Twenty of South Africa's beaches have won international recognition at the 2005 Blue Flag Awards, a European-based campaign which measures beaches against strict environmental, tourist and safety standards.
Blue Flag status gives local and foreign visitors the knowledge that the beaches are clean, environmentally sound and adhere to international safety and other tourist standards.
South Africa joined the Blue Flag campaign in 2001 as the first country outside Europe to participate. Blue Flag has since grown into a truly international campaign.
Started in France in 1985, the campaign now runs in over 30 countries across Europe, the Caribbean, Canada, Iceland and New Zealand. South Africa and Morocco are the only African countries to have joined so far.
South Africa's Blue Flag beaches 2005:
(Five KwaZulu-Natal beaches have been given conditional Blue Flag status pending the results of water quality testing. These are italicised.)
EASTERN CAPE
- Dolphin Beach, Jeffrey's Bay
- Gonubie Beach, East London
- Humewood Beach, Port Elizabeth
- Kelly's Beach, Port Alfred
- Wells Estate, north of Port Elizabeth
KWAZULU-NATAL
- Addington Beach, Durban/eThekwini
- Anstey's Beach, Durban/eThekwini
- Bay of Plenty, Durban/eThekwini
- Hibberdene Beach, south coast
- Lucien Beach, south coast
- Marina/San Lameer Beach, south coast
- Ramsgate Beach, south coast
- South Beach, Durban/eThekwini
- Umhlanga Rocks Main Beach
- Uvongo Beach, south coast
WESTERN CAPE
- Bikini Beach, Gordon's Bay
- Clifton 4th Beach, Cape Town
- Grotto Beach, Hermanus
- Lappiesbaai Beach, Stilbaai
- Mnandi Beach, Strandfontein
The Blue Flag is given to beaches that meet 14 criteria spanning three aspects of coastal management: water quality, environmental education and information, and safety and services, which include excellent life-saving standards, top-rate parking and sparkling ablution facilities. The Blue Flag is awarded for one year only.
Local authorities report a number of spin-offs from being awarded Blue Flag status, including an increase in visitors, improved behaviour on the part of beach-goers, property prices rising for homes near Blue Flag beaches - and visitors enjoying a well cared-for and managed beach.
Blue Flag is managed in South Africa by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and participating coastal authorities under the department's Coast Care programme.
Coast Care gives financial and technical help for coastal development projects aimed mostly at poor communities, and offers education, training and research services. |
