According to Renishaw Coastal Precinct’s MD, Barto van der Merwe, the South Coast economy lags significantly behind the rest of the KZN coastal regions. However, with the development of the 1,300-hectare Renishaw Coastal Precinct, he is hopeful that the community’s living circumstances will be turned around.
The Renishaw Hills mature lifestyle estate, the first development in the precinct, has already shown an increase in property values by 50% over five years, with Van der Merwe expecting even greater economic stimulus for the surrounding communities as development continues.
With that in mind, here are several ways that Renishaw Coastal Precinct development is helping to uplift the Mid-South coastal communities of KwaZulu-Natal:
Supporting Local Businesses
One of the most important aspects of economic upliftment is the support of local businesses. As the Renishaw Coastal Precinct is developed, it is expected that an influx of residents and visitors will help uplift local businesses by increasing footfall and attracting additional investment into the community.
Job Creation
The creation of new jobs goes hand in hand with local business upliftment. In addition to the construction activities themselves, as the precinct is developed, it will significantly boost employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled labour markets.
Office parks, retail parks, educational facilities, medical facilities, and security villages will all serve to provide jobs—not only construction-related employment but long-term staffing opportunities as well.
Improved Conservation
Given that a portion of the Renishaw Coastal Precinct is surrounded by conservation areas, the development of the precinct will see more funding and resources being ploughed into those protected areas, ensuring they are maintained and contributing to rehabilitation where needed.
This could include things like the reintroduction of indigenous coastal forests and grasslands. For example, the rehabilitation of the Mandawe Wetland is already being carried out.
Infrastructure Development
When a precinct of this magnitude is developed, it inherently leads to local infrastructure development. With local rates and the tax base increasing, there are more funds available to plough into the upgrading and expansion of existing infrastructure, as well as entirely new infrastructure. This will ensure that infrastructure capacity remains in line with the population density of the area.
Other Benefits
In addition to the above, the development of the Renishaw Coastal Precinct will see an overall improvement in the kinds of facilities available to locals, ranging from schools to shops to medical facilities and much more.
Van der Merwe adds that the vision for the precinct is to make it entirely self-sustaining in terms of water and electricity as well, with talks currently underway with independent power producers to secure electricity and the development of improved water infrastructure planned.
The Renishaw Coastal Precinct is also busy rolling out plans to donate significant swaths of land to local communities for their own uses.
Contact Renishaw Coastal Precinct to invest in a sustainable, responsible and community-conscious development project that is making positive history on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.