In a significant announcement, the eThekwini Municipality, which governs Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, has confirmed the allocation of R980 million for the development of the Durban Amusement Park.This new park will be situated on the former site of Durban Funworld, which ceased operations in 2023 after 75 years of service.
“With funding approved, the development has completed its design stage, and technical planning work is underway. Statutory development work will follow and is expected to run to the end of the first quarter of 2027, with construction to follow,” stated the municipality.
The municipality indicated that the development finance institution backing this project will also finance the necessary statutory work and assist with planning and technical requirements.
“The approval strengthens the city’s position as it highlights the alignment of national government, the development finance sector and the municipality.”
The new amusement park, located in the central beach area, aims to establish a long-lasting attraction featuring multiple rides, an extended reality and digital zone, a variety of retailers, and an “upgraded events-focused amphitheatre.”
In 2025, it was revealed that the park would include attractions like the Lightning Roller Coaster, Disko 24, Vertical Swing, and a 1,500 square metre Virtual Reality Theme Park boasting over 160 interactive games and global e-sports activations.
The park intends to operate year-round, remaining open during evenings and even on rainy days.
“The mix of indoor and outdoor attractions allows it to trade year-round, including on wet-weather days and in the evenings.”
The eThekwini Municipality remarked that this development is strategically located on the Golden Mile promenade, which attracts more than 17 million visitors annually.
“The park is designed to give those visitors more reasons to stay longer, return more often and spend more in surrounding hotels, restaurants and other tourism businesses.”
The municipality anticipates that the amusement park will generate approximately 1,400 jobs both in construction and ongoing operations while integrating local small businesses into the park’s supply chain.
“It is the entertainment centrepiece of over R2 billion in investment spent or committed on Durban’s beachfront.”
Closure After 75 Years of Operation
Durban Funworld before closureThe Durban Funworld amusement park, which had been a key attraction on the beachfront, closed in May 2023 after 75 years in operation.
Former owner Nic Steyn mentioned to the SABC that the municipality had not renewed his lease, which expired in 2017, forcing him onto a month-to-month arrangement for an extended six years.
“To keep this park going on a month-to-month basis is just not feasible anymore, and unless the municipality is prepared to sit down and talk to me to work out a solution that is for the benefit of Durban, unfortunately, I’m just going to have to pack up and go,” he explained.
Steyn noted that numerous interested buyers contacted him regarding the business, yet the municipality consistently denied them a lease.
“For the past 12 years, I’ve tried to pass it on to someone else that I can mentor and teach how to keep it going and ensure that it’s safe, but whenever I get someone that’s interested, it just falls apart the minute it gets to the municipality.”
Despite his efforts to resolve the issues, he stated that he did not get any feedback from the municipality after notifying them of his intention to close the park.
The City Manager of eThekwini Municipality, Musa Mbhele, explained that the closure stemmed from the expiration of the lease.
Upon closing, Mbhele mentioned that a tender would be issued to select a new operator and aimed to complete this process within a three-month period.
“It is not because we don’t have a plan; it is being done so that we improve how the beach functions,” added Mbhele.
The tender process for Durban Funworld concluded in March 2024, leading to the selection of Masithu Consulting and Project Managers (MCPM) to develop the new facility.
In 2023, the amusement rides and attractions were auctioned and removed from the beachfront.
As of October 2026, development funding was secured for the project, with construction expected to commence in 2027.
Images of the Future Durban Amusement Park
