Environment News

Vodacom Beach Clean Ups back for 5th consecutive campaign

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 14 December, 2009 : - - The annual Vodacom Beach Clean Up campaign, which ensures that South Africa’s most popular and busy beaches are litter free during the festive period, is back for a 5th consecutive year.

The campaign will kick off on 15 December 2009, and will run daily until 07 January 2010. One supervisor and ten cleaners will be posted at four beaches in KZN, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape respectively, to enhance the festive experience for holiday makers. Whereas, in other provinces, the beaches will be cleaned from 08h00 until 17h00 on each of the campaign’s 23 days, in the Western Cape, cleaning times will occur from 07h00 to 15h00 daily.

The beaches, which cater to a large percentage of the tourists who flock to the coast during the summer holiday, are Scottburgh, Ballito, Westbrook, Umdloti (KZN); Orient Beach, Wells Estate, Jeffrey’s Bay, Port St John’s (Eastern Cape); and Muizenberg, Mnandi, Hout Bay, Camps Bay (Western Cape).

During last year’s campaign, 59 694 bags of rubbish were removed from SA’s beaches, 25 663 of these bags from KZN tourist hotspots.

Palesa Chabula, Executive Head of Vodacom Corporate Communications, said that, “the Beach Clean Up Campaign is something that Vodacom is very proud of. With benefits that range from improving tourists experiences, making the coastal areas safer and cleaner for both humans and marine animals, providing employment opportunities to previously unemployed individuals and boosting the coastal economy, the Vodacom Beach Clean Up Campaign has become synonymous with an enjoyable holiday, for both locals and visitors to the coast”.

Chabula also said that “Vodacom customers who visit the coast this summer will get to enjoy clean beaches with the knowledge that, thanks to their support, Vodacom is making this happen. Local communities also benefit from the initiative, something that Vodacom customers can be proud of”.

Four of the beaches that Vodacom is cleaning are Blue Flag Beaches, namely Camps Bay, Muizenberg, Mnandi and Wells Estate. Alison Kelly, SA’s Blue Flag Program Manager, said that “the municipalities implementing Blue Flag on their beaches are delighted that the Vodacom teams are working in partnership with the municipal cleansing teams to help maintain the highest standards of cleanliness on these beaches.

For beach-goers, the visible presence of the Vodacom teams with their T-shirts and branding increases the assurances that the beach is well-maintained and managed”.

Kelly also said that “it is quite something to see the hard-working teams of Vodacom Beach Clean-up workers toiling in the sun and sometimes the wind. This obvious commitment to delivering an honest day's work and a commitment to keep "their" beaches clean, creates a clear message that South Africans are willing to work hard to offer excellent tourism experiences on our beaches. It is partnerships such as the Vodacom Beach-Clean Up campaign that help us achieve international standards of excellence and hence, increase our attractiveness as a tourism destination”.

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Olivia Jones

Environment - Surfersvillage