If I told you that a world class international convention centre with the capacity of 1800 delegates, together with an international exhibition and convention centre (I.C.C), was being built in Ballito, you would probably chuckle. How could this little town with fewer than 8500 permanent residents from Zimbali to Sheffield Beach possible support such a notion? A company called Greenlands Real Estate (Pty) Ltd thinks it’s a good idea. And if I told you that this little seaside resort would soon have a new town centre with an exciting mix of piazzas, boulevard’s, hotels, retail outlets, wellness- and medical related facilities, civic and social facilities, leisure components, restaurants and offices as well as residential and light industrial nodes, you would probably laugh out loud.
Yes, we’ve heard it all before and there are plenty of empty spaces where big dreams have failed to materialize in this part of the world. Yet the press release has just arrived and this is what it says: Ballito is to acquire a new town centre built on ‘green’ principles. The centre will be developed west of the N2 skirting the perimeter of the Umhlali Golf Course and – Residential Estate. The proposed new Greenlands Town Centre @ Ballito (is a mixed-use, eco -friendly precinct development adhering to ‘green’ principles. The new precinct will comprise of parks, pedestrian walkways and an easy flow of vehicular and people movement between the different focal areas.
Well it all sounds rather lovely, but talk is cheap and money… hmmm… Will it happen? According to former town planner turned consultant, Helena Jacobs, they are already busy with the Environmental Impact Assesment and all the other preliminary requirements that go into this sort of development. So, this could be the beginning of an enormous adventure that will change the shape of Ballito forever or it could be another piece of pie in the sky. Only time will tell.
