eThekwini Steps Up Water and Housing Investment as Three Durban Projects Advance
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eThekwini is pressing ahead with billions of rand in water and housing investment, including the R1.2 billion Southern Aqueduct, an R84 million Redcliffe housing scheme and the long-running Cornubia integrated development.
The eThekwini Municipality is investing billions of rand in major infrastructure projects across Durban as it seeks to tackle water shortages and a growing housing backlog while attracting investment and creating jobs. The scale of the programme was highlighted on 8 October 2026 during a media tour of three flagship projects: the Southern Aqueduct Bulk Water Infrastructure Project, the Redcliffe Valley View Housing Project and the Cornubia Integrated Human Settlement.
The Southern Aqueduct project, estimated to cost between R1.2 billion and R1.3 billion, is designed to strengthen Durban's water supply network by replacing ageing pipelines and installing new valves and cross-connection chambers. Project executive Sduduzo Mtshali said the upgraded system would allow maintenance teams to isolate sections of the network while keeping other pipelines operational, reducing the need for widespread water interruptions and adding redundancy and flexibility to the system.
In Redcliffe, the R84 million Valley View Housing Project is intended to provide 600 low-income households with homes and access to water, sanitation, electricity and tarred roads. Project manager Charmaine Kok said 100 homes had been completed, with the first phase aimed at families living in informal structures and a temporary relocation camp, and 12 beneficiaries had moved in at the time of the briefing, including 96-year-old pensioner Tryphina Mkhize.
To the north, the Cornubia Integrated Development covers about 1,300 hectares and dates back to 2008, when the municipality acquired land to enable low-income housing alongside privately owned property. Its first residential phase of about 2,600 housing sites has been completed and occupied, a government primary school opened in January 2025, and the 26-hectare Cornubia Business Park is planned across eight phases with investment exceeding R2.1 billion.
The business park's first phase includes a Leroy Merlin home-improvement store of about 10,000 square metres representing roughly R200 million of investment, expected to open in December, with later phases envisaged to include an Emeris campus for about 8,000 students. eThekwini catalytic projects senior manager Steve Angelos said the vision was for public and private development to form part of a connected community, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic, civil unrest and the 2022 floods had slowed private investment before new investors renewed interest. The three projects are expected to generate more than 2,500 job opportunities.