The Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal was officially inaugurated on November 23, 2023 by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and various other officials.
The $16 million, 6,000 square meter cruise terminal was a collaboration between MSC Cruises, the African Armada Consortium and Transnet National Ports Authority, will be able to handle up to 4,000 passengers daily, and will be operated by KwaZulu Cruise Terminal Limited. The cruise terminal has significantly boosted the local economy by providing over 10,000 jobs to local individuals.
The cruise terminal’s opening ceremony was attended by Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises and Chairman of KwaZulu Cruise Terminal, President Cyril Ramaphosa, His Majesty King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, government ministers, port officials and leaders from South Africa’s main travel agencies.
“Nelson Mandela was an incredible statesman and leader. We are honored that the Nelson Mandela Foundation allowed us to use his name for what is the gateway to the Zulu Kingdom,” Vago said.
He added, “MSC Cruises arrived in South Africa in the early 1990s, and since then, thousands of cruise guests have discovered the beauty of the KwaZulu-Natal Province and beyond. The new Nelson Mandela Cruise Terminal in Durban will allow passengers from over 100 nationalities to enjoy the unique experiences we offer on board and at destinations like Portuguese Island and Pomene in Mozambique. It has been 10 years since the public-private partnership was initially conceived, the first of its kind for the east coast of South Africa. We were given the privilege together with our black empowerment partner to create new infrastructure that supports the expansion of the South African cruise tourism and the new terminal will be welcomed by all cruise companies from around the world.”
MSC Cruises’ parent company MSC Group has operated in South Africa for more than 50 years and is the world’s largest container shipping company and largest shipping investor in South Africa. MSC Group also set up the Shosholoza Academy in 2019 to educate and train young people in the skills needed to work aboard one of MSC Cruises’ 22 ships. Additionally, the company operates an international customer call center in Johannesburg which serves both MSC Cruises and Explora Journeys for guests in South Africa, the USA, and the UK.
Ross Volk, Managing Director of MSC Cruises South Africa said, “We are fully committed to helping drive South Africa’s tourism industry and create employment opportunities. This will have a positive economic impact on the nation. The local cruise season will start this week with the arrival of MSC Splendida, our largest and most modern ship to serve the South African market.”
MSC Splendida will homeport in Durban from November 24, 2023 to March 15, 2024 and visit destinations like Port Louis, Mauritius; Saint-Denis, Reunion; and Portuguese Island and Pomene, Mozambique.