The impact infrastructure provision and management of the port of Durban's car terminal on the KwaZulu-Natal auto industry.

Abstract

This dissertation examines the role that public infrastructure development at the Port of Durban has had on the KwaZulu-Natal's auto sector. In essence this paper unpacks the debate surrounding public spending directed at promoting specific industry outcomes. To this end, the auto industry is examined in terms of its export-orientated growth since the inception of the car terminus. The auto industry provides an excellent case study, as there is considerable public and private sector concern in this sphere. This paper analyses the role of local and national government as well as nongovernmental role players in planning expenditure for the car terminal. The limited amount of formal literature in this field has informed the structure of this paper, making it important that some measure of efficiency benchmarking be included in this study. This has been done so of the role of the car terminal in the logistic value chains of the KZN auto industry could be examined. This in turn aided in the understanding of the role of the terminal as a conduit for inputs used in local production as well as the impact it has (or hasn't) had on export-orientated growth within the industry.