South Africa

South Africa, Maverick News

Durban tourism operators fasten seatbelts after yet another blow - water cuts

Makhosi Ntuli, a 65-year-old Durban beachfront hawker, shows off her wares. She says she now makes a fraction of what she made during the good old days when Durban was still a premier tourist destination. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

By Chris Makhaye

10 Oct 2024

Durban’s tourism industry has been on the decline in recent years due to pollution on its beaches along the iconic Golden Mile, concerns over crime, and, of course, Covid-19. As the city was preparing for the upcoming festive season, it was hit with another blow — water rationing.

Just as Durban’s tourism industry was preparing for the festive season, last week eThekwini Municipality Mayor Cyril Xaba announced a new series of water rationing in the city, dampening the hopes of a sector desperate to return to its heyday and surpass its pre-Covid-19 numbers.

These measures, known officially as “water curtailment”, come into effect on Thursday, 10 October, and will affect the whole of eThekwini for at least 12 months. They are aimed at dealing with water shortages in many areas, sorting out leaking pipes and illegal water connections.

A boy enjoys a ride on a four-wheel bike on the Durban beachfront. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

The water cuts are just the latest of a number of blows to Durban’s tourism industry after intermittent water supply, concerns over crime and reports of E. coli at local beaches appeared to have affected the city’s tourism industry, while a post-pandemic travel lag means tourist destinations are battling for a slice of a smaller market.

Read more: Durban’s new water curbs could last seven years

Durban, in particular, and KwaZulu-Natal in general offer a diverse range of landscapes, making them attractive destinations for adventure-seeking tourists. The province boasts stunning beaches along the Indian Ocean coastline, a picturesque countryside, the majestic Drakensberg mountains, and game reserves like Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. But the region also faces enormous challenges in enticing tourists.

‘Remarkable growth’ across SA

In July 2024, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille was beaming with pride as she revealed that the tourism sector was showing “remarkable growth”, adding that figures collected by Statistics SA showed tourism had passed the Covid-19-related slump and was now on the mend.

She said that in 2023 the industry grew by 48.9% compared with 2022, when the direct impact of Covid-19 was still prevalent.

De Lille said tourism figures for January to May 2024 put the number of international arrivals at 3.8 million, an increase of 9.7% compared with the same period in 2023. Total foreign direct spend grew by 27.5% year-on-year, reaching R95.1-billion in the 2023/24 financial year.

“Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors, and there is an opportunity to increase employment in this sector… As part of our plan, our target will be to increase arrivals to 15 million by 2030 as stated in the National Development Plan.

Durban beachfront’s iconic Elangeni and Maharani hotels, 2023. (Photo: Angus Begg)

“We have an opportunity now to design the future of tourism for the next five to 10 years, and it is not going to be business as usual. We have to drive urgency in the implementation of our plans for us to succeed in reaching our targets,” she said.

In January 2024, the number of tourists arriving at various airports in South Africa totalled approximately 234,000. Of those, the majority arrived at OR Tambo International Airport, with nearly 121,000 visitors. Cape Town International Airport followed, with approximately 110,000 tourist arrivals. Only a paltry 2,699 arrived through Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.

Durban lagging behind

A study conducted on behalf of Tourism KZN and recently shared with eThekwini Municipality councillors showed that the number of people that visited the city in 2017 compared with 2021 had dropped by almost 2 million, from 5 million to 3.2 million. The biggest decline was the number of international tourists, which dropped from 339,000 in 2017 to 58,000 in 2021.

Read more: Durban tourism still limping following lacklustre holiday season while KZN overall sees uptick

Domestic overnight visitors dropped by almost a million in the four years from 3.4 million in 2017 to 2 million in 2021. Total overnight visitors fell from 3.7 million to 2.1 million and day visitors dropped from 1.2 million to 1.1 million. These numbers were obviously influenced by the pandemic, but the local industry has yet to see a return to pre-Covid-19 tourism figures.

The ripple effect

Despite optimism from officials, tourism businesses in Durban and KZN say they are feeling the pinch.

Due to high levels of E. coli, which is caused by sewage spilling into roads and rivers and ending up on the coast, crime, grime and incoherent government policies in promoting the tourism industry, tourists are expressing their vote by staying away, opting for more accommodating and safer routes.

The KZN Bed and Breakfast Association (Kwababa) and the east coast region of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa say the water cuts will further chase away tourists and force establishments to pay more to buy and store water.

An eThekwini Municipality law enforcement vehicle on patrol on Durban's promenade. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

The DA in KZN has called on eThekwini Municipality to take immediate action to arrest the decline of international tourists.

Last week, the DA said in a statement: “The presence of high levels of E. coli at eThekwini’s beaches has severe consequences for sustainable tourism in the region. Since 2021 there has been no major improvement, despite tourism being critical to improve both our domestic and international market numbers.

“The economic effects are far reaching, affecting local businesses, accommodation, and activities that rely on tourism, with the entire water sport, yachting and sailing tourism sectors equally affected by these sewage spills. The root cause of the problem lies in eThekwini’s broken sewerage system, which releases untreated wastewater into the ocean. This environmental degradation also harms marine life.”

It added that: “Waterborne pollution poses significant health risks to tourists, residents, and employees, including lifeguards. Exposure to contaminated water can lead to illnesses, damaging the local tourism industry’s reputation and deterring visitors.”

Read more: After the Bell: Tourists don’t know what they have until it’s gone

Brett Tungay, the chairperson of the east coast region of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa, told Daily Maverick that they were starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the water cuts were introduced.

“It has been a very tough four years for the industry. First, we had the Covid-19 pandemic that decimated the industry, then we had the unfortunate July 2021 riots and violence, after that we had E. coli on our beaches, and now this.

Two girls play alongside the emptied children's swimming pools on Durban's main beachfront. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

“Recently, we have had increasing trends of international tourists arriving in South Africa, but the vast majority are going to the Western Cape and Mpumalanga province. This is very sad because we offer equal or even better offerings and attractions than these other markets, but we are getting fewer visitors,” he said, citing information sourced from a national survey conducted by the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa and released in September 2024.

“The issue here is more about perceptions than reality on the ground. Crime is there throughout the country, including in the Western Cape and Cape Town, but somehow they have been able to manage this perception and therefore they are still able to attract international tourists in numbers.

“On the other hand, KZN has been getting scathing press coverage about the high levels of E. coli on our beaches and how these have led to the closure of some of these beaches. We have also had political and social instability that were widely reported. I think we need to come together as stakeholders, including the government, the tourism establishments and the press to find a way of dealing with this negative perception,” he said.

The green shoots

Tungay said the attitude of tourism stakeholders had changed, particularly after the 29 May elections and the formation of the Government of National Unity.

“We have met with KZN and eThekwini Municipality government officials to find solutions. Two weeks ago, we met Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and he related to us the shortcomings of the police and the need to utilise private security and tourism establishments to bring an end to crime and attacks on tourists. These initiatives, if implemented adequately, would start bearing fruits in about six months.”

Mzwakhe Luthuli, a 42-year-old sand artist, showcasing his work. He says he is lucky if he makes R300 a day. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

Answering questions from Daily Maverick, Reverend Musa Zondi, the KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, who was appointed to the position in June this year, said he was aware of the myriad challenges facing the tourism industry in the province, hence the ongoing consultation with industry stakeholders and national government officials.

During his department’s budget speech, Zondi announced that R34-billion in investment would be ploughed into tourism infrastructure projects in seven different areas across the province.

“The department had also supported 30 tourism enterprises to enhance their businesses to enable them to have greater participation in the sector. We’ve also upskilled and trained 150 tourist guides across various categories, such as nature, adventure and culture to the tune of R33-million,” he said.

Infrastructure, crime and grime

Many tourism establishments acknowledge that there is a systematic failure to attract and retain tourists, especially high-spending tourists.

A number of hospitality establishments Daily Maverick spoke to declined to speak on the record, fearing ostracisation by authorities who still have a say on their businesses and how they operate.

A manager at a leading Durban beachfront hotel, who requested anonymity as he is not permitted to speak to the press, said petty and even contact crime on the beachfront had been on the increase in the past few years, resulting in international and domestic tourists shunning the city.

A surfer jumps into the sea off a pier on the beachfront in Durban, South Africa, 23 May 2023. EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK

“At one stage we were forced to reduce the prices of the rooms from R1,700 to R800, but still we are struggling to fill up rooms unless there are big events hosted by the City,” he said.

He added that the closure of Funworld, a Durban amusement park that had operated for 75 years and was once the heart of tourism in the city, had a ripple effect, as it had reduced the attractiveness of the Durban beachfront to tourists.

A veteran tourism operator who asked not to be named said it would be a herculean task to solve the problems facing the tourism sector in KZN.

“I am lucky in that I have been involved in this sector since 1979. During this period I saw the opening of both the Sun City and Wild Coast holiday resorts, and I saw the influx of tourists during the transition period in the nineties. I also saw how we have since lost the plot.

“In the nineties, we got many European and East Asian tourists and even Americans coming to Durban, enthralled by our beaches and the wildlife. But they had their cameras taken away by petty criminals and they were robbed at knife-point, with a few stabbed or killed. And these criminals were not apprehended and, if they were, the punishment did not fit crime.

The toilet wall at the Durban beachfront. (Photo: Chris Makhaye)

“Our infrastructure has been failing, there are potholes on the roads, sewage spilling on to the beaches. Even the standards at our wild game resorts have been falling.”

He said that on the South Coast, tourism businesses had been suffering because of constant water shortages, and tourists were not heading to the Drakensberg and other areas because of failing infrastructure.

“The government has not been investing in infrastructure or in security. Even tourism companies are not investing, they are only protecting their bottom lines,” he said.

He added that as factional battles in the ANC and IFP played out in the province, tourism was often neglected by leaders who didn’t fully understand the importance of the job opportunities it created.

“Tourism is at the bottom of the list as the battle for political survival takes centre stage,” he said.

‘We hardly make anything now’

Durban’s downturn has been felt most by those at the lower end of the tourism value chain.

Durban tourist brochures and other marketing tools always feature the city’s rickshaws, and also often show beachside craft and memorabilia sellers. Once the city’s treasured assets, these entrepreneurs now feel left out in the cold.

Makhosi Ntuli (65) has been selling her wares in Durban since 1985. She said well-heeled tourists used to come to the beach and buy their products.

“Things were good then… I even used the money I made here to buy myself a house in KwaMashu. Now things are so bad that we hardly make enough money for transport,” said Ntuli, who said she supported a family of seven, including her unemployed children and grandchildren.

“Things have been progressively going down for years, but Covid-19 almost killed our business and we didn’t get any assistance from the government. The final straw was the closing down of Fun World last year. Now, the kids who came are nowhere to be seen. The tourists who pass here don’t buy or cannot afford our stuff. It has been very painful to watch these developments,” she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by other sellers. A 38-year-old rickshaw puller, who asked not to be named, said that in 2007 he took over from his dad, a veteran puller.

“We hardly make anything now, especially after Covid-19,” he said.

“The situation is so bad that we are now forced to make people who take pictures of us pay R20 just so that we can get money for transport,” he said, adding that some of the former fellow rickshaw pullers had been forced to leave due to their relentlessly falling income.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Interim CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, Sibusiso Gumbi, recently told journalists that his organisation was concerned about the negative publicity received by the City and the region in recent years due to the July 2021 riots, crime, grime and spillage of sewage on to the local beaches. He said they were working with stakeholders from the government, the private sector and the police to tackle the challenges that kept tourists away. At the same time, he said, they were exhibiting in international tourism arenas in target markets in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa to showcase the region’s tourist offerings.

“We continue to see growth in international arrivals to KZN, from 2020 which had 224,988; 2021 had 267,537; 2022 had 554,156 and 2023 had 646,234. In 2024 — quarter one (January to March 2024), KZN received 181,785 international arrivals, compared to 168,693 for the same period in 2023. "This is testament that our international arrivals continue to rise, and soon we will surpass our pre-Covid-19 numbers.” DM

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