The tourist and hospitality sectors of eThekwini Municipality will welcome the largest horseracing event in Africa on Saturday. And the city will be able to accommodate the vast number of guests who will be arriving in Durban.
The Hollywoodbets Durban July is scheduled for Saturday at Greyville Racecourse.
Over 40,000 people are anticipated to visit Durban for the prestigious horse racing event and fashion spectacular. With 78% of hotel rooms likely to be occupied.
Ride the Wave theme
This year, the event is themed “Ride the Wave”.
Recently, the city tabled its plans and events for the Durban July. Together with their partner representatives from Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle, they expressed excitement. They said all plans are in motion to ensure a successful day.
Thembo Ntuli, chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee, confirmed the arrangements. He said that safety precautions have been taken to guarantee the event and its activities go on without a hitch.
“Metro Police officers will be deployed around the Greyville area, working with other law enforcement agencies. All intersections will be managed for traffic control with some road closures,” said Ntuli.
Ntuli said that projections for the economic impact on eThekwini from the Durban July weekend are far-reaching. This is due to several events taking place.
R670m in revenue, 5,000 jobs from the event
“The direct spend is estimated at R271-million, with a total of R670-million contribution to the eThekwini GDP. And a total of 5,000 jobs to be created,” he said.
He also praised the city’s Durban Fashion Fair (DFF) initiative, which has been producing rising stars in the fashion industry.
“This year, nine of our DFF rising stars will take centre stage. They will give spectators a taste of what is currently trending in the fashion space.
“Furthermore, six models groomed from our municipal model scout programme will be participating. [They will be] showcasing designers’ collections during the race day fashion showcase.”
During the launch, the DFF designers briefly gave a teaser of what can be expected fashion wise on race day.
