Beach Cleanups

KwaZulu Natal site of four cleanups 

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 21 December, 2009 : - - With the 5th annual Vodacom Beach Clean Up Campaign now underway at 4 KwaZulu Natal (KZN) beaches, and 8 additional beaches countrywide, South Africa’s local and international tourists will once again benefit from a safer and cleaner coastline. During the 23 day campaign, 120 cleaners and 12 supervisors will work hand in hand with the municipal cleaning teams to keep the selected beaches in pristine condition.

The campaign kicked off on Tuesday 15 December 2009, and will run until 7 January 2010. Ten cleaners and one supervisor will be stationed between 08h00 and 17h00 daily at Scottburgh, Ballito, Westbrook, Umdloti (KZN); Orient Beach, Wells Estate, Jeffrey’s Bay, Port St John’s (Eastern Cape); and Muizenberg, Mnandi, Hout Bay and Camps Bay (Western Cape).

Michael Bertram, CEO of South Coast Tourism, said that “it is vital for families to be able to enjoy all that nature has bestowed on us, in a safe and environmentally friendly way.” He also remarked that “Vodacom is a huge partner in ensuring that we remain vigilant in the battle to deliver the very best of service to all of our visitors, and we are honoured that Vodacom is committed to keeping the environment clean and healthy for both the local communities, and domestic and international tourists”.

Bertram’s praise of Vodacom’s initiative is no doubt linked to the results of a recent Statistics SA Domestic Tourism Survey, which declared that KZN is South Africa’s most visited province, generating 20.6 percent of all domestic tourist arrivals. According to the survey, expenditure on day trips to the province was R731,303 million and for overnight trips R2,226 billion. One of the main motivaions for visiting a coastal province is to spend time on the beach, and as a result the cleanliness and safety of the beaches has a direct impact upon the tourism-generated reveue of the province.

Palesa Chabula, Executive Head of Vodacom’s Corporate Communications, said that “we have always been very proud of our Vodacom Beach Clean Up Campaign, and are also well aware of the many positive implications that it has for tourism in the areas we help to clean”. Chabula also said that “together with the local municipal cleansing teams, we are looking forward to making a difference to SA’s beaches this summer, ensuring a definite come back from local and international tourists ”.

Marj Heyman, Chairperson of Kouga Tourism in the Eastern Cape, believes that “the beach clean up campaign is an absolutely wonderful initiative, and of paramount importance for many reasons. Besides creating much needed work for some, it ensures that our beaches are kept clean and safe. The visibility of Vodacom cleaners throughout the day is a reminder to our visitors of the importance of keeping our beaches clean”.

She also said that “in terms of tourism, we will support this initiative for as long as it is available. We commend Vodacom for being environmentally aware, as not only are they keeping the beaches clean, they are also ensuring that there is a minimal contamination of our ocean and the marine life - together we can make a difference in protecting eco-systems and the environment”.

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Olivia Jones

Environment - Surfersvillage