Months of inaction on infrastructure repairs following the April/May floods has negatively impacted many local businesses in a significant way.

From individual restaurants to major developers and transport companies, the closures and blockages on critical arterial roads have caused major economic setbacks.

It has been the culmination of more than two difficult years during which North Coast businesses have been forced to confront the restrictions of Covid-19, the impact of last year’s unrest and a perceived lack of governmental support to address flood damages.

Four months on from the floods, the M4 bridge at the Tongaat River remains closed while the two-lane blockage on the N2 Umhlali bridge is still causing major traffic disruptions.

Frustrated motorists have been risking a M4 bridge crossing and repeated accidents occur at the N2 bottleneck.

Passable repairs on the R102 near Frasers and P103 near Rain Farm are only open because of private intervention.

In Ballito, the M4 bridge closure looms large, cutting off one of the two main exit points from the town.

It is inconvenient for commuters, while dramatically decreasing casual traffic for businesses north of the bridge.

“The impact of our most scenic coastal route being closed should not be understated. This was the main corridor for tourism, bringing customers and clients from Westbrook through to Durban to experience and support our local industry,” said iLembe Chamber of Commerce CEO, Cobus Oelofse.

For well-known restaurant, Captain Fine’s Fish Factory, which has been open for 16 years, the road closure had immediate and stark consequences.

“Almost overnight our business dropped by 40%. Regulars that we have seen for more than a decade – from Umhlanga, Verulam and Tongaat – are all now forced to take a longer, less enjoyable route to get to us,” said owner Grant Macquet.

Given that certain fish dishes are halaal, the bridge closure had particular impact on the Fish Factory which previously enjoyed widespread support from Muslim communities south of the Tongaat River.

“To give you an idea of just how hard it has been, we did better business last July when we were closed for two weeks because of the unrest than we did this year.

“When I saw the bridge was damaged during the floods, a cold chill went down my spine. But I thought that because it is such an important road, it would be priority number one. How wrong I was,” said Macquet.

The Zimbali Lakes development, which is in the process of selling plots and future homes, was similarly left isolated.

“It is clear to see that the closure has cost us significant business. I would say that our walk-in viewings have gone down by 70%, forcing us to increase our marketing spend, particularly in Johannesburg and Pretoria,” said Zimbali Lakes general manager, Wayne Krambeck.

“I would estimate the total hit we took, including potential sales lost, was between R40- and R50-million in those first two months alone before we bounced back,” he said.

For Food Lovers Market at the Circle Business Park, the impact has not been as drastic, but the difficulties they have faced are indicative of many others in Ballito.

“We have definitely noticed a decrease in business since the floods. Where people would previously come past every day or two, they now choose a weekly shop instead because of the extra travel – whether in distance or time.

“The number of people just stopping by has dropped, their trips now seemingly more planned,” said Food Lovers Market owner John Goncalves.

Given their location at the entrance to Ballito, Food Lovers is a popular stop-off for N2 travellers, who encounter their own challenges at the Umhlali bridge.

After being damaged in the floods, the four-lane (two each way) highway has been reduced to just two at the bridge site.

For KwaDukuza transport company VDM Coach Tours, this has posed obvious difficulty.

“We transport children to schools in Ballito, as well as tourists from King Shaka Airport heading into northern KZN.

“Depending on the time, we now have to factor in an extra two hours into the schedule, otherwise the driver will idle and waste petrol at the bottleneck, which can cause kilometres long traffic jams,” said owner Premlall Maharaj.

“This comes after ‘the war on buses’ last year when eight of our buses were ‘totalled’. Just as we begin to break even, another obstacle is thrown at us. If it took the department years to re-tar that same section of the road, how long will this major repair project take? Probably decades.”

Although they typically use the R102, Dolphin Coast Taxi Association taxis have also reported difficulties.

“The bridge at Etete is now open, but because of the N2 problem many cars now use the R102. It causes big traffic issues and we get complaints all the time from the passengers about being late. Many people, instead of waking up at 5am for example, are now waking up at 4am to make sure that they get to work on time,” said association spokesperson, Siyabonga Ntombele.

“The longer trip times also mean fewer return trips,” he said.

Companies large and small, all of whom are critical employers, have been put under intense added pressure as a result of the road issues.

Overcoming the past two years’ challenges has certainly pushed the limits of ‘Kwazilience’ among local businesses.

Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news

Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0

WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Add The Courier to WhatsApp at 082 792 9405 and WhatsApp your name and surname to be added.