R250m HQ Sibaya office project to create 750 temporary jobs

A R250 million office development in eThekwini is expected to create about 750 temporary jobs while it is being built, according to SAnews. The municipality has welcomed the project, saying it will support economic growth, employment and its income from rates.

The developer, Devmco Group, officially launched HQ Sibaya on Tuesday. Devmco is the master developer of the Sibaya area. The building will offer 7 000 square metres of premium office space.

Where it fits in

HQ Sibaya will rise on Heleza Boulevard, in the area between uMhlanga, uMdloti and King Shaka International Airport. It is part of a plan to turn Sibaya into a mixed-use urban node, where homes, offices, shops and leisure facilities sit side by side.

Devmco says the project should add roughly R500 million to economic output, a figure it calculated using National Treasury’s economic multiplier. It also estimates that the building will bring the municipality about R8 million a year in rates.

Jobs and timelines

Once the building is operating, it is expected to provide 20 permanent positions. The roughly 750 construction jobs will last only as long as the build.

Devmco says 75% of the office space has already been sold. It expects the building to be fully occupied within a year of completion. Work on the upper structure is due to start once the earthworks are finished, and the development is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027.

City Manager Musa Mbhele described HQ Sibaya as "a catalyst for economic growth". He said projects like it attract business, create work and widen the municipal rates base. Devmco Managing Director Schalk Theunissen called the launch an important milestone for Sibaya and said the building starts the area’s commercial node.

The municipality said it will keep working with private-sector partners to draw investment and create jobs. It wants to become Africa’s most caring and liveable city by 2030.

What this means for residents

• Most of the work on offer is temporary, tied to the construction period, with only 20 permanent posts expected afterwards.
• The estimated R8 million a year in rates would add to the city’s income, though the figure is the developer’s projection.
• The building is not due to be finished until the last quarter of 2027, so the full benefits will take time to appear.

This story is based on reporting by SAnews.