Flying the Blue Flag South Coast boasts 7 Blue Flag beaches - the highest number in Africa

Twenty-four of the top South African beaches that have achieved Blue Flag status for the forthcoming 2015/16 season have also received special recognition for their sustained commitment to marine and coastal conservation through their long-term and continuous participation in the international Blue Flag Programme.

The commendable achievements of the stakeholders responsible for the success of these beaches were formally acknowledged with the presentation of awards at the launch event for the 2015/16 Blue Flag Season. The new Blue Flag season opens officially on 1 November.

South Africa has 3,200km of coastline and offers an amazing variety of coastal marine life. And of this extensive coastline, the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast covers 120km and claims 7 of these Blue Flag beaches alone. Says Ugu South Coast Tourism CEO Justin Mackrory `Without the hard work and commitment of all involved, the municipality, the beach guardians such as WESSA and the private sector, this would simply not be possible. It boils down to respect and love for our natural resources. What is also significant to note is that the KZN South Coast has the highest number of PERMANENTLY managed Blue Flag beaches in Africa.

This is a major draw card for visitors. In fact, we attended Das Boot in Dusseldorf, Germany earlier this year and the status of our beaches and number of Blue Flag's was of sincere interest to potential visitors, trade and media alike. Das Boot is the largest boat and oceanic exhibition in the world, attracting over 230 000 people in less than 10 days -so having our unique selling points such as being home to the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in Africa, goes a long way in securing our spot in the limelight and attracting visitors. We really do live in paradise'.