DURBAN - Dumile Cele of the Durban Chamber of Commerce said that during this time people would go out to local stores and buy goods that they would need during this period. She said that Diwali does boost the economy because of the number of people that do go out to buy goods.
According to Cele people will be preparing in advance, therefore, the retail industry will be boosted significantly. Malls and stores will have many feet walking in them and lots of traffic so that will be one industry that will be boosted. She also spoke about the tourist attractions and the entertainment industry that people will be drawn to during this period.
It is widely known that during this time period, the Indian film industry releases a movie that is aimed at people that will be celebrating the Diwali festival. These movies attract people to the cinemas and places of entertainment.
An essential part of Diwali is the food and most especially the sweetmeats. Sweetmeats are dessert delicacies that are baked during this period, with many Hindus sending parcels to their neighbours. Ravi Maharaj of Indian Delights said that during Diwali people flock to his store to buy their sweetmeats by the boxes. When at his store the customer flow is endless with queues that are continuous because of the demand of sweetmeats.
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Diwali, does it boost the Durban economy
Fireworks are usually burst towards the end of the festivities however there has been a lot of controversy regarding fireworks with some people complaining about the noise and their pets being hurt. However, it is an industry that is very popular during Diwali. Soni Fireworks in Chatsworth said that they are very busy during Diwali with people from Durban and surrounding areas flocking to their store to buy fireworks.
All of the fireworks in the store are imported because according to Soni Fireworks, fireworks are not manufactured here.