Website and Digital Update
Our revamped website and active social media platforms engage existing and new followers daily. Digital marketing provides visitors with real-time information directly to their tablets or smartphones and encourages direct engagement to better inform our communication and marketing efforts. Social Media The social media platforms are shared between tourism and investment and we’ve maintained our assertive approach to brand awareness for investment. Increased frequency of published content focused on the potential investors and attracting investment to the KZN South Coast has also contributed to exposing new investment opportunities. The platforms have resulted in substantial and positive cross-platform engagement. Mid-quarter, we achieved impressive statistics including 245 855 impressions, close to 7,000 engagements, and a 187% net audience growth bringing new followers across all platforms. We’ve also employed post-boosting strategies to target specific audiences which has enhanced our social media reach and engagement. Website Our ongoing commitment to the investment website has led to a multitude of changes, including a more enhanced One Stop Shop (OSS) digital experience. Presently, there is at least one enquiry per week leading to more direct engagement with both existing and potential investors. Additionally, there have been over a dozen software and plugin enhancements since 12 December 2023 ensuring the maintenance of the website with updated and accurate information. Push Notifications There are a myriad of notifications that are sent including multimedia, links, and key milestones. These are consistently communicated to establishments, stakeholders, and board members within both sectors. In line with our digital campaign and SM focus, content here is also focused on the potential investors and attracting investment to the KZN South Coast. We’ve more than doubled the number of Push Notifications since the previous quarter to intensify our digital communication and immediately inform stakeholders of important developments. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Our SEO efforts have significantly boosted our investment website traffic and engagement. In this quarter, we will be optimising our content with relevant investment articles tailored to search engine algorithms and user intent. Additionally, we are introducing new backend mechanisms and software, along with exploring SEO artificial intelligence (AI) tools to further enhance our SEO strategy. Explore the KZN South Coast app Our app undergoes daily updates through a single Content Management System. This ensures continuous growth – alongside the 100 changes to the website. While the app focuses on the exploration and experience of tourists visiting the KZN South Coast, offering a user-friendly interface for easy navigation, it is also a great marketing tool for investors to familiarise themselves with the offerings throughout the region. With the growing numbers on the Apple IOS and Google Play store, it is quickly becoming a go-to for investment information. Database Management Due to the overwhelming response, we had to the last Push Notification and internal mailer to local establishments asking for their listing updates, we have opted to send out POPI-compliant communication once a month. This will ensure the database remains up-to-date for potential and existing investors, assisting in an accurate investment newsletter distribution, investment website, and app.
Marketing Update
Our investment marketing campaign continues to highlight the region’s investment offerings with the annual ‘Uncover Potential’ theme running through our messaging. This campaign speaks to revealing hidden strengths, beauty, and potential in the area, and reinforces key investment sectors on the KZN South Coast. Marketing Campaigns Investment Awareness Campaign This quarter our ‘Uncover Potential’ marketing message has been focused on the Ugu District One Stop Shop, as well as our Buy Local campaign, creating business and investor awareness around these two platforms. Buy Local Campaign Update There continues to be an upward trajectory with our Buy Local campaign – forming part of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s (the dtic) Buy Back SA initiative – with several new members enjoying the free membership which extends until 30 June 2025. We have created extensive marketing material around the Buy Local campaign, including an infographic and digital badges. To purchase goods or secure services from Buy Local businesses visit the online directory on the SCTIE website. To order from Buy Local members or to join the campaign, visit the Buy Local tag at www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za or click here for a membership form. Investment Destination Video We are excited to launch the KZN South Coast’s investment destination video this quarter. This short promotional video highlights the key investment, trade, and business potential of the region across agribusiness, the ocean economy, real estate, tourism, manufacturing and more. Take a look at the video here. Ugu District OSS Video We secured Maverick Film International to produce a marketing video on our Ugu District OSS effectively highlighting the services offered. The video is being shared extensively across our various social media platforms. View the full video here.
One Stop Shop (OSS) Investor Workshop
On 30 January, we welcomed local businesses to Port Shepstone Civic Centre under Ray Nkonyeni Local Municipality for the Ugu District One Stop Shop (OSS) Investor Workshop. Hosted in partnership with Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN), the workshop gave local businesses insight into the services offered by the Ugu District OSS various government departments – including those under the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA), Ithala, Agency of Food Safety, and Tourism Grading – to assist them and contribute to the economy of the area. The event welcomed our Board members; Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) Acting CEO, Sihle Ngcamu; the Acting District Mayor and Local Municipal Mayor, representatives from Ithala, the Food Safety Agency & Tourism Grading, EDTEA, as well as local media, stakeholders, and other government representatives. The Ugu District One Stop Shop – which is based at our offices at 16 Bisset Street in Port Shepstone – coordinates input from various role-players including investors, developers, industry, civil stakeholders, and provincial and municipal officials. This is supported by the collaborative efforts of various government departments and organisations that work with the One Stop Shop to reduce the red tape and facilitate business in the area. Services offered by Ugu District One Stop Shop include: Funding applications Visa applications Tourism grading EIA applications CIPC eServices Food safety Investment facilitation and aftercare To find out more about the One Stop Shop click here, email oss@sctie.co.za or visit www.investkznsouthcoast.co.za. Alternatively, you can contact us on 039 682 7944.
Public Relations Update
We continue to develop our media relations with the dissemination of sector-specific press releases targeting financial and business-directed media houses. By highlighting the key investment opportunities and significant potential that exists on the KZN South Coast, we are piquing the interest of investors across the board. In addition, we are engaging directly with media on key areas and growth sectors to encourage positive exposure across all platforms. Where queries arise relating to any challenges faced by the local industry, we are quick to provide clear responses that ensure the KZN South Coast is positioned in the best possible light across publications and broadcast media. Press releases issued 14 November 2023 – 13 February 2024 KZN South Coast coffee now stocked at vida e caffè across KZN – 17 November 2023 Upgrade of Marine Drive will increase accessibility within the KZN South Coast – 23 November 2023 New Buy Local members extend rural and township tourism on the KZN South Coast – 30 November 2023 First buyers take ownership at KZN South Coast’s exciting new eco-estate development – 04 December 2023 SCTIE in Partnership with TIKZN Hosts Investor Workshop on Ugu District One Stop Shop Services – 31 January 2024 KZN South Coast manufacturers provide local supply of quality-made products – 08 February 2024 Spread the love locally this Valentine’s Day with homegrown gifts on the KZN South Coast – 09 February 2024 Property development gets a welcome boost on the KZN South Coast – 13 February 2024
Advertising Update
Digital platforms continue to be a preferred format for our investment advertising, considering the scale of reach and real-time messaging it allows. We have shared our investment awareness messaging, Buy Local and One Stop Shop updates, as well as catalytic projects across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. This quarter we are promoting new Buy Local members, our growth sectors, as well as key property developments.
Website and Digital Update
Social Media Ahead of the summer and festive season, we have taken a more aggressive approach to marketing the KZN South Coast and creating more operator brand awareness campaigns. As the platforms are shared between tourism and investment, there has been a substantial increase in content production of 424 posts, resulting in a 110.9% increase from the previous period. This shows a strong commitment to consistently sharing information, updates, or engaging content with our audience. We have seen 118 333 impressions (up 22% from the previous period), 4 941 engagements (up 16.9%), 146 post-link clicks (up 151.7%), and a 4.2% engagement rate (per impression). Additionally, specific multimedia video clips were created and promoted across all the platforms exploring various topics. Website The corporate and investment websites were updated to reflect the new SCTIE Board Members, their names, details, and images for transparency. Other content changes were made consistently across the website and, to promote articles, we used backlinking and sharing the press release URLs on the related establishment’s social media platforms. This integrated approach increased exposure to attract potential investors. Push Notifications Our establishments received marketing push notifications highlighting our ‘Unlimited Opportunities for Investment’ and announcing the new Board Members. These notifications engaged establishments, inspiring them to share this messaging with their databases to highlight the investment and tourism possibilities on the KZN South Coast. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Our SEO services have proven highly effective in boosting website traffic and increasing interest in our online platforms. Through continuous SEO optimisation strategies, including creating engaging and relevant articles, we have witnessed a substantial progression in our digital footprint. These articles are carefully crafted to align with search engine algorithms and user intent, improving organic search rankings and visibility to increase website traffic. Explore the KZN South Coast app Our app undergoes daily updates through a single Content Management System (CMS) to ensure continuous growth, including the 88 changes from the website. This has revolutionised the visitor experience by engaging with new offerings on the KZN South Coast. It has a user-friendly interface that facilitates easy navigation, and provides up-to-date, information on popular attractions, accommodations, dining options, and local events. It also incorporates interactive maps and other innovative features such as interactive contact details which operate from almost all devices. Investment Prospectus We put together a detailed Investment Prospectus on the KZN South Coast identifying nearly 100 investment opportunities to attract investors at local, national, and global levels. Our research, which included over 200 respondents, provided accurate and comprehensive results which will be available under the ‘Media’ tab in the ‘Research‘ section soon. The opportunities spanned sectors like tourism, real estate, infrastructure, and renewable energy, backed by supporting case studies. The availability of pre-existing, successful case studies on the KZN South Coast played a pivotal role, offering evidence of successful investments and instilling confidence.
Advertising Update
This quarter, we have leveraged our digital platforms for advertising purposes, sharing our key catalytic projects and growth sectors across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn. This has proven both a cost-effective and impactful advertising strategy reaching our target market directly through digital media.
Marketing Update
Through stakeholder engagements, dedicated partnerships, and extensive marketing, we’re continuing to unearth the KZN South Coast’s investment potential. We are not only using our existing platforms, but developing new avenues to market catalytic projects and feature our growth sectors to potential investors. Marketing Campaigns This quarter we launched the overriding ‘Uncover Potential’ marketing message as we showcase the diverse investment opportunities on the KZN South Coast. Investment Awareness Campaign Our investment awareness marketing shares the ‘Uncover Potential’ messaging, encouraging our residents and businesses to promote the KZN South Coast’s investment potential. Our focal talking points have been catalytic projects, the Port Shepstone business hub, agriculture, renewable energy, the ocean economy, as well as the ongoing Buy Local campaign. Buy Local Campaign Update The Buy Local campaign, which is an integrated tourism and investment initiative, continues to attract new members while encouraging support for local businesses. Our tourism sector has seen a boost with the addition of Monate Outdoor Activities offering hiking, camping, and outdoor adventures; Kasified Eksperience, a township tourism organisation which focuses on shisanyama and events in Gamalakhe; as well as the exquisite private guesthouse, Villa Doré. We have created extensive marketing material around the Buy Local campaign, including an infographic and digital badges. The benefits to both businesses and consumers are immense, with the Buy Local membership free of charge until 30 June 2025. To find out more or sign up as a Buy Local member, simply click this link, use our online enquiry or contact Londiwe@sctie.co.za or 039 6827944. Investment Destination Video We have produced a new investment destination video for promotional purposes. Our 3- minute and 1- minute videos position the KZN South Coast as a premier investment, trade, and business destination. The videos capture the district’s key investment potential in sectors such as agribusiness, ocean economy, real estate, tourism, manufacturing and more. Investment Research The KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) in collaboration with Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal (TIKZN) and KZN Provincial Treasury presented the quarterly Ezomnotho publication. This provides in-depth insight into economic developments and is used by our investment and marketing teams to inform plans where necessary. EDTEA MEC Siboniso Duma noted that 54 000 jobs were created in KZN for Q1 and the third lowest level of unemployment. He says this shows a need for ‘policy priorities to focus on inclusive economic growth that promotes public and private sector investment in productive infrastructure, and engaging economic development partners and stakeholders to promote key trade and investment opportunities in a more targeted way’. KZN was the second-highest contributor to the country’s GDP after Gauteng, with finance, manufacturing, community services, and trade as the leading economic contributors. The highly diversified agricultural sector was highlighted, with KZN producing over 50% of all timber and a significant portion of sugar cane, both of which are found here. Our natural assets including scenic beauty, biodiversity, and cultural diversity were also noted as key for the tourism potential, which is set to grow further. Ugu District was one of the regions noted for its environmental impact assessment (EIA) approvals which are set to create further employment opportunities and unlock further potential within the region. In total KZN granted 24 EIAs with a capital value of R6.9 billion which are expected to create 2 991 jobs during the construction phase and 1 239 jobs during the operation phase. One Stop Shop (OSS) On 8 November, 4 of our staff members attended a workshop at the Trade & Investment KZN (TIKZN) offices in Durban. This included operational training on the CIPC Self-Service machine by the KZN OSS Administration Support Officer. The workshop also featured a presentation on how the One Stop Shop (OSS) operations and the mandate which is derived from the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC). This is to support investors in terms of: Improving the ease of doing business including support for land zoning, regulatory approvals, and issuing of permits. Reducing red tape associated with development applications. Provide project brokering services to catalytic projects. The Ugu OSS is implemented in partnership with TIKZN with the launch anticipated for 30 January 2023. This is the fourth OSS office to be launched under the leadership of MEC Duma, with the launch 100% funded by TIKZN. We are working with several partners on this including, the EDTEA, CIPC, ITHALA, Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA), BPESA, and more who are extending their services for the OSS. The office is currently in operation virtually and physically.
Infrastructure Upgrade
The much-anticipated rehabilitation of Marine Drive (the P395), connecting Port Shepstone with Southbroom is underway. The R580-million project was launched by the Department of Transport in June with construction starting in September, anticipated to take around 30 months to complete. This will improve accessibility to Port Shepstone, our administrative, educational, distribution, commercial, and cultural centre, as well as enhancing the area’s significant investment potential.
New Board Members
We would like to welcome our new SCTIE Board Members to the team! Mr Sandile Dlomo, Ms Nongcebo Mckenzie, Mr Lunga Yeni, Dr Khululiwe Godlwana, and Mr Thokozani Sabela are the newly appointed members who are already planning site and project visits, with a strategic planning session outlined. They will work to fulfil functions within the Ugu Economic Recovery Framework: Strategy and Plan (2022-2032) and its specific economic targets to be met over a five and 10-year period.