KZN targets R300m from property sales as new portal takes aim at spiralling rates bill

• KwaZulu-Natal is betting on a first-of-its-kind property portal to unlock up to R300 million from unused state assets, but the real story lies in how it plans to tackle a staggering R1.8 billion rates bill.

• From prime coastal land worth millions to more than 500 vacant schools earmarked for community projects, discover which government properties could soon be transformed and who stands to benefit.

• Built entirely without consultants or extra taxpayer funding, the innovative platform is already drawing national attention, but will it become a blueprint for government property reform across South Africa?

By Jonathan Erasmus

KwaZulu-Natal’s Public Works and Infrastructure Department plans to raise as much as R300 million from the disposal of 81 government properties, using a newly launched online portal designed to turn underutilised public assets into revenue-generating investments.

The initiative, described by MEC Martin Meyer as the first of its kind in South Africa, could eventually