Durban mayor Zandile Gumede is rubbing her hands in glee ahead of this weekend’s Metro FM Music Awards‚ which are expected to bring in R71-million for the city’s coffers.

The awards take place on Saturday at the ICC. Gumede said the city was ready to host the awards and the visitors heading to Durban for the weekend.

“From a logistics point of view‚ as the city we are ready to welcome and host our visitors to the Metro awards. Our hotels and other related facilities are of world standards and we have the infrastructure to deliver yet another spectacle of an event. Most importantly‚ we are excited at the prospect of the huge economic spin-offs that we have projected for the awards weekend. Based on the calculations from previous times when we hosted the awards‚ we are expecting to generate an economic activity of no less R72m directly into the economy of the City.

“Our hotels have reported an average of 70-90% room occupancy and we expect that this will create and sustain many jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector‚” said Gumede.

She said the city was using the awards as a way to entice tourists to the coast.

“This year the City has embarked on an intensive marketing campaign to attract visitors from all over the country through a number of activations nationwide and across the province of Kwazulu-Natal. The overall message has been centered on ‘A memorable time in Durban’ under the theme of ‘Sunsational Durban‚ 100% Pure Summer’‚” she said.