The Status of Coastal Marine Tourism in KwaZulu Natal in 2022

Abstract

The 2014 Operation Phakisa: Oceans Economy Maritime growth strategy document made provision for the growth and development of six maritime sectors as part of the country’s economic growth strategy. One of the chosen sectors was coastal marine tourism. Within the South African context, coastal marine tourism has been most developed within the urban coastal areas like Durban, Ballito and Richards Bay as well as the southern coastal belt from Durban to Port Edward. Along the coastal regions between Durban and Kosi Bay, not much was known about the status of coastal marine tourism within the rural coastal areas. To understand the status of coastal marine tourism within these areas, the Moses Kotane Institute surveyed rural community coastal marine tourism (CMT) related businesses and local economic development officials within the districts of uMkhanyakude, King Cetshwayo, iLembe and Ugu. Participants were vocal about the challenges facing communities and fledgling businesses and the solutions needed. While all participants were able to identify some CMT products, they all agreed that communities were not enjoying the benefits of the CMT value chain or engaging in the industry as they should. Challenges cited included lack of infrastructure, insufficient knowledge of the sector, difficulty raising funding, lack of business knowledge or access to opportunities, and the powerlessness of local and provincial agencies when dealing with the administrators of the many protected areas, as they report directly to national government structures and get their mandate from national government and the ineffectiveness of many government programs and community interventions. They also referred to the government departments that had made a positive contribution towards community economic development and suggested interventions which they thought would assist them. These are all captured within this paper, together with observations and recommendations on interventions that can be made.