{"id":1423,"date":"2025-07-04T13:05:21","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T13:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/?p=1423"},"modified":"2025-07-08T00:11:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T00:11:14","slug":"saturdays-durban-july-set-to-boost-local-economy-by-r700m","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/04\/saturdays-durban-july-set-to-boost-local-economy-by-r700m\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday\u2019s Durban July set to boost local economy by R700m"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tens of thousands of horse racing punters, fashionistas, foodies and other visitors who descend on eThekwini to party at the Hollywoodbets Durban July this weekend are expected to contribute around R700 million to the city\u2019s GDP.<\/p>\n

Africa\u2019s largest horseracing event, themed Marvels of Mzansi, is expected to generate significant economic activity and create 4 000 jobs, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba said at the launch of the event at Westown Square in Shongweni. <\/p>\n

 The event<\/a> takes place at Greyville Racecourse <\/a>on 5 July.<\/p>\n

Xaba said the city\u2019s tourism and hospitality sectors anticipate an 80% hotel occupancy rate as visitors converge for the horseracing and fashion spectacle, which celebrates South Africa\u2019s cultural heritage, diversity and landscapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe direct spend is estimated at R278 million, with a total of R700 million contribution to the eThekwini GDP, and a total number of 4 000 jobs to be created,\u201d Xaba said.<\/p>\n

The economic impact will be generated at the racecourse and at side events, including Fact Durban Rocks, Any Given Sunday, Anywhere in the City and Mojo\u2019s July Weekend, across the city.<\/p>\n

Xaba<\/a> said Durban had geared up to ensure visitors\u2019 safety during the events.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur law-enforcement agencies have developed an integrated safety plan, supported by the private security industry. Visitors are guaranteed a safe stay in the city with high police visibility, particularly around the Greyville precinct and other strategic sites across the municipality.\u201d<\/p>\n

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South Africa\u2019s fashion industry, traditionally synonymous with the event, will showcase the work of professional designers and upcoming talent at the Durban July Fashion Experience, a collaboration between the city and the Hollywood Foundation.<\/p>\n

Twenty-five designers will present Marvels of Mzansi collections, featuring three categories, including the Young Designers Awards, with 10 student finalists competing for bursaries and a fashion travel package, the Durban Fashion Fair Rising Stars.<\/p>\n

Nine emerging designers supported by eThekwini\u2019s Fashion Development Programme will vie for a R250 000 business development prize and the Invited Designer Showcase, which will display the collections of six established designers.<\/p>\n

Gold Circle sponsorship and marketing executive Steve Marshall said the event contributed<\/a> more than R700 million to the city’s GDP in 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts impact on racing is undeniable \u2014 it’s the most prestigious race in South Africa. It’s got a prize of over R5 million and it’s the race that every trainer, owner, jockey, crew or breeder wants to win. It’s in their dreams,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n

Hollywoodbets brand and communications manager Devin Heffer said the event brought together key sectors across the city.<\/p>\n

“This race means so much to so many people, not just the racing industry, but everyone is intertwined. All the public, hospitality, tourism, the government, the GDP \u2014 everything is affected and infected with July fever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Xaba said he was speaking to hospitality stakeholders to enhance visitor experiences and align with future development plans.<\/p>\n

The city was investing R600 million annually in bulk infrastructure for catalytic projects, such as the R15 billion Shongweni Development and the R25 billion Sibaya Precinct Development to elevate tourism infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also looking into how we can invest more resources including setting aside a budget to improve tourism infrastructure,\u201d Xaba said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Hollywoodbets Durban July is more than a race \u2014 it is a catalyst for social cohesion as it unites South Africans through the passion of sport, the expression of cultural pride and the glamour of fashion,\u201d Xaba said.<\/p>\n

 \u201cWe are really looking forward to the 5th of July and we are ready to roll out the red carpet for our visitors because Durban is open for business.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tens of thousands of horse racing punters, fashionistas, foodies and other visitors who descend on eThekwini to party at the Hollywoodbets Durban July this weekend are expected to contribute around R700 million to the city\u2019s GDP. Africa\u2019s largest horseracing event, themed Marvels of Mzansi, is expected to generate significant economic activity and create 4 000 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1423"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1426,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1423\/revisions\/1426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.vecimasupport.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}