Durban-Gauteng logistics corridor receives major boost as investors make long-term commitment in Cato Ridge

A major private sector investment is set to unlock new economic potential along one of South Africa’s most important freight routes, as the Insimbi Ridge Precinct takes shape in Cato Ridge.

The development of Insimbi Ridge is transforming the area into a strategic logistics and industrial hub along the critical Gauteng–Durban corridor. More than a property development initiative, the project is designed to position Cato Ridge as a key node in the country’s freight network, supporting the revival of rail-linked logistics infrastructure.

Anchored by significant private investment, the precinct is expected to ease pressure on port and road congestion, stimulate industrial activity and create employment opportunities, while strengthening investor confidence in KwaZulu-Natal’s role as a gateway for trade and logistics.

The Insimbi Ridge Precinct, which was committed at the 2024 KwaZulu-Natal Investment Conference at the value of R1billion, is located 52 km from the Durban Port on the N3. It will introduce new inland staging and intermodal capacity that will directly relieve pressure on the Port and N3 corridor. The precinct  forms part of South Africa’s Strategic Integrated Project 2 (SIP 2), supporting national freight-corridor reform and job creation and once fully developed, it will be a high contributor to the economy and create thousands of jobs, contributing to both local and national growth.

The Precinct demonstrates that private capital is ready and able to fund freight-corridor infrastructure, an essential shift as Transnet and public finances face severe constraints. As the first provincially designated freight node under Strategic Integrated Project 2 (SIP 2), the national freight, rail, and logistics corridor linking Durban to Gauteng, it provides a replicable model for private participation in national logistics infrastructure.

Developed by Assore SA PropCo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Assore SA (Pty) Ltd, together with the Rail Development Corporation (RDC) as development partner, Insimbi Ridge has been designated as a provincial and municipal catalytic project. The Precinct project forms part of the KwaZulu-Natal government strategy to integrate private investment into critical logistics infrastructure to decongest the Durban port, improve freight efficiency along major corridors, and stimulate regional industrial growth.

“Insimbi Ridge is evidence that South African business is still prepared to invest in long-term infrastructure when governance and policy conditions are right,” said Tiaan van Aswegen – Deputy CEO, Assore SA. “It proves that partnerships between government and disciplined private capital can deliver structural reform without burdening the fiscus.”

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Reverend Musa Zondi, welcomed the initiative as evidence of effective public-private collaboration and alignment with KwaZulu-Natal’s sustainable-industrialisation strategy. “The Insimbi Ridge Precinct represents much more than an infrastructure project. It is a statement of intent, that KwaZulu-Natal is serious about modernising its freight system, decongesting our ports, and creating a logistics network that works for business, for workers, and for communities. When we speak of revitalising KZN’s economy, this is precisely what we mean.  Here, at Cato Ridge, we see re-industrialisation made real,  the transformation of former industrial land into a dynamic, multimodal logistics hub. Importantly, the project prioritises local labour and small business participation, ensuring that communities in the KwaXimba Traditional Council directly benefit from this development,” said Zondi.

This is inclusive growth in action, development that uplifts rather than displaces, and that restores confidence in our shared ability to rebuild this province from the ground up.

Strengthening logistics performance

“This is rail reform made real,” said Sibusisiwe Nodada, RDC Project Lead. “Insimbi Ridge links port, rail, and road in one controlled node. It presents a blueprint of how private operators can strengthen national logistics capacity.”

With full build-out planned over 20 to 25 years, Insimbi Ridge will host integrated logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing zones designed to handle inland freight flows to and from Durban. Once fully developed, the Precinct will generate long-term fiscal and employment benefits for the Cato Ridge region and providing confidence for the private sector to invest in South Africa’s infrastructure reform path.

Alignment with national strategy

The Precinct directly supports the Transnet National Ports Authority’s R90 billion Port of Durban expansion, the National Freight Logistics Roadmap (2023), and the KwaZulu-Natal Investment Strategy 2030. It is also consistent with the Country Investment Strategy (2022) and the National Development Plan 2030, all of which identify freight efficiency and private-sector partnership as core enablers of growth.

“Every container moved more efficiently inland represents a tonne of trust regained in South Africa’s logistics system,” said Anton Potgieter (CEO, The Logistics Group (TLG), the holding company of FPT Group (FPT), the first client development). “This project is more than construction; it’s proof of delivery.”