16
GA
/ Vol. 5 / No.9 / SEPTEMBER 2013
By Robin Rabeck
Airport News
Dube Trade Port
The First Purposeful
Built Aerotropolis
in Africa
Driving along the network of
roads entering into the precincts
of the King Shaka International
Airport brightly illuminated
banner boards introduce interested
persons to "The first Purposeful
Built Aerotropolis in Africa"
This airport-related project,
encircling King Shaka International
Airport, is set to become a highly
competitive business-operating
environment, the foundation
of an emerging aerotropolis.
Dube TradePort Corporation,
a legislated entity of the KwaZulu
Natal Government is mandated
to drive the development of four
interlinked support zones.
Dube TradeZone, Dube City,
Dube Cargo Terminal and Dube
AgriZone, each a functioning body
connected to the handling and
distribution of commercial trade
contained within aviation links.
Dube TradePort occupying
32000 acres of land is purpose-
planned to handle air freight
services between South Africa
and its trading partners in Europe,
Africa and especially Middle
and Far Eastern countries. The
organisation has had continued
expansion despite trends of
modest international growth.
Dube Cargo Terminal
throughout has maintained a
30% increase year on year,
handling regular freight
consignments from Durban.
Built with foresight and a
plan to capture the movement
of perishable trade, this vast
complex has on its boundaries
the equally impressive Dube
AgriZone comprising of three
greenhouses that cover 160000mē
on 16 hectares of land.
Secluded by hills surrounding
the airport and almost out of
sight of passing traffic, Africa's
largest climate-controlled
glass house growing area is
producing vegetables for national
distribution and flowers grown
for international export.
Since establishing operations
in 2010 the organisation,
which is unique in that it was
developed from basic "Green
Fields", was built with clear
modern ideas to be contained in
Tulips to Amsterdam,
all the way from
South Africa?