Go North
Where it’s warm, all year. From signature sunrise to settle-in sunsets. Where the pace of life matches your measured breaths, in and out, a meditation of life and living. Where the rugged is real and the beauty, as real. Fishing, swimming, shore break. Ocean freshness peeling back, laid back. Fresh mussels, stretched out muscles, surfed out muscles. Meander through the figs and milkwoods in the coastal canopy. Run through. Ride through. Then start your day. Coffee, cuisine, curated, artisanal, local. Long evenings with family, friends,in or out. But always, everything in your time. Because there’s a rhythm of real living here that’s all you. Go North
A bumper Festive Season is expected on the North Coast of South Africa, and thanks to proactive community collaboration and a seasonal readiness plan, the region is ready and raring to welcome incoming holidaymakers.
The North Coast is fast becoming a unique destination for thriving, living, working and visiting. Whether it’s the sea views, beaches and coastal forest trails or the bustling entertainment, fast-paced development and entrepreneurial energy, there really is something for everyone on this coastline. “We look forward to welcoming our regular visitors as well as those who may not have visited our coastal precinct before.” said Jade Harding of the Ballito Urban Improvement Precinct (BUIP). “There has been so much exciting change in the area in the past few years and we have been focused on ensuring that we are ready to extend a warm welcome. The news that three swimming beaches have been accorded Blue Flag status for the 2022-2023 season is evidence of the cared-for environment that the North Coast delivers and is a testament to all the hard work behind the scenes by both the private sector and KwaDukuza Municipality.
”The Blue Flag beaches are the popular Blythedale, Thompson’s Bay and Willard Beaches. With water and sanitation services causing concern across the country, the North Coast stands out as a welcome bright spot. Not only are the beaches subject to stringent and independent weekly water quality testing, overseen by the Ballito UIP, butthe area is also serviced by the Ilembe–Siza Water Concession, the first water and sanitation Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in South Africa.
“Our Blue Flag beaches are certainly points of pride, but it is important to know that swimming beaches and tidal pools are consistently tested to ensure ideal rated water quality for swimming, surfing and fishing. Regular and independent water sampling undertaken by the UIP and B.N Kirk is enabled in collaboration with several North Coast living estates,” said Harding.
Shyam Misra, CEO of Siza Water confirmed that water and sanitation infrastructure is in good shape heading into the season. “We serve about 80 000 people on the North Coast, which expands to up to 200 000 people for five to six weeks of the year during holiday peak seasons. We have infrastructure capacity that allows us to manage the services and the ability to quickly respond to maintenance issues as they arise,” he commented.
The Ballito UIP is a private sector Non-Profit Company that works in close collaboration with the KwaDukuza Municipality to create inviting public spaces in Ballito. Thierry Leclezio from the Ballito UIP added that “The UIP operates in collaboration with the municipality in delivering supplementary services to public spaces, this includes security through to upkeep and improvements. Our cleaning and greening staff start at six in the morning, picking up litter, addressing maintenance issues and making sure the places for which we are responsible are safe, neat and inviting. We are also proud of our landscaping efforts to create a lush sense of arrival into Ballito.”
“We start preparing for the Festive Season in August/September to get things ready,coordinating with the municipality to ensure that the beaches are clean and tidy, that we have the necessary security in place and that any special maintenance and improvement projects are complete. There is a big engine driving the delivery of safe and inviting public spaces–it really is a collaborative approach.” added Leclezio.“Recently, when debris washed up on shore due to high seas, we all gathered and cleaned the beaches-stakeholders, municipal and UIP staff-the beaches very quickly became accessible again. That is just one example of how we work together.
”This proactive and collaborative approach is hard and smart at work on the North Coast,providing a model for collaborative public spaces service delivery that would be the envy of most parts of the country. Everyone involved is working to ensure the best possible Festive Season experience for residents and holiday makers alike.
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