Bright outlook for tourism in Ndlambe area

With Bathurst on a roll, Alexandria on a mission and a productive relationship between Kenton-on-Sea and Port Alfred, the Sunshine Coast’s tourism enterprise is alive and well.  Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT) chair Wouter Hensens’s report to a packed conference venue at MyPond Hotel earlier this month presented evidence of an energy that is sweeping through an area where nearly a quarter of the GDP comes from tourism. 

Hensens admitted that he was convinced Port Alfred had the Kwela Dorp van die Jaar title in the bag. But instead of lamenting the fact that the title and accompanying prize money went to Bloemhof (“a small town no one has ever heard of”), he said, “We fought a good fight and I was really impressed with how everyone presented themselves.” There’s no doubt that a lot of time and effort went into the Kowie campaign, but the wave of successes outlined in his report put it in perspective. 

The Bathurst Country Affair, coordinated by Tanya Schenk, was hailed as a massive success. It was a highlight for the village that also saw the successful merging of the Kowie Museum with the Bathurst Agricultural Museum. Bathurst now had strong representation on the tourism board, Hensens noted. 

Meanwhile, Alexandria had established a Tourism and Business association linked to SCT. An office with an adjoining coffee shop was in the works – “the main street must look like you want to stop there”. Because Alexandria is the gateway to the Sunshine Coast, this initiative would benefit Port Alfred and the rest of the area. 

Inclusive 

In Port Alfred, Hensens emphasised the value of the role the Sunshine Life Centre played in fostering a culture of positive inclusivity.  

“People want to volunteer there,” he said, referring to the range of skills-training programmes offered there thanks to members of the community offering their services, and expertise. 

StendenSA would in future be certifying all the training courses offered by the Sunshine Life Centre, after reviewing their curricula and assessment processes. 

An important step towards bringing the wider community into tourism events would be securing the old market building in Pascoe Crescent (‘The Lounge’). With space for 40 micro-entrepreneurs, Hensens said it would be “a game changer”. 

Other initiatives included facilitating internships to introduce talent to businesses, involving local communities in tourism events, training for youth on responsible prawn harvesting, and professionalising parking guards. 

“Over the last two year we have prioritised to make our sector more inclusive for small entrepreneurs, create more meaningful employment in our sector, and ensure our wider community recognises the value of our natural environment and helps us to sustain it,” Hensens said in his report. 

Sustainablity 

Recognising that long-term sustainability for tourism requires protecting tourism assets, Hensens noted the work done by Royal Alfred Marina Home Owners Association manager Claire Wright and Outdoor Focus owner Carey Webster towards protecting the Kowie Estuary. 

Wright later explained, “Carey and I, as part of our contribution to Sunshine Coast Tourism, have taken on the river as our project to clean up.  

“We’ve identified ambassadors through [Sunshine Life skills centre] SHINE to educate people about the effects of litter on the river.” 

IN addition, the marina, one of three in South Africa awarded WESSA Blue Flag status, has also registered with the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) in their Adopt-a-Spot programme.  

“We’ve adopted the river, and East Beach,” Wright later explained. “We organise cleanups and contribute to the SST database.” 

Safety 

Port Alfred Business Forum chair Clinton Millard spoke about safety and beautification initiatives in Port Alfred. Street guards had been successfully piloted in the CBD as well as parking attendants, with plans to expand the programme. 

“However, we do need buy-in from businesses in each street for this to work.” 

They are in the process of getting the Main Street cleaned and painted.   

“We are approaching the property owners to assist here,” Millard said. 

A coffee kiosk at Kelly’s Beach, along the lines of that now at East Beach, would be in place in time for the December season. 

Panic buttons connected to the Multi Security control room had been installed at Port Alfred’s main beaches. 

Certificates of appreciation were presented to John MacDonald (Kleinemonde’s The Lily Rose restaurant); Michelle Rowley (Bathurst Tourism and Business Committee) who received on also on behalf of Tanya Schenk (Bathurst Country Affair); Jo Styles (The Market Traders Store) and Ndlambe Municipality. Treasurer Mandy Roesstorff was awarded the Sunshine Coast Tourism floating trophy in recognition of her contribution to the well-being and stability of tourism in the area through sound financial management and oversight. 

According to the Ndlambe Municipality 2022-2027 IDP: 2025/26 revision the area’s tourism spend as a percentage of GDP in 2023 was 22.89%, compared to 17.09% in Sarah Baartman District Municipality, 9.68% in Eastern Cape Province, and looking at South Africa as a whole, the total tourism spend had a total percentage share of GDP of 6.84%.