The closure of Funworld has had disastrous consequences for employees and businesses that operated near the park.
Funworld, a Durban amusement park that was once the heart of tourism in the city, was closed when the eThekwini metro did not renew its operating licence in 2023.
More than 30 permanent staff members who worked for the amusement park suffered severe job losses as a result of the closure.
The closure of the park also had a trickle-down effect on numerous informal business operators who run market stalls adjacent to the Durban beachfront.
Business badly affected
Nomusa Chibi, an informal trader selling beadwork and other items, explained that her mother operated a stall for years and used the money to take care of the family, including funding her education at the university.
“At the time, trading here was very profitable, mainly because of the tourists, both domestically and internationally, who specifically visited Durban for the amusement park,” Chibi said.
“On a normal day, she would make about R1 500, and during school holidays, she would double that money.
“Since the closure of Funworld, business has been badly affected. You would be lucky to make R300 a day. It’s bad.”
Hotels cut accommodation prices
The manager of a nearby hotel corroborated Chibi’s claims by stating that there is less demand for rooms.
As a result, the hotel had to slash its prices for accommodation to attract visitors.
“To us in the hospitality industry, it’s a bloodbath. Visitors are staying away because of petty crime and the amusement park being closed down,” Nash Ramparsad told Sunday World.
“We had to make the decision to slash our prices. For a hotel stay in an en-suite room, we charged R1 200, but we had to reduce this to R650 because business is bad.
“Also, we no longer get international tourists like before.”
Ramparsad mentioned that some hotels in the area are converting their facilities into student accommodation in order to stay afloat.
DA points finger at eThekwini metro
The DA, which had been vocal about the closure of the 75-year-old amusement park, said the city should have stripped off the previous tenant before it had a plan for the facility.
“The previous owner wanted to work with the city to train a new black operator so that he could eventually take over the operations,” said Chris Pappas, the DA’s premier candidate for KwaZulu-Natal.
“The city refused because it wanted to give it to people who are politically connected. This is another sad story of what was once the pride of the city being allowed to decay.
“This has resulted in hotels lowering their rates because of the dwindling occupancy numbers. Families who rely on informal trading are suffering and are unable to put food on the table.”
According to Pappas, the tourism sector has huge potential to drive the creation of jobs in the province.
He said this can only be achieved through the cutting of red tape and forging public-private partnerships.
Previous owner blamed
According to the metro, one of the many options that the city explored for the site was to make the theme park part of the renowned UShaka Marine World.
“But this fell through because the previous operator was not willing to provide the financial information that would have enabled the UShaka to make an informed decision,” the metro said in a statement.
