UNESCO Learning CityDurbanSouth Africa
Durban, located in South Africa, was inducted into UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities in 2022.
Mr Collin PillayDurban learning city focal point
“My name is Collin Pillay from the city of Durban. I will represent the mayor of Durban, South Africa. A number of initiatives are planned and some of them are already on the ground, re-shaping the skills development landscape. For those of you who are familiar with South Africa’s National Development Plan or the Skills Development Strategy, these are some of the initiatives that this country has taken. Durban is embedding some of these initiatives either at the policy level or at a programme level.”
Tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing
Home to scenic beaches with a sub-tropical climate that has spurred the growth of the tourism industry, the city counts on strong logistics infrastructure of the Port of Durban and agricultural and manufacturing sectors to tackle poverty, unemployment, and socioeconomic inequalities.
Durban’s lifelong learning vision
As part of the city’s Integrated Development Plan, Durban supports and manages human capital development, aiming at responding to the low levels of skills development and literacy for community outreach.
The focus on Durban’s workforce and community-based learning are responses to one of the key lifelong learning challenges in the city. Durban intends to draw from existing expertise and resources within the Municipal Institute of Learning and eThekwini Municipal Academy to support the work of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
The focus on Durban’s workforce and community-based learning are responses to one of the key lifelong learning challenges in the city. Durban intends to draw from existing expertise and resources within the Municipal Institute of Learning and eThekwini Municipal Academy to support the work of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.
Mr Collin PillayDurban learning city focal point
“It is important to observe that the importance of building capacity and appropriate skilling or re-killing focuses primarily on the municipal workforce, with little or no emphasis on community empowerment and the development of lifelong skills. Durban is now investing in this area. EThekwini Municipality, or the City of Durban, has embraced this call for a skills revolution as expressed by the national government.
The municipality has agreed to integrate all training and skill initiatives citywide. The initiatives include workplace skills, plans, generic and technical training programmes that will now be coordinated centrally. The central coordination of the programmes calls for dedicated and collaborative efforts on the hand of the municipality and hence, we established eThekwini Municipality Academy four years ago. This academy will be a hive of learning and development activities and will certainly be a one-stop shop for holistic development of municipal employees and the citizens that it serves.”
The municipality has agreed to integrate all training and skill initiatives citywide. The initiatives include workplace skills, plans, generic and technical training programmes that will now be coordinated centrally. The central coordination of the programmes calls for dedicated and collaborative efforts on the hand of the municipality and hence, we established eThekwini Municipality Academy four years ago. This academy will be a hive of learning and development activities and will certainly be a one-stop shop for holistic development of municipal employees and the citizens that it serves.”
Promoting health through learning
To ensure efficiency of health service provision, the Health Unit in eThekwini Municipality provides capacity building and human capital development for clinical and support staff. The sustainability component is embedded across all initiatives managed by the Health Unit, and this is maintained by the Quality Assurance Training Section. Community structures at a ward level have in place Ward Aids Councils – reporting to the Mayor of Durban.
Promoting equity and inclusion
eThekwini is committed to creating a city where people interact creatively to stimulate economic growth, social cohesion and unity in diversity.
This is evidenced in a range of active programs which are meant to cultivate a sense of citizenship with citizens in Durban, encourage development and create empowerment opportunities.
This is evidenced in a range of active programs which are meant to cultivate a sense of citizenship with citizens in Durban, encourage development and create empowerment opportunities.
Mr Collin PillayDurban learning city focal point
“The community outreach programmes that the municipality offers to its residents will be intensified and a lot more focus will be put on strategic exit points in all its programmes. It will also be required of all capital programmes initiated by the municipality as part of its service delivery initiative to have a very clear skills development plan for the communities who will be the beneficiaries of these projects. The number of beneficiary communities will increase and be streamlined to culminate in a very carefully crafted strategy. The Municipal Institute of Learning will not only be a repository of knowledge, but also a knowledge management reservoir for the broader African community. It is the city’s contention that an effective knowledge management framework will be key in positioning Durban as a learning city.”
Learning as a foundation for livelihoods
High unemployment, poverty and low economic growth were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the economic recovery plan, the city has placed a strong emphasis on human capital learning and development.
This will include programs designed to support small enterprises through learning and training initiatives, to promote apprenticeship training and to foster agro-economy as a response to food security.
As part of the economic recovery plan, the city has placed a strong emphasis on human capital learning and development.
This will include programs designed to support small enterprises through learning and training initiatives, to promote apprenticeship training and to foster agro-economy as a response to food security.
Mr Collin PillayDurban learning city focal point
"The vision for a skilled workforce is necessary because some employees are well-skilled technically but still need development in other areas, for example, emotional, people management, customer focus, etc.
The city of Durban, or eThekwini Municipality, has plans in place to develop its citizens through a range of capacity building initiatives. The rationale is based on the notion that an empowered citizenry is a necessary element of transformation towards a capable, functional, and efficient stage."
The city of Durban, or eThekwini Municipality, has plans in place to develop its citizens through a range of capacity building initiatives. The rationale is based on the notion that an empowered citizenry is a necessary element of transformation towards a capable, functional, and efficient stage."
Durban’s good practices Innovate Durban
A recently established non-profit organisation supported by eThekwini Municipality, mandated to nurture, coordinate, and facilitate an inclusive innovation ecosystem in Durban. The key programs include innovation support, capacity building, and applied research.
Its mission is to utilise the fourth industrial revolution for economic growth and job creation, with a focus on industry, spatially excluded or marginalised persons, the public sector and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME).
Its mission is to utilise the fourth industrial revolution for economic growth and job creation, with a focus on industry, spatially excluded or marginalised persons, the public sector and Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME).
Durban’s good practices Durban Research Action Partnership (D'RAP)
As a result of a partnership between the University of KwaZulu-Natal and eThekwini Municipality, D’RAP was developed to advance knowledge in biodiversity conservation and management within the context of global environmental change. Collaborative research is conducted in a range of disciplines including environmental, biological, social science, governance, and economics.
Durban’s good practices District Development Model (DDM)
As a provincial pilot located in eThekwini Municipality, (Durban), the district-driven development model is touted as a “One District, One Plan and One Budget” Program which integrates national, provincial, and local government. As a learning city, the DDM provides a space for building capacity to support other municipalities under the Municipal Institute of Learning (MILE) initiative.
Lifelong learning for all
As part of the Global Network of Learning Cities, the UNESCO learning city of Durban will continue to work towards providing learning opportunities for young and old!
Hand in hand with other UNESCO learning cities across the globe it aims at making the promise of lifelong learning for all a reality.
Hand in hand with other UNESCO learning cities across the globe it aims at making the promise of lifelong learning for all a reality.
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Image Credits: UNESCO; Timothy Hodgkinson/Shutterstock.com; donvictorio/Shutterstock.com; Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com; yoamod/Shutterstock.com; Sunshine Seeds/Shutterstock.com; DisobeyArt/Shutterstock.com; AYA images/Shutterstock.com; naratrip boonroung
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Image Credits: UNESCO; Timothy Hodgkinson/Shutterstock.com; donvictorio/Shutterstock.com; Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.com; yoamod/Shutterstock.com; Sunshine Seeds/Shutterstock.com; DisobeyArt/Shutterstock.com; AYA images/Shutterstock.com; naratrip boonroung
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Durban
Mr Collin Pillay
Tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing
Durban’s lifelong learning vision
Mr Collin Pillay
Promoting health through learning
Promoting equity and inclusion
Mr Collin Pillay
Learning as a foundation for livelihoods
Mr Collin Pillay
Innovate Durban
Durban Research Action Partnership (D'RAP)
District Development Model (DDM)
Lifelong learning for all
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities