Wild Coast safe for tourists, mayor tells Durban travel indaba

OR Tambo district municipality mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana has assured domestic and international tourists that the Wild Coast district is safe to visit, saying violent crime in the area has declined significantly in recent years.

Ngqondwana used this week’s Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban to promote the district as a tourism destination after years of negative publicity linked to violent crime targeting visitors.

“I know today it is no longer a question of whether we are truly a destination of choice to whoever considers serious, safe travel across the world,” Ngqondwana told delegates on Wednesday.

“Every day we host tourists from different parts of the world, we witness scores of buses with tourists visiting many of our places.”

The district, which includes King Sabata Dalindyebo local municipality, has since 2023 grappled with a surge in violent crime, including kidnappings, robberies and attacks on tourists.

Areas such as Mthatha, Mqanduli and Coffee Bay gained notoriety after a series of incidents involving holidaymakers along the Wild Coast, prompting some tourists to cancel bookings.

The Dispatch previously reported on tourists being kidnapped while holidaying in parts of the district, families surviving shootings during robberies and visitors being attacked at gunpoint.

But Ngqondwana told delegates at the tourism indaba that the situation had improved dramatically.

“Crime has dropped so significantly in our space. Our hospitality spaces are safe,” he said.

“We can guarantee that you will enjoy all the safety, the beauty of our amenities. We know you will enjoy the warm welcome and love from the people of OR Tambo.”

Africa’s Travel Indaba is an annual tourism trade show aimed at promoting tourism opportunities, knowledge sharing and investment across the continent.

Ngqondwana said the district remained one of South Africa’s most distinctive tourism destinations, offering experiences rooted in nature, culture, heritage and adventure tourism.

The municipality continues to market the district as an untouched coastline with mountains, waterfalls flowing directly into the ocean, rare plant species and 24 beaches along the Wild Coast.

“Just by setting foot in South Africa, especially in OR Tambo, I can say without fear of contradiction that we have a long story to tell about who we are and where we come from,” he said.

“We pride ourselves more on cultural tourism because of our rich cultural heritage, the graves of great African warriors who have been buried in certain parts of our district.”

Ngqondwana highlighted areas such as Ingquza Hill, Nyandeni, Port St Johns and Mhlontlo as some of the district’s tourism hubs.

Ingquza Hill is home to the Mkambati Nature Reserve, recently recognised as one of South Africa’s Ramsar sites, placing it among globally protected wetlands.

OR Tambo district municipality spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane said while crime affecting tourists had not been completely eliminated, incidents had declined due to stronger tourism safety interventions and collaboration between municipalities, tourism stakeholders, communities and law enforcement agencies.

“Several targeted measures have been implemented in key tourism areas, including Coffee Bay, the Mthatha CBD and the Nyandeni coastline,” Kolwane said.

“These measures include tourism safety awareness campaigns, community education programmes, tourism safety forums and partnerships aimed at strengthening visible safety measures in tourism hotspots.”

She said local residents had also been encouraged to become accredited tourist guides to improve visitor support and strengthen accountability within communities.

Kolwane said additional interventions included the installation of surveillance cameras in identified areas to help in combating crime and improving tourism safety monitoring.

However, Eastern Cape Chamber of Business president Vuyisile Ntlabati said claims that the district was now safe for tourists remained largely untested.

He said increased police visibility, particularly in coastal communities dependent on tourism, would be critical in ensuring criminals did not regain a foothold in the area.

Daily Dispatch