincial, and municipal priorities.

The municipality stated that the summit aims to re-anchor LED as a core pillar of developmental local government, aligned with municipal, provincial, and national policy goals, including the District Development Model (DDM), the Provincial Growth and Development Plan: 2035, and the National Framework for LED: 2018-2028.

"It will bring together stakeholders from all levels of government, traditional authorities, and community leaders, private sector businesses, and academic institutions, to address the challenge of low economic participation in eThekwini, and to enhance the management of LED across the municipal area," the municipal report stated.

The summit is expected to serve as a platform for dialogue, collaboration, and information sharing, helping to build a common understanding of LED and the key economic issues facing eThekwini, including the important integration of the informal economy into broader economic planning.

The outcomes of the summit will be essential in shaping the eThekwini LED strategy, which will be built on the principles of participatory planning, local competitiveness, and sustainable development. 

According to the municipality, research findings and stakeholder input outcomes will form the foundation of a credible and inclusive strategy that accurately reflects eThekwini's economic strengths.

On the other hand, the workshop aims to build a shared understanding of LED in eThekwini, gather community inputs to inform the LED summit, re-anchor the role of ward committees, and identify local champions to support the proposed development of the LED strategy.

Targeted workshop participants are ward committee chairpersons for both the entrepreneurship and small business support portfolio, and the skills development and job creation portfolio from across all 111 wards.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za