Two of Buffalo City Municipality’s (BCM) most popular coastal destinations, Gonubie Beach and Kidd’s Beach, have been awarded Blue Flag Pilot Status, marking a significant step towards full international environmental accreditation.
This is the second-year running that both beaches have been awarded pilot status.
The announcement was made on Friday during the 2025/2026 Blue Flag Awards ceremony in Port Alfred.
The milestone recognises the municipality’s ongoing efforts to improve beach management, safety and environmental sustainability.
A Blue Flag Pilot status is one that is in the process of meeting all international Blue Flag standards.
The pilot status allows municipalities and beach managers two seasons to strengthen compliance with environmental education, water quality, safety and management criteria before applying for full certification.
According to the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa), which administers the Blue Flag programme locally, the initiative aims to promote sustainable beach management and eco-tourism excellence.
Wessa senior programme manager Mike Denison said the programme had played a crucial role in improving coastal management since its introduction to SA in 2001.
“Over the past 20 years we have collected thousands of water quality samples, carried out hundreds of independent beach control visits and monitored environmental education activities,” he said.
We are excited about the future of the programme in SA and our vision of awarding 100 Blue Flag sites by 2030
“We are excited about the future of the programme in SA and our vision of awarding 100 Blue Flag sites by 2030.”
A total of 15 beaches received the full Blue Flag status in the province, and six, including those in BCM, were pilot beaches.
The award can be given to beaches, marinas and tourism boats that meet 33 criteria focused on water quality, environmental management, education and safety.
The Blue Flag is an international environmental certification operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
BCM spokesperson Bongani Fuzile on Sunday said the pilot Blue Flag status was a significant step towards achieving full Blue Flag accreditation.
“This recognition acknowledges the municipality’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality, safety and sustainability of our coastal environments, while promoting responsible tourism and environmental stewardship,” he said.
BCM will continue to work closely with Wessa and other key stakeholders to ensure that all Blue Flag criteria are fully met.
“This includes ongoing improvements to beach facilities, water quality monitoring, waste management and public awareness programmes,” Fuzile said.
Mayor Princess Faku said the city was “extremely proud of this achievement, as it reflects our commitment to maintaining and enhancing the natural beauty and environmental integrity of our coastline”.
“The awarding of Pilot Blue Flag status to Gonubie and Kidd’s Beach demonstrates that we are on the right path toward achieving full Blue Flag accreditation.”
Faku said this recognition also reaffirmed the city’s position as a sustainable and attractive tourism destination.
“Our beaches are not only places of leisure, but also vital environmental assets that we must protect for future generations,” she said.
“We will continue to invest in improving coastal management practices, ensuring safety and promoting environmental education among our communities and visitors.”
DA councillor Frederick Pohl welcomed the development, saying the recognition would help market Buffalo City’s coastline as a prime tourism destination.
This recognition helps to position the city as safe and attractive destinations for both residents and visitors
“This recognition helps to position the city as safe and attractive destinations for both residents and visitors,” Pohl said.
However, he cautioned that the city must address ongoing issues to sustain the Blue Flag recognition.
“Two main issues require urgent attention, that is law enforcement and water quality,” he said.
“Law enforcement must rigorously apply bylaws on public drinking and littering to ensure safety.
“Drunken behaviour and litter undermine the very standards the Blue Flag represents.”
Pohl also raised concerns about sewage spills and the municipality’s limited capacity to test water quality at both Gonubie and Kidd’s Beach.
“There are recurring sewage spills from manholes at the Gonubie Marine Club, Meier Street and Coogee Bay,” he said.
“Similar risks exist at Kidd’s Beach, where the Mcantsi River flows into the sea near the public swimming area.
“These issues must be closely monitored to prevent pollution and ensure that the Blue Flag status is awarded as it could have a negative impact on tourism.”
The Blue Flag programme challenges municipalities to meet and maintain world-class standards while ensuring that coastal areas remain accessible, clean and safe for all.
Buffalo City’s inclusion in the programme, even at the pilot stage, is seen as a positive sign of progress, provided the city continues to strengthen its environmental management systems and invests in long-term maintenance.
Gonubie ward 29 councillor Valerie Knoetze said their main problem was recurring sewage spills.
“Every time we get power outages, sewage spillage flows to the ocean, which affects us in getting the full Blue Flag status,” she said.
“Something needs to be done about sewage spills.”
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.