Logie Naidoo, Leadership Rooted in Service
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From the sugar fields of Tongaat to the leadership corridors of KwaZulu-Natal’s public institutions, Logie Naidoo’s story is one of resilience, service and transformation. A former deputy mayor and speaker of the house of the eThekwini Municipality, and now a board member of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Logie has spent decades helping shape the province’s economic and social landscape.
His leadership journey reflects a deep commitment to community upliftment, ethical governance and sustainable development, values that continue to define his work today.
From Tongaat to Public Leadership
Logie’s roots are firmly planted in the small sugar town of Tongaat, where generations of his family built their lives after arriving in South Africa from India. “A story I know from my grandparents is that my great-grandfather came from the south of India to work in the sugar fields,” he recalls. “When he landed at the port of Durban, he walked 40 kilometres to the Tongaat sugar mill to get this job.”
After leaving high school, Logie became politically active while balancing work and private studies. At the time, many political organisations were banned, and Logie joined the Natal Indian Congress (NIC). Founded by Mahatma Gandhi, the organisation carried deep historical significance within the liberation movement. He describes his teenage years as ‘quite colourful – activist by day and party animal by night’.
Logie entered the working world during a period of significant technological and political change in South Africa. His first job was with Mercedes-Benz, then Daimler-Benz of Africa, where he worked in a vast warehouse managing spare parts logistics at a time when computers were only beginning to enter the workplace.
From there, he joined the La Mercy Beach Hotel Group as an accountant, eventually rising to company director. Although trained in finance, he soon found himself overseeing construction projects and hotel operations, experiences that would broaden his understanding of business management and leadership.
“What was a steep learning curve for me was that I was given the task one day of being responsible for the building of the hotel, which I had no experience whatsoever in,” he says.
The hospitality industry offered him a comfortable and successful career, something he admits he was reluctant to leave behind. “I had this wonderful job. I could drive in at 9am, staff would bring my coffee, and I could sit and watch the dolphins in the surf,” he says with a laugh. “Why would you want to leave that to go into a city with all the stress and pressures that come from that?”
Yet in 1996, encouraged by members of his community, Logie stood for local government elections and won his ward in Tongaat. It was a decision that would alter the course of his life.
Building a World-Class Durban
Logie entered local government during a defining period in South Africa’s democratic development. By 2000, the newly formed Durban Metropolitan Council was consolidating municipalities into a single uni-city structure, requiring leaders capable of navigating complex transformation.
He was elected once again and eventually appointed deputy mayor and chair of economic development, roles in which he helped oversee some of Durban’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. “In my ten years heading economic development, we built some of the best infrastructure in the city,” he says.
Among the projects closest to his heart are the Moses Mabhida Stadium, King Shaka International Airport and uShaka Marine World. “When we wanted to build uShaka Marine World, people were telling us, ‘You guys are crazy,’” he remembers. “There was an American bank that came to the party and said, ‘We have faith in this project.’ We built uShaka Marine World, the fifth-largest aquarium in the world.”
Logie also takes pride in smaller innovations that transformed Durban’s public spaces. One example is the iconic Whalebone Pier in Umhlanga, inspired by a creative engineering solution to disguise stormwater infrastructure. “The pier you see now won an international award for the best pier in the world,” he says.
Yet despite the large-scale developments associated with his tenure, his most meaningful moment was granting the Freedom of the Town of Tongaat to Nelson Mandela who had a strong historical link to the town. “Mandela came to Tongaat numerous times when he was still underground and hid from the police at Gopallal Hurban’s sugar cane farm in Esenembe,” explained Logie.
When we invited Madiba to the civic function, many of his staff advised him not to attend because it was only a small-town event. However, Zelda La Grange, his personal assistant, later told us that he insisted on coming despite his demanding schedule. He wanted to personally thank the people of Tongaat and acknowledge his connection to the town.
“For me, conferring the Freedom of the Town on this international statesman, a man with such an incredible aura and inspirational presence, remains one of the proudest and most memorable moments of my life.”
Logie credits much of his leadership philosophy to struggle veteran Billy Nair, who spent 20 years imprisoned on Robben Island. “He always said to me, ‘Whenever in doubt, think about what is in the best interests of the people.’”
That principle became central to Logie’s public service approach.
“When I left the city, I left with just a pension,” he says. “I did some of the biggest projects, but I made sure that all the deals were neat and clean. Today I walk proudly in the streets of Durban. I get stopped by people such as the security guard at the boom gate, who said, ‘Please come back, sir’.”
A Vision for KwaZulu-Natal’s Future
Today, Logie serves as chair of Commercial Services at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, where he is helping lead efforts to restore tourism infrastructure damaged by Covid-19, social unrest and severe storms.
“Our task is to ensure that we restore the infrastructure and facilities to a global standard,” he explains. “We are currently embarking on a programme to upgrade all of our resorts, keeping in mind that we attract a lot of overseas visitors who love wildlife.”
The conservation authority oversees many of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important biodiversity assets, including the internationally renowned Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, home to one of the world’s largest populations of black and white rhino.
Beyond conservation, however, Logie remains deeply concerned about the broader future of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa’s metropolitan centres. He believes the province has all the ingredients necessary to reclaim its position as South Africa’s second-largest economy.
“We have two beautiful ports, Durban and Richards Bay. We have some of the best climate in the world. We have diversity of people and skills,” he says. “We need to rebuild this economy and restore confidence.”
For Logie, economic growth depends on stability, efficient infrastructure and ethical leadership. “Business people want stability. They want good infrastructure. They want efficient government services,” he says. “If we get that recipe right, KZN can grow and really become number two again.”
He is equally passionate about restoring dignity and effective service delivery within local government. “We must adopt the policy of back to basics,” he says. “Focus on water, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal.”
Despite the challenges facing South Africa, Logie remains inspired by leaders who dedicated their lives to service, especially Nelson Mandela.
“We learnt so much from Mandela,” he says. “He was brilliant in his simplicity.”
His own personal philosophy is summed up in a simple but powerful motto that he encountered years ago. “Love all, serve all,” he says. “Simple words, but profoundly meaningful.”
For Logie, leadership has never been about titles or prestige. It has been about building communities, creating opportunities and leaving institutions stronger than he found them. Across decades of public life, that commitment to service has remained unchanged.
BUSINESS SENSE
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