Shree Property Holdings has announced a R2 billion investment commitment in KwaZulu-Natal over the next three years, reinforcing the Group’s long-term confidence and its strategy of investing in strategically located industrial property across the province. The commitment, made by Founder and CEO Pran Shree in conjunction with the Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal Conference, will encompass both property acquisitions and development investment.
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The programme will focus predominantly on industrial warehousing and logistics developments in the South Durban Basin, particularly assets close to the Port of Durban and major transport corridors, while continued investment is also planned at Woodmead Industrial Park in Shakaskraal on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. Construction, redevelopment and new occupancies are expected to support both short-term and long-term employment creation.
Repositioning Durban’s industrial heritage
Central to the programme are Shree Property Holdings’ acquisitions of 1236 South Coast Road and 1400 South Coast Road, two approximately 60,000 m² industrial properties in one of Durban’s most established manufacturing and logistics corridors. Historically associated with Plascon and Tiger Brands respectively, the sites will be repositioned for a new generation of logistics and distribution businesses while retaining the industrial purpose that has long defined the area.
At 1236 South Coast Road, the Group plans a state-of-the-art distribution hub of approximately 40,000 m² under roof, supported by a hardened container yard, with occupation targeted for March 2028. Plans for 1400 South Coast Road similarly include approximately 40,000 m² under roof and a hardened container yard capable of supporting large-scale logistics operations, with occupation targeted for December 2028.
Together with neighbouring properties already owned by Shree Property Holdings, the 1400 South Coast Road acquisition will form part of an approximately 130,000 m² consolidated industrial landholding. The two acquisitions will also take the Group’s South Durban Basin footprint to more than 700,000 m².
“These properties have been part of Durban’s industrial landscape for generations and have been home to businesses and brands that many South Africans immediately recognise. We see tremendous value in taking sites with that history and repositioning them for their next chapter,” said Shree. “Our strategy has always been to identify well-located assets where we can create meaningful value through acquisition, redevelopment and active management. The Port of Durban remains one of KwaZulu-Natal’s greatest economic assets, and strengthening our portfolio around the port and the logistics corridors that support it is central to our strategy for the next decade.”
Investment extends to KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast
The three-year programme also includes continued investment at Woodmead Industrial Park in Shakaskraal, within the iLembe District Municipality. The near-completed park comprises nine industrial warehouses, with Hesto Harnesses occupying a significant proportion of the available space and investing in the expansion of its assembly-line operations. A limited number of opportunities remain, including completed facilities and land capable of accommodating further industrial development.
Shree Property Holdings says demand for larger industrial parks on the North Coast is being supported by the region’s residential and commercial expansion, creating a parallel need for strategically positioned facilities that can serve growing businesses and employment markets.
As the Group approaches two decades in KwaZulu-Natal’s industrial property sector, its portfolio now exceeds one million square metres. Its longer-term objective is to acquire and develop a further 200,000 m² of AAA-grade industrial space across its strategic nodes, with the R2 billion commitment over the next three years forming a key part of that growth strategy.
