Durban business confidence dips for fourth straight quarter amid service delivery issues

DURBAN’S business sentiment weakened again in the third quarter of 2025, marking the fourth consecutive quarterly decline, according to the latest Durban Business Confidence Index (DBCI) released on Monday.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

The index, compiled by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Macroeconomics Research Unit in collaboration with the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and eThekwini Municipality, fell by 0.53% — from 52.40 points in Q2 to 52.12 points in Q3 2025.

Researchers, Professor Harold Ngwala and Dr Ntokozo Nzimande, said the decline reflected a deterioration in sentiment regarding both current and future economic conditions in the city.

“The data further indicates that business executives were more pessimistic in the third quarter of 2025 than they were in the same quarter of 2024, with the index dropping by 17.38% on a year-on-year basis.”