Author: Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe

Ald Leon van Wyk, Executive Mayor of George

It was pleasing to be able to attend the preliminaries to a planning meeting between the Municipality’s Planning department and a high-level team from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (“DBSA”) who have earmarked Thembalethu for a showcase pilot project to develop economic activity including business processing outsource (“BPO”) capability. The involvement of the DBSA is very welcome in support of the infrastructure upgrades being envisaged for Thembalethu. The focus on the BPO sector latches on to the promising activity in this sector where George has recently been visited by representatives of another international company exploring the outsourcing of services into the Western Cape.

We have also touched base with the team producing the Ouma Sarie TV series that is flighted on ETV. This is the #1 Afrikaans television show across all genres with more than 1,8m viewers per episode. It is produced and filmed in George by a home-grown team with no formal training in television production experience. We congratulate the team on this excellent achievement and look forward to the planned expansion into a fully-fledged film studio adding more employment in this creative sector.

We met with the Provincial Minister of Mobility, MEC Ricardo Mackenzie to discuss the progressive roll-out of the GO GEORGE bus service into Thembalethu and collaborative efforts on engagements to revive rail freight and growing the Air Access program into George. Readers will have noticed media reports about low productivity within the Cape Town port that are delaying both fruit exports and imported goods awaited by retail operations. Pressure is being placed on the National Government to remedy the ineffectiveness of Transnet’s rail service and ports and the resultant costs to the economy. There are benefits to be obtained from Wesgro’s Air Access program with respect to international tourism and air cargo. Air travel packages are already being offered to tourists visiting the Garden Route from Cape Town.

In their recent report on the South African economy, the Harvard Growth Lab referred to the collapse of the state’s capacity to implement and direct policies to drive progress within state departments and enterprises in the country. This critique extended to corruption and preferential procurement resulting in minimal economic growth for the country. These policies have led to the increase in national debt and the cut-back in expenditure that has already affected Provincial education and health budgets, for example.

Census 2022’s confirmation that George’s population was just below 295000 in February 2022 means that the provision of health and education services and infrastructure will require upgrades, placing further pressure on the already constrained Provincial budget. It is evident from recent interactions with the medical and educational fraternity expressing their concerns about being under-capacitated in serving patients and learners. Regarding education, the Province is exploring an innovative approach where the public and private sectors can partner in funding and delivery models that can conform with legal prescripts.

Even though the above services are not within the mandate of local government, we are actively engaging as we attempt to facilitate solutions to unlock opportunities that will benefit the economy and our communities.

Herolds Bay team

On Thursday, 18 January 2024, George Municipality’s leadership and management organised a braai to express gratitude to approximately 150 municipal officials and seasonal workers for their hard work and dedication during the recent festive season.

The group, consisting of cleaning staff, NSRI life savers, law enforcement, and general workers, was celebrated by George Mayor, the Municipal Manager, and other councillors for their exceptional efforts. Three appreciation braais were held at Herolds Bay, Victoria Bay, and Wilderness beaches. In a spirit of servanthood, councillors, and the municipal manager personally prepared and served the officials. Executive Mayor Alderman Leon van Wyk distributed boerie rolls, and the Chief Whip of the Council served ice cream.

Mayor van Wyk highlighted the importance of servant leadership, saying, “We showed our appreciation to the seasonal workers who worked at our beaches over the last few weeks to ensure a bumper holiday season. I believe in servant leadership. It was great to see fellow councillors treating the staff and manning the braais.”

Each worker received a certificate of appreciation from Mayor van Wyk and the Municipal Manager, Dr Michele Gratz. Contracted seasonal staff, along with permanent officials, played crucial roles in cleaning beaches, ensuring safety for visitors and locals, maintaining facilities, and controlling traffic hotspots to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

Mayor van Wyk commended their outstanding work, emphasising their contribution to attracting tourists, boosting the economy, and ultimately creating jobs. The region experienced a bumper season, providing a significant economic boost, with several community markets reporting strong sales during December.

Alderman Leon van Wyk Executive Mayor of George

George Municipality has issued numerous media releases over the past week about the recent busy and successful tourism season. We had anticipated an influx of visitors as we commenced our season preparedness meetings in late September. This was our third season of daily meetings to ensure planned law enforcement, safety, care and clean beach facilities, management of traffic and creating a welcoming environment for our visitors over the 6-week peak. This programme is now running smoothly with many of these meetings being completed in less than 30 minutes.

The NSRI were excellent in managing the lifeguard program with our incident command vehicle regularly being stationed at Dolphin’s Point to keep a watchful over the entire Wilderness beach with the aid of its cameras and drone. We need to thank the full municipal and support team for their excellent, friendly service and dedication to ensure a safe and well-functioning season.

The managed and safe environment enabled tourism sector providers to conduct their business. While we are still gathering accurate statistics about the season, it is evident that accommodation establishments, restaurants, activity, and other service providers had a successful season. Our domestic visitors came from across the country and stakeholders noted a marked increase in international visitors.

The economy in the 2023 year was relatively tough for most citizens; nevertheless, we have seen shifts towards online business trading and more markets that popped up. It was noticeable how some tourism operators successfully adapted their offerings, being more agile to produce pleasing results relative to other providers.

In tracking air travel movements, it would appear that passenger movement through George Airport compared well with Cape Town’s (positive) passenger arrivals taking into account the relative size differential. Throughout most of the key peak period, there were 12 flights per day landing from Johannesburg with a daily carrying capacity of 1700-1800 visitors arriving in the Garden Route. One airline had 3 aircraft departing from Johannesburg by 07h30 each morning.

As statistics for the recent holiday period become available, analysts will examine whether holidaymakers have preferred visits to the Western Cape in preference to KwaZulu-Natal where pollution has been impacting the quality of seawater. During 2023, it became evident that many municipalities in other parts of the country were struggling to maintain sustainable standards of service delivery.

Since late November, George has received requests to provide assistance to Knysna Municipality on an ad hoc basis to deal with refuse removal and its transfer to landfill facilities and to provide tankers to deliver water to communities where network failures have occurred. Our advice has been that a comprehensive recovery plan needs to be formulated for Knysna and supported by the administration, council and residents to address and remedy these shortfalls.

Early in December, we were pleased to be informed that we had been placed in 7th position nationally in the Blue Drop Water ratings for excellence in water quality and related systems. Over the last few years, George has been re-building its ratings amidst the combination of pipeline breakages and flood-rated damage, water usage that is often exceeding water treatment capacity and the substantial construction underway to expand treatment capacity by 50%. Since 2021, there has been considerable investment in technology as part of the renewal of ageing infrastructure. These efforts will assist us as we constantly strive to improve.

We extend our best wishes to all residents for 2024.

Alderman Leon van Wyk
Executive Mayor of George

In the photo: Bird’s-eye-view of Wilderness beach, with popular paragliders soaring overhead

George experienced a bustling holiday season, particularly from 22 December 2023 to 3 January 2024, with accommodation levels reaching 80% to full occupancy. Shorter stays, around 4 to 5 days, were common, with increased domestic visitors from major cities like Gauteng, Cape Town, and Gqeberha. International visitors also showed growth, pleasing tourism stakeholders. The Local Tourism Bureau, comprising George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism were delighted to receive mostly positive feedback from tourism businesses about how the festive season is going for their businesses.

Reflecting on the recent festive season, Executive Mayor Alderman Leon van Wyk expressed satisfaction with George’s tourism performance. “Comparatively, the Garden Route region fared well, aligning with the success seen in Cape Town. Daily flights and passenger numbers reflected similar positive trends, with accommodation levels consistently above 80%, often reaching full capacity,” Mayor van Wyk said.

Mayor van Wyk credited the success to the innovative approaches of participants in the tourism sector and the Municipality’s thorough preparedness for the tourist season. “What we’ve also seen is that those providers who have been able to be adaptive, agile and have novel ideas, have done extremely well. We as the Municipality have also prepared very well for our tourism season and that has certainly helped in giving a pleasurable experience,” he added.

George Tourism conducted a WhatsApp poll with local tourism members, representing restaurants, activities, accommodations, and tour operators. Sixty per cent (60%) of respondents indicated they were busier than last year and 37% said business was similar to last year, with only 3% indicating that business was quieter than the previous season.

The Outeniqua Powervan, a tram-train trip from the Transnet Transport Museum up the Outeniqua Mountains, reported a bumper season. According to Directors Vivia and Charl Marais, they were fully booked from 11 December until this Saturday, 13 January 2024. It has been such a pleasure helping locals and visitors enjoy the history of our rails and the beauty of our mountain. We transported 32% more passengers than last December and unfortunately had to turn many, many more people away due to capacity.

Some outdoor adventure operators reported they generally had a good season but that late December wet days slowed down their numbers. Feedback from restaurants was mixed – with some restaurateurs continuing to do exceptionally well, and others reporting fewer feet and spend per head. A tour and transfers operator remarked that the roads were the busiest they’ve ever experienced, creating delays, and the Garden Route to Cape Town trip was particularly busy, even on the traditionally quieter times like Christmas. Laetitia Kotze, owner of the popular Boerevintage Gift Market at Redberry Farm, said they received a remarkable 44 000 visitors over 15 trading days. Several tourism stakeholders remarked that they were back to pre-Covid figures.

By extracting data from software that aggregates information from top Online Travel Agent (OTA) platforms, the Tourism office reported an average occupancy of 77% across George Municipality from 15 December 2023 until 09 January 2024. The best-performing dates on these OTA platforms, where occupancies exceeded 80%, were from 23 December 2023 until 03 January 2024. Twenty-nine December was the crème de la crème, recording the highest average occupancy for the season – at 88%. More good news followed when it was calculated that the destination’s average occupancy had increased by 5% compared to the same period last year. These statistics exclude trade and direct bookings, and through anecdotal feedback, it seems that accommodation was mostly full.

Domestic tourism is still king, with 47% of visitors to the George municipal area originating from within South Africa. The top 5 domestic source markets were Cape Town, Johannesburg, Centurion, Pretoria and Gqeberha. 43% of December visitors were from an international source market, predominantly travellers from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The average reservation window for December was 80 days, with an average length of stay of 4 days. There were also 62 more properties recorded in December than the previous year, and 118 more properties in January, across OTA platforms measured.

The OTA data also shows that George slightly outperforms its neighbouring Garden Route towns, as well as Hermanus, in terms of occupancy for December 2023. However, Plett, Knysna and Hermanus have more properties on Airbnb.

George’s Tourism office team were out and about over the festive season, distributing tourism information to travellers to help them find things to do, as well as promotional items. “Thank you to the Outeniqua Family Market, the Africa Skills George Tens Festival, as well as the George Airport for hosting the George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism Info team over the festive season. This was a great service to travellers and the community, who could pick up tourism maps, brochures, and other information conveniently while exploring the area,” says Joan Shaw, Tourism Manager. Tourism info activations also took place at various beaches across the municipal footprint.

“Additionally, a big thank you to our local private sector stakeholders for providing timely feedback. We appreciate your prompt responses in helping us to obtain a sense of what is taking place during the season beyond the accommodation statistics the office subscribes to”, adds Shaw.

The Wilderness Visitor Information Centre opened slightly later at 09:30 and closed at 18:00 while operating from 11:00 until 15:00 on Saturdays and public holidays. For those planning their next vacation, or still on holiday, get in touch with George, Wilderness and Uniondale Tourism or go to visitgeorge.co.za for more information.

• GEORGE TOURISM 124 York Street, George Central, George, 6529 | +27 44 801 9295 | info@visitgeorge.co.za | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
• WILDERNESS TOURISM 198 George Road, Wilderness, 6560 | +27 44 877 0045 | info@visitwilderness.co.za | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
• UNIONDALE TOURISM Virtual assistance | +27 44 518 0030 | info@visituniondale.co.za | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

The George Municipality looks at the festive season wrap in numbers during the Festive Season period from the beginning of December to 8 January 2024.

BLUE FLAG STATUS

EMERGENCY SERVICES STATISTICS

NON-ALCOHOL CAMPAIGN STATISTICS

FIREWORKS BAN ENFORCEMENT

JOINT TRAFFIC SERVICES

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE DELIVERY STATISTICS

While many municipalities across the country closed during the festive period, George Municipality stood out by keeping its offices open, ensuring continuous service delivery to citizens and businesses. The decision to remain open allowed the municipality to respond effectively to various cases and maintain essential services.

STATISTICAL INFORMATION FOR TOWN PLANNING

GO GEORGE OPERATIONS DURING FESTIVE SEASON

Amidst the diligent efforts of emergency personnel, law enforcement agencies, municipal officials, and stakeholders during the festive season, the George Municipality highlights some lighter moments that added a touch of humour and positivity to the bustling period:

• One notable lighter moment was the innovative ways people devised to hide alcohol while visiting the beaches. Alcohol was found smuggled onto the beaches, including hiding it between food, clothing, camping equipment, and on their bodies.
• Seagulls made an unexpected appearance, chasing a drone operated by a member of the public who assisted in spotting six sharks on Saturday.
• Dolphins unexpectedly joined lifeguards in their rescue efforts, swimming alongside them in the waves.
• In an unexpected turn of events during the festive season, law enforcement officials encountered a few spirited individuals running nude in the streets on their way to the midnight swim in Herolds Bay.

The George Municipality expresses hearty appreciation for the recognition of its hard work by the public and visitors. Positive feedback received on various social media platforms from residents, businesses, and visitors includes:

• “These ablutions are beautiful” – a visitor commenting on the public toilets at Leentjiesklip Beach
• “An enormous THANK YOU again to the teams involved for the dedication and hard work that went into making the season feel safe and welcoming. It makes Wilderness a very attractive December destination and a huge benefit to us all.”
• A Facebook Reel featuring a visitor’s positive impressions of the beach, lifeguards, security, and clean facilities. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2174446229585768 Kom maak ‘n draai as jy lus is vir ‘n lekker dag op die strand. Hier is lewensredders en sekuriteit. Die toilette lyk goed en die strand is mooi skoon. Sien juller hier. (English: Come and have a look if you feel like a nice day on the beach. There are lifeguards and security here. The toilets look good and the beach is pretty clean. See you here).

“The municipality is pleased to have achieved its goal of ensuring consistent service delivery during the busy festive period and maintaining the efficient functioning of George,” said Dr. Michele Gratz, the Municipal Manager of George.

NSRI lauded the successful management of this past festive season

A notable highlight of the Festive Season Monitoring Committee and operations was the successful collaboration with SANParks and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Wilderness. Michael Vonk, Chief Executive Officer of the George Regional Hospital and Station Commander for National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 23 lauded the successful management of this past festive season, which was one of the busiest in recent years.

“The close collaboration, teamwork, and partnerships between all role players to ensure the necessary preventative measures were in place, along with a coordinated emergency response were extremely effective in limiting the number of serious incidents on our beaches. Particularly, local law enforcement officials for their rigorous approach to curbing alcohol use on the beaches, together with lifeguards who work long days during the season are to be commended for their tireless efforts in keeping our beaches safe for the public to enjoy,” Vonk said.

Jonathan Britton, Senior Section Ranger for the Wilderness National Park, expressed appreciation for the focused collaboration with the Municipality, contributing to the overall success of the festive season. “SANParks actively participated in the George Municipality-led collaboration that underpinned and guided all planning and operations to ensure that Wilderness is a safe and attractive destination for our visitors and residents. The holiday season in Wilderness sees an influx of visitors spending their holidays enjoying the attractions of the National Park that is interwoven with the town of Wilderness,” Britton said.

“To create a safe and attractive holiday destination in an open-access National Park requires an integrated and collaborative approach between various role players and stakeholders to achieve these objectives. Law Enforcement Officials and SANParks Rangers in Wilderness worked side by side to achieve this common goal. The result of this focused collaboration could be seen in the many visitors and their families enjoying all the attractions and creating lasting memories in Wilderness. We look forward to building on the successes of the past season to have an even more successful season in 2024/2025,” Britton concluded.

George Municipality’s Headquarters

While many municipalities across the country closed during the festive period, George Municipality stood out by keeping its offices open, ensuring continuous service delivery to citizens and businesses. The decision to remain open allowed the municipality to respond effectively to various cases and maintain essential services.

In the Human Settlement Division, seven emergency fire cases and one natural disaster case were addressed during December 2023. Assistance was provided to three families in accordance with the approved Emergency Accommodation and Assistance Policy. Five other affected families were informed about outstanding documentation needed for assistance. No Breaking New Ground (BNG) houses affected by fires were reported for December 2023.

The Planning Development Compliance Section remained active, addressing both new and existing complaints, updating matters, and conducting follow-up inspections. Three meetings with attorneys were held to discuss current cases, and three new matters were referred to the legal section. Inspections for land use contraventions numbered 21, resulting in nine notices served to landowners. Six consultations were held with property owners who received notices to discuss the way forward in their matters.

Statistical Information for the Town Planning Division from December 1 to December 21, 2023:
• Building plans processed: 251
• Approved building plans: 119 (110 residential, 9 non-residential)
• New applications in circulation: 60 (56 residential, 4 non-residential)
• Certificates of Occupancy issued: 70 (61 residential, 9 non-residential)
• Building Control inspections conducted: 117 (6 commencement, 18 drainage, 2 ad hoc, 91 completion)
• Complaints addressed by Building Control: 27

The George Municipality remains dedicated to delivering efficient services and ensuring the well-being of its

Law enforcement officials and beach monitors detected and confiscated the alcohol to ensure the safety of beachgoers

George Municipality has successfully upheld its strict no-alcohol policy on beaches, confiscating a total of 395 litres of alcohol valued at approximately R 31,000 this festive season. Despite individuals attempting innovative methods to smuggle alcohol to the beaches, including hiding it between food, clothing, camping equipment, and on their bodies, law enforcement officials and beach monitors detected and confiscated the alcohol to ensure the safety of beachgoers. All confiscated alcohol has been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for proper disposal.

A collaborative effort involving Neighbourhood Watch Groups, Private Security Companies, SANPARKS, NSRI, Community Police Forums, and SAPS contributed to ensuring community safety during the festive season. Additionally, the Department of Forensic Pathology Services for George provided the armbands to Law Enforcement, allowing for the inclusion of details about relatives in case of separation from children.

Fireworks Ban Enforcement
George Municipality maintained a complete ban on the ignition of fireworks, firecrackers, flares, paper lanterns, and similar items in the municipal area. A total of 331 visits were conducted to various retail outlets, resulting in the confiscation of an estimated R 1500 worth of fireworks. The municipality acknowledges and appreciates the adherence of retail outlets to applicable regulations, as reflected in the decline in the value of fines and confiscations compared to the previous year.

On the photo with the Executive Mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk the GO GEORGE communication champion and mascot Georgie joined by the municipal team at the mayoral roadblock welcoming visitors to the town.

GO GEORGE continued to provide uninterrupted services throughout the holiday season, with special provisions for extended trips catering to shoppers and employees at the Garden Route Mall and Eden Meander shopping centres, where extended business hours were implemented.

Statistics for December 2023 reveal a significant increase in GO GEORGE bus trips, with a total of 480,854 trips recorded. This marks a notable uptick of 10% compared to the 430,799 trips registered in December 2022.

Throughout the festive season, the GO GEORGE Communication Champions, Call Centre Agents, and other frontline staff remained on duty to assist passengers with information on bus schedules and route planning. The team actively supported first-time bus users, visitors, and individuals with special needs, ensuring they could use the bus service effectively. Notably, passengers in Thembalethu were able to access the bus service for the first time since its introduction to the suburb in November.

In addition to their operational duties, the GO GEORGE communications team played a crucial role in supporting events hosted by the Municipality. They shared information about the bus service with the public, including passengers and visitors, at the annual festive welcome roadblock of the Executive Mayor and the Festival of Lights held in Pacaltsdorp.

Throughout the festive season, traffic officials managed high-pressure points

The concerted efforts between George Traffic Services and the Western Cape Provincial Traffic have once again contributed to a safer festive season in George. Active patrolling of all municipal areas, regular vehicle checkpoints focusing on drunk driving, and managing traffic flow at congested intersections were among the key strategies employed.

Traffic services prioritized critical intersections such as N2/Victoria Bay, Garden Route Mall, Knysna Road exit ramp to Mossel Bay, N2/Station Road (Wilderness), N2/Caltex (Wilderness), N2/Sanparks, and N2/Salinas. Additionally, they regulated traffic on provincial roads surrounding the local airport due to increased flights.

Temporary road signs and traffic cones were strategically placed at hazardous locations to ensure compliance and prevent illegal parking, obstruction, or encroachment on roadways. Each beach had designated areas for Drop and Go, with staff deployed to assist in various capacities.

Throughout the festive season, traffic officials managed high-pressure points, regulated traffic on Nelson Mandela Boulevard and Sandkraal Road during Thembalethu/N2 bridge construction and provided support for funeral escorts and various events within George.

During this period, 38 vehicle accidents were attended to, including 10 with injuries and one fatal incident. Traffic officials issued 413 notices for various traffic and vehicle offences, carried out 32 impoundments, and collected fines totalling R151,100.

To enhance road safety, the Vehicle Testing Station offered free 10-point checks before long-distance travel, with seven motorists taking advantage of this opportunity. The same service will be available from 8th to 12th January 2024 at the Vehicle Testing Station on Hibernia Street from 08:30 to 15:30.

George Municipality Celebrates Blue Flag Success and Beach Maintenance

Wilderness Main Beach, Herold’s Bay Beach, and Victoria Bay proudly retain their full Blue Flag status until 31 January 2024, while Leentjiesklip maintains its Pilot Blue Flag status throughout this festive season. The Blue Flag designation signifies compliance with international standards, ensuring high levels of water quality monitoring, public safety, lifeguard services, and well-maintained coastal amenities.

Despite the challenges posed by a storm surge in September last year, extensive repairs were completed, including the construction of a new walkway in Herold’s Bay, showcasing the municipality’s commitment to maintaining and enhancing its beach infrastructure.

Municipal beach cleaning teams demonstrated dedication by working from 06:00 until 21:00 on numerous nights to guarantee pristine beaches. Their efforts extended to keeping beach ablution facilities in excellent condition, despite heavy usage. Additionally, the Central Business District (CBD) cleansing teams ensured the town remained clean and inviting for all visitors.

The George Municipality takes pride in these achievements and remains committed to providing residents and visitors with clean, safe, and well-maintained coastal environments.

Zero fatalities at George beaches despite a busy period

This festive season concludes with emergency services celebrating a commendable achievement – zero fatalities at George beaches despite a busy period with thousands of visitors, particularly at popular spots like Herold’s Bay and Victoria Bay.

The mobile Joint Operational Centre and the Fire Brigade drone were strategically deployed, showcasing the effective use of technology for sea condition assessments, shark spotting, locating missing persons, and rescue operations. This collaboration between George Municipality and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) proved highly beneficial in enhancing safety measures.

Emergency services reported a total of 849 preventive actions, 7 non-fatal drownings, and 63 rescues, with rip currents accounting for 36% of rescue incidents. The NSRI Lifeguards, NSRI volunteers, and other emergency personnel at various beaches managed 46 first-aid incidents and provided 13 emergency medical assistance services during the festive season.

The NSRI, contracted by George Municipality, oversaw professional lifeguards deployed at Gwaing Beach, Herold’s Bay, Victoria Bay, Wilderness Leentjiesklip, Steps, Wilderness Main, and Conville Public Swimming Pool daily throughout the season. Their collaborative effort resulted in zero fatalities on George beaches in December.

The George Municipal Emergency Services were equally busy addressing fires across parts of George. The Fire Brigade responded to 9 formal structure fires, 19 informal structure fires, 34 veld fires, 2 building fires, 4 motor vehicle fires, 26 motor vehicle incidents, and 10 other emergency incidents.

Cornelius Barnard, Chief Fire Officer and Disaster Management in the George Municipality, expressed pride and gratitude for the swift responses that led to saving lives. The successful outcomes in preventing drownings and controlling fires underscore the commitment and dedication of the emergency services to the George community and its visitors.