South Coast boasts seven Blue Flag beaches
While the Blue Flag is a voluntary programme, it shows a very strong commitment to environmental sustainability from municipalities that are awarded.
The South Coast has retained its position of having the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in KZN.
On Monday last week, it was announced that of the 48 beaches in the Blue Flag Programme, seven are found on the KZN South Coast, with a further five retaining Blue Flag Pilot status.
The announcement was made by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town and was well received by South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise (SCTIE).
“This is a testament to how seriously we view the quality of our beaches, which are one of the region’s biggest tourism attractions and a significant contributor to the local tourism economy,” said SCTIE CEO Dr Vusumuzi Sibiya.
“Alongside the work being done by municipalities, we must applaud initiatives such as Tidy Towns and Keep Scottburgh Beautiful, which have bolstered beach cleanliness and safety. We encourage holidaymakers to consider this when planning their seaside holidays over the festive season and look forward to having our visitors ‘embrace summer’.”
Beaches that have achieved the international certification of Blue Flag have adhered to the Foundation for Environmental Education’s (FEE) strict standards of environmental management. These include water quality, safety and public environmental education – all of which are assessed by a South African National Jury and a Blue Flag International Jury in Europe.
While the Blue Flag is a voluntary programme, it shows a very strong commitment to environmental sustainability from municipalities that are awarded.
Trafalgar Beach earned a certificate for 15 consecutive years in the programme in 2024/2025, while Marina Beach celebrates 21 consecutive years.
The South Coast Blue Flag beaches for 2024/2025 are:
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality: Marina, Trafalgar, Southport, Umzumbe, Ramsgate and Hibberdene.
Umdoni Municipality: Pennington.
The South Coast Blue Flag Pilot beaches for 2024/2025 are:
Umdoni Municipality: Rocky Bay, Preston, Mtwalume and Scottburgh.
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality: St Mike’s.
Alongside the Blue Flag beaches, the South Coast boasts the highest number of tidal pools in the province and two world-renowned dive sites – Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks – two of the three Marine Protected Areas found in the region.
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