Over the last couple of years the ship repair industry in South Africa and in particular Durban has expanded significantly and the potential and opportunities for growth are still significant. This should be regarded as a positive sign for the industry that is currently enjoying a high level of demand for its services. This in turn has far reaching economic impacts upstream in the economy in terms of employment, revenue and income generation. The opportunities currently presented to the industry in the Port of Durban are vast and require exploitation. The Port of Durban, however, has physical constraints that are at present being addressed, but also structural and operational inefficiencies that hamper the full exploitation of such opportunities. The absence of a Development Framework Plan, in which these opportunities can be exploited, further aggravates the situation, much to the frustration of local ship repairers. This dissertation seeks to evaluate and assess opportunities currently presented to the industry in the Port of Durban. It further seeks to put a framework in place to best exploit such opportunities. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.