ドバイを本拠地とする不動産会社 RUWAAD が南アフリカ共和国東部の都市ダーバンにアフリカ最大にして世界最高級のテーマパークの建設を予定しています。

2010年のサッカーワールドカップ南アフリカ大会を見越してのことですが、建設は今後25年間のフェーズが通して行われます。

パーク内には教育と保健関連施設（ビレッジ）予定されているとのこと。

進むアフリカの海外直接投資。

今年初めには、Googleが本格的にアフリカ大陸に進出。先日は、アフリカの中小企業向けのサービスとしてGoogle Appsも始めました。

アフリカが本格的に「開発の場」となっていきます。 もう援助の対象とばかり考えているのは誤った認識です。当然のことですが、アフリカにも「光と影」の両側面があります。

経済成長にわく国・地域、一方、貧富の差を生みやすい社会構造を温存したまま、また植民地時代の土地問題を抱えたままの国も多々あります。今後、経済開発と社会開発を如何にバランスよく両立していくか、その中で日本人が果たせる役割は何なのか、自分はどう関わっていくのか。

今後のアフリカの動向からますます目が離せません。

Largest entertainment centre for SA『Africa News』Monday 13 October 2008

SA is to get the biggest entertainment centre in Africa. A Dubai based real estate company plans to build a multibillion dollar themed entertainment development in that country. It will be a master-planned, uniquely African destination development covering about 16,500 hectares of land.

Amazulu world will be a multibillion-dollar themed entertainment and mixed use destination development on the north coast of Durban, the firm Ruwaad said, according to the country's local paper The Star.

The key elements for the centre include Africa's first world class internationally branded entertainment theme park, Africa's largest shopping destination, a sports village, a dedicated education and health village, plus hotels and resorts.

Dubai firm plans 'Amazulu World' in South Africa 『Middle East Times』October 06, 2008

DUBAI (AFP) A Dubai-based real estate company said on Monday it plans to build a multi-billion-dollar themed entertainment development in South Africa, the largest of its kind in the African continent. "Amazulu World" will be "a multi-billion-dollar themed entertainment and mixed-use destination development on the north coast of Durban," the firm Ruwaad said on the first day of an international real estate exhibition.

"The project will be a master-planned, uniquely African destination development covering approximately 16,500 hectares (40,750 acres) of land, and will be the biggest and most comprehensive development of its kind anywhere in the African continent," it said.

Key elements will include "Africa's first world-class internationally branded entertainment theme park," Africa's largest shopping destination, a sports village, a dedicated education and health village, as well as hotels and resorts.

South Africa's hosting of the 2010 football World Cup, its heavy investment in infrastructure and the recent surge of foreign investments in tourism projects "will support this development in becoming the destination choice of Africa," said Ruwaad CEO Hayan Merchant.

The development will be built in phases over 25 years, the company said.

Property developers in Dubai on Monday shrugged off the global financial turmoil to announce mega projects at the opening of Cityscape 2008, an annual four-day real estate exhibition.

One government firm said it planned to build a "new city" in the booming Gulf emirate at a projected cost of 95 billion dollars.

Developers based in Dubai, which is part of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, are also involved in major real estate projects overseas.