SOUTH COAST ECONOMY IN NEED OF HELP

REPERCUSSIONS FROM the closure of Durban International Airport some time ago have had a devastating effect on the economy of the coastal towns in the south, all the way to Port Edward.

I have seen the gradual degradation as I was a frequent visitor to one of Kwazulu-natal’s hidden, wild and wonderful parts of South Africa.

I say this on good authority as I used to live on a hilltop overlooking a vast expanse of forest and sea in the quaint little seaside village of Palm Beach. A half-hour drive from Port Shepstone, it was easily accessible from Gauteng and the then Durban International Airport.

Today, visitors to the area prefer emdloti, Ballito, umhlanga and the North Coast seaside towns for various reasons, including infrastructure and accessibility.

The removal of the airport to the North Coast has left the South Coast at the geographic periphery of KZN. This, coupled with the lack of an informed policy, distance, poorquality housing converted to guest houses and other issues, has found the South Coast economies not only depressed but undermined.

The numerous rural communities dotted along the area have created social isolation. The blinkered attitude from local government needs to be reversed if the South Coast is to survive.

These coastal communities need a proper strategic plan where public private partnerships need more investment into the area and a rethink of its transport systems, infrastructure, and facilities to expand tourism and visitors.

Economic regeneration is a creative process, and the public/ private partnerships and unwavering support from municipalities can explore how the government can work proactively with the tourism industry to promote growth and support jobs on the South Coast.

Tourism has often been the staple industry in seaside towns, and the seasonal boom is not nearly enough to boost the economy.

My little spot in this part of the South Coast is a hidden paradise to me. This is ever confirmed when I watched in awe, every day this past week, the morning sun emerging from the ocean swathing sea and sky in an enormous golden ring of fire. And for one nano-second there is no other place on this planet I would rather be than here.

This is the South Coast of KZN. Please don’t allow its degradation any further.

Brenda Kali is chief executive of Conscious Companies and the founder of the Conscious Leadership Academy