Tide-ravaged Ballito slowly picks itself up
September 20, 2007
By SLINDILE KHANYILE
Sue Markram is a semi-retired commercial property owner in Ballito, the coastal resort town in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Her business is one of several that took a knock from the strong tides that ravaged Ballito and other coastal towns such as Zimbali, Zinkwazi and KwaDukuza in March.
Tourism is the mainstay of the economy in the region, with an average of 40 000 visitors descending on Ballito alone in one year.
But record high waves, reaching heights of as much as 12m, caused flooding and destroyed beachfront properties.
Although business is slowly picking up, Markram and other business owners are still reeling from the effects of the aftermath.
Markram, who rents out flats to local residents and holiday makers, lost most of the tenants in her beachfront building. The Easter and July holidays, normally a busy time for property owners in the area, saw a slump in tourism as visitors stayed away.
"People are battling because April and December are what carry [them] through. We have lost April, and December is around the corner," Markram says.
"We need help." She adds that small business owners mainly need assistance with marketing their businesses. "All that people hear is that beaches have been washed away, but our beaches have been reopened."
The rocky beachfront that has replaced the pristine white sandy beaches is an eyesore but some tourists say they find the new ragged look attractive.
Barbara Shingler, the managing director of Ballito Estates, which manages buildings in the area, says the company usually has about 20 000 people booked for December. This number has declined by half since the tides.
"From our holiday lettings alone, we have lost R100 000. The beach is our main thrust and I am glad that people are now starting to realise that," says Shingler.
But she says: "The two positives that came out of this disaster are that people have realised that Ballito is an important tourist destination, and this is our chance to rebuild the beachfront."
Ray Leitch, the owner of Comfort House, a guest house bed and breakfast (B&B), says that although the giant tides can be fingered for the slowdown in tourism, competition may be a contributing factor.
"I do not know if it is just because of the tides," he says. "There are 85 B&Bs in this area, which means there is too much competition and there are some which are not regulated."
The KwaDukuza municipality, in whose jurisdiction these coastal belong, says there has been a turnaround since last month.
"We were severely affected over April and July and our occupancy rate was down by 50 percent," says Collette Bundy, an assistant director of local economic development at the municipality. "We have been doing regular counts and things have picked up quite a lot."
Accommodation bookings in Ballito, which was the worst hit, are already 50 percent for December and 80 percent for the coming long weekend.
However, business owners complain that the municipal rates, which were increased with effect from July, are making things difficult for business people who are already smarting from the effects of the natural disaster.
Markram suggests that the rate hikes be put on hold to give owners time to get back on their feet.
Bundy says: "We [the municipality] have been talking with the bed and breakfast sector about their rates concerns. We will try to assist and review where we can."
The KwaDukuza coastline was declared a disaster area. It will require R62 million to restore it to its former glory. Already R1.2 million has been spent on the clean-up immediately after the high tides, and another R1 million will be spent between now and November to rehabilitate the car parks.
As KwaDukuza starts picking up the pieces, another equinox - an alignment of the sun, moon and earth - is expected on Friday; the high tides will follow about a week later. But Bundy says the municipality is better prepared and does not expect the damage to be as bad as last time.
|
|
