Formal and informal businesses along Durban’s beachfront are calling on the eThekwini Municipality to quickly find a replacement for Funworld, saying the closure of the amusement park is harming their livelihoods.

A supervisor at a beachfront restaurant, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed concerns about the serious impact of the closure of Funworld.

Traders, who sell arts and crafts and traditional clothing, said the closure of the amusement park decimated foot traffic and that their small businesses are quickly becoming unviable.

The municipality said this week that the process to find a new operator for the site is moving ahead, confirming that a successful bidder has been appointed and that they are currently working on detailed feasibility and design plans.

Further details about the project will be made public once they are finalised. Funworld, the iconic amusement park on Durban’s beachfront, closed its doors after 75 years on May 1, 2023, due to the owner’s inability to secure a new lease from the municipality.

The municipality argued that the leasing of the property needed to comply with legal standards and that the site should be refreshed to meet modern amusement park standards.

The Mercury spoke to several traders and restaurants along the route yester-day, all of whom said while business in the areas had already declined before the closure, the park’s shutdown could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for their enterprises.

“There are no kids coming for early morning or late lunch, so we are really suffering. This has had a real impact on us,” said a restaurant supervisor.

He elaborated that the area is increasingly challenging for business.

“We are really struggling to the extent that some of our directors are using their money from their pockets to keep us afloat. We might have a good day, but that good day does not make up for the bad days. This whole month, we have only had one good Sunday; that was this Sunday because there was a marathon. For the rest of the Sundays, it’s quiet.”

One businesswoman, Mangalephi Makhathini, who inherited her business from her mother, said, “When I started here, my child was in Grade 1; now he is a grown man with children who are working and some are at university. Back then, there would be tourists who would buy, and you could make a little money. That is not the case now; there is almost no business. The situation was already bad, but the closure of Funworld has made it worse.”

“This past weekend, I only madeR100 the entire weekend and had to useR80 of that for a two-week bus ticket. The situation is such that you could come here for four days in a row without making a single sale. We come here not because we believe we will be able to trade, but because we have hope and because we have the permits.”

Brett Tungay, of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), said the association had not been informed about any developments regarding the former Funworld site by the municipality.

“That is a crucial feature on the beachfront and definitely impacts the restaurants around there. Increased activity will attract more tourists to the area. It would have an effect.”

THE MERCURY