eThekwini Municipality has completed three major stormwater infrastructure projects worth R232.6 million in the South Durban Basin, aimed at improving drainage capacity and reducing the risk of flooding in key industrial areas and surrounding communities.
The projects include the R180 million Prospecton Road Canal Upgrade, the R46 million Clark Road Sea Outfall in Isipingo and the R6.6 million Umlazi Mission-A sports field attenuation upgrade.
According to the municipality, the projects were designed as an integrated stormwater management system to slow water flows upstream, improve drainage through Prospecton and increase the capacity to discharge stormwater into the sea during severe weather conditions.
The upgrades are expected to strengthen flood resilience in the South Durban Basin, a major manufacturing, industrial and logistics hub that supports thousands of jobs and plays an important role in national and international supply chains.
City manager Musa Mbhele said continued investment in infrastructure was essential to the area’s long-term sustainability, competitiveness and resilience.
“Manufacturers and investors need confidence in the infrastructure that supports the environments where they operate, employ people and export goods,” Mbhele said.
The announcement comes as Durban hosts SA Auto Week at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre this week, under the theme ‘Transforming Tomorrow Today’.
Mbhele said the completed projects demonstrated the value of targeted infrastructure investment in supporting the automotive industry while protecting communities and transport networks.
The largest of the three projects, the Prospecton Road Canal Upgrade, was completed in June 2026 after 26 months of construction.
The R180 million project involved upgrading 1.96 kilometres of canal infrastructure. Existing sloped canal walls were replaced with a reinforced concrete base slab and vertical retaining walls to increase the canal’s stormwater carrying capacity.
The project also included a 1.3-kilometre pedestrian walkway and two dedicated taxi lay-bys measuring 150 metres and 75 metres.
The R46 million Clark Road Sea Outfall in Isipingo was completed in June 2025 to improve the area’s ability to discharge stormwater into the ocean during heavy rainfall.
The work included installing 350 metres of precast portal culverts and a 100-metre pipe-jacked section beneath the beach dune. The municipality said the dune area had since been fully rehabilitated.
Meanwhile, the R6.6 million Umlazi Mission-A sports field attenuation upgrade was completed in January 2025, turning the sports field into a dual-purpose facility for recreation and stormwater management.
The field was lowered by between 1.5 and two metres to temporarily retain stormwater during heavy rainfall before releasing it gradually, helping to reduce the risk of downstream flooding. The facility was subsequently re-grassed and restored for community use.
Mbhele thanked residents, businesses and commuters in Prospecton, Isipingo and Umlazi for their cooperation during construction.
He also urged residents to help protect the infrastructure by avoiding dumping waste into canals and stormwater systems and reporting blocked drains to the municipality.
The completed projects form part of eThekwini Municipality’s broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience, improve infrastructure and support sustainable economic development.
