Theorisation of urban development in cities, especially in the global South, often entails consideration of how the imperatives of economic growth and an improved quality of life are addressed. In this paper, the cultural studies notion of ‘entanglement’ is used to present an intensive examination of the development imperatives articulated by actors in two public–private partnerships in Durban, South Africa. The discussion focuses on the ways in which actors discursively enmesh the imperative of post-apartheid redress and the pressure for economic growth and improved urban competitiveness to produce an entangled development agenda. The presentation of these imperatives as ‘entangled’ illustrates complexities inherent in processes of urban development. Consequently, the value of a relational approach, such as that offered by the notion of entanglement, for understanding urban development processes is examined.