The Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal in Durban has been officially inaugurated by President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of South Africa’s 2023-24 cruise season.
MSC Cruises, in partnership with the African Armada Consortium and Transnet National Ports Authority, funded and created the $16m building.
The cruise terminal spans 6,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 4,000 passengers daily. It will be operated by KwaZulu Cruise Terminal Limited.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by important figures such as Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, President Cyril Ramaphosa, and representatives from the Nelson Mandela Foundation, government ministers, port officials, and South Africa’s travel agencies.
The terminal was named after Nelson Mandela, and MSC Cruises plans to make it a gateway to the Zulu Kingdom for passengers from over 100 nationalities. MSC Cruises has been operating in South Africa since the early 1990s and the new terminal will support the growth of the country’s cruise tourism industry.
The public-private partnership behind the terminal has been in the works for a decade, marking a significant development for the east coast of South Africa. MSC Cruises aims to contribute to the country’s tourism industry and create employment opportunities, starting with the arrival of MSC Splendida, their largest and most modern ship, for the local cruise season.
