News Article

NMBM INVESTS R5.6 MILLION TO UPGRADE AND MAINTAIN WORLD-RENOWNED BEACHES

Published: July 15, 2026

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The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's efforts to maintain its world-renowned status for its beaches continue to gain momentum. This has been confirmed by the R5.6 million budget allocated in the 2026/27 financial year for maintenance and upgrade projects at some of the City's iconic beaches.

The City, which boasts four Blue Flag beaches, has over the years experienced steady growth in the number of visitors to its coastline. This has been attributed to the hard work and commitment of the Municipality's Beaches and Resorts Office in maintaining high standards across its beach facilities.

Recently, the Municipality launched a Beach Safety Programme in which a number of young people were trained as Peace Officers to patrol and proactively help prevent crime in the Humewood and Summerstrand beachfront areas.

Among the projects to be undertaken is the restoration of fencing and braai facilities at Brighton Beach at the cost of R500 000.

An amount of R1.5 million has been budgeted for the upgrade of the balustrade in the Wells Estate beachfront precinct, while R2 million will be spent on fencing at Maitlands Beach to improve access control and safety within the precinct.

The ablution facilities at Sardinia Bay Beach, which have suffered extensive vandalism over the past two years, have been allocated R1.5 million for repairs and upgrades. The Kings Beach kiosk will also receive an upgrade valued at R500 000, which will include improvements to the infrastructure and replacement of the roof.

"Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced a steady increase in both local and international tourists visiting and enjoying our beaches. The vandalism that occurred during the lockdown caused significant damage to our beach infrastructure. We are now working to restore our beaches to a high standard that has always been enjoyed by both residents and visitors.

"We take great pride in our Blue Flag beaches, and, through our Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget processes, we will continue to invest in this important tourism and community asset with the intention to see all our beaches acquiring the same status,” said Executive Mayor, Councillor Babalwa Lobishe.

Additional work will include tree felling where necessary, grass cutting, general park maintenance and cleaning, as well as improvements to public lighting. Sidewalk maintenance will also be undertaken at beaches such as Sardinia Bay.

"More work and additional funding will be invested in the next financial year to continue upgrades and maintenance at other beaches, including Wells Estate and Brighton Beach, as we continue improving our beachfront for the benefit of residents and visitors alike," added Executive Mayor Lobishe.



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