President Jacob Zuma officially launched the Dube Trade Port at King Shaka International Airport (KSIA) last Thursday, reports Bua News.
Zuma visited the Agrizone site, which is one of many projects that have been completed in the past 22-months – added to the Cargo Terminal, the Trade House, the Trade Zone, Dube City infrastructure and the IT and telecommunications platform.
He welcomed the decision by the airline SA Express to identify Durban as a base in which to grow its footprint into the SADC region. It has concluded an agreement with the Dube Trade Port, which will see a connection of King Shaka airport to the region, especially to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique. There are also plans for the airline to expand into countries such as Namibia, Malawi, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Premier Zweli Mkhize said: "The new Dube Trade Port will greatly expand the capacity of KwaZulu-Natal to import and export goods. The principal component of the Dube Trade Port is a new international passenger and cargo airport, but it is the new facility's proximity to the harbours of Durban and Richards Bay that give it the edge as a transport and logistics hub."
