Revised Tourism Strategy for uThungulu District Municipality Final

Revised Tourism Strategy for 

uThungulu District Municipality 

Final 

Report NO. 09/03 

December 2009 

Report Prepared by: 

Report No. 09/03 Final 

Draft Date Author Checked Status Approved 

1 10 December 2009 GMA GAM Final 

2 10 February 2010 GMA GAM Final 

3 21 April 2011 GMA GAM Revised-Final 

KEYWORDS: Tourism; uThungulu District; Richards Bay; Eshowe; Mtunzini; Ongoye; Inkandla; Ntongeneni; Melmoth

Contents 

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 3 

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 8 

Section 1: Tourism Vision for uThungulu District ......................................................................................... 9 

1.1 5 Key Objectives of Tourism Development in uThungulu District .............................................. 11 

Section 2: Review of 2003 Tourism Plan Projects ....................................................................................... 14 

Section 3: Tourism Product and Infrastructure Strategy ............................................................................ 26 

3.1 Ten Product and Infrastructure Strategies for uThungulu .......................................................... 28 

3.2. Nodal Tourism Development Strategy ........................................................................................ 59 

3.3. Emergency Services for Tourists ................................................................................................. 67 

Section 4: Deriving Local Benefit from Tourism Development ................................................................... 69 

4.1 Strategy 1 - Expanding the Tourism Skills Base........................................................................... 70 

4.2 Strategy 2 - Tourism SMME and Supply Chain Development Strategy ...................................... 71 

4.3 Strategy 3 - A Framework for Tourism Development on Community Owned Land ................... 75 

Section 5: Business Plans ............................................................................................................................ 77 

Section 6: Performance Management ........................................................................................................ 95 

6.1. Service Excellence Award System ............................................................................................... 95 

6.2. Future research projects to measure growth in the local tourism industry ............................. 100 

6.3. Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................................... 102 

Appendix A – Maps and Images ................................................................................................................ 105 

Appendix B – Policy and Legislation .......................................................................................................... 111 

Appendix C –List of Possible Emergency Scenarios .................................................................................. 120

Revised Tourism Strategy for uThungulu District Municipality 

- prepared by Graham Muller Associates 

Executive Summary 

The Tourism Master Plan Review for uThungulu District Municipality is an outcome of extensive research 

undertaken in the context of current relevant tourism policy and legislation (see appendix) on the 

current state of tourism in the district as well as a critical assessment of the tourism strategies 

highlighted in the 2003 Tourism Master Plan. The 2003 Tourism Master Plan had become outdated and 

certain strategies identified in the earlier master plan are no longer applicable to the post 2010 period. 

In order to guide tourism development in uThungulu District for the next five to ten years, leading up to 

and beyond the 2010 Soccer World Cup, a new vision for developing tourism in the district is articulated 

in the updated master plan. 

Tourism Vision for uThungulu District (Part 1) 

To develop and market holistic tourism products that utilise the competitive advantages 

that uThungulu District enjoys in ecological/wildlife and cultural/heritage attractions in 

such a way as to appeal to a broad, and international in scope, tourism market, creating 

new flows of tourists in the region and also capturing a substantial share of the existing 

tourism trade which currently passes through the district. 

Tourism Vision for uThungulu District (Part 2) 

To ensure that tourism contributes toward local economic development though the active 

involvement of communities in tourism projects and the strengthening of linkages with the 

SMME Sector. 

Achieving Part 1 of the Tourism Vision 

Some of the key features of this vision for tourism development in uThungulu District include: 

 

The emphasis on the district’s comparative/competitive advantages as being a key driver for 

tourism growth in the district; 

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The importance of capitalising on existing flows of tourists passing through the district; the need 

to also develop new tourist flows; and 

An enhanced focus on the international tourist market. 

Increasing tourist flows and extending tourist durations of stay in the district must, necessarily, entail an 

improvement and an extension of the tourist product/s offered by the district. The tourism product 

and infrastructure strategies outlined in this master plan incorporate both general product strategies 

which set the foundations for the growth of tourism in the district and specific tourism projects which 

are expected to catalyse growth in specific tourism sectors in the district. 

Ten general product and infrastructure strategies for growing tourism in uThungulu are identified. Each 

of the strategies listed in table E1, are a reflection of the findings of the SWOT and Gap Analysis as well 

as the Status Quo Report for tourism in the district. 

Table E1 – Summary of General Product and Infrastructure Strategies 

Strategy 

Priority Level 

1. Develop the Coastline for Tourism Purposes High 

2. Pursue the Development of a Big Five Game Reserve in the 

High 

District 

3. Encourage Cruise Ship Tourism in Richards Bay Medium/High 

4. Extensively Develop the Route 66 Product High 

5. Develop the Great Forests of Zululand Experience Medium 

6. Develop Contemporary African Cultural Tourism Medium 

7. Improve Accessibility and Visibility of Existing Attractions High 

8. Develop Adventure Tourism in the District Medium 

9. Ensure Tourist Safety in Volatile Areas High 

10. Provide More Family-Attractions and Facilities Medium 

11. Promote Events in the District Medium 

A degree of continuity with the previous Tourism Master Plan is evident in the identification of 

strategies 1 to 4, all of which were, to varying extents, identified as key projects in the previous master 

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plan. A nodal tourism strategy further addresses tourism development in some of the areas identified in 

the previous master plan. 

The tourism strategies identified in Table E1, while general, have a spatial component to them, 

identifying areas with high tourism potential. Tourism development in a district needs to be mindful of 

the fact that some areas have competitive advantages when it comes to tourism while others simply do 

not. It is the role of the district municipality to identify areas with high tourism potential that will offer 

cross-cutting benefits for the entire district, and earmark these areas for extensive tourism 

development. A nodal tourism strategy provides a spatial context for tourism development in the 

district, prioritising areas which are expected to have the highest yield for investments in tourism. 

Tourism development nodes are those areas wherein tourist attractions, facilities and infrastructure 

should be clustered. Within these nodes, tourism should be given priority and tourists treated as 

valuable commodities. The following nodes have been identified: 

Primary Nodes 

1. Richards Bay Marina Area and Waterfront 

2. Eshowe and surrounding region 

3. Mtunzini / Siyaya Coastal Park 

4. Mthonjaneni / Dingane Spring 

5. Thula Thula/ Royal Zulu 

Secondary Nodes 

1. Lake Eteza, Umfolozi Village 

2. Nkandla/Matshenezimpisi 

In addition to the more general product and the nodal development strategies, indicative business plans 

were undertaken for seven specific tourism projects considered to be catalytic for tourism development 

in the district. These projects are listed on the following page. 

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Development of Forest Canopy Tours – The development of canopy tours at either Dlinza Forest; 

Entumeni Forest or Mpushini Falls, should stimulate both adventure tourism in the district and 

restore some of the waning popularity of Eshowe. 

Development of Siyaya Hiking Trail – The trail will run from Umlalazi Nature Reserve to 

Amatikulu Nature Reserve and will look to exploit the beauty of this stretch of coastline, in 

offering eco-tourists a memorable hiking experience. 

Development of Nseleni Conference Centre and Accommodation – Along with the current 

upgrade of the conference centre at Nseleni Nature Reserve, accommodation should also be 

provided as a means of capturing some of the passing tourist trade on the N2. 

Support for the Simunye Project – This involves supporting and encouraging this community 

project aimed at creating a Big Five Game Reserve which will be linked to Opathe-Emakhosini, 

and which will provide the Route 66 with a major international attraction. 

Support for the Royal Zulu Game Reserve – This involves renewed support and backing for the 

Royal Zulu Project, spearheaded by Lawrence Anthony and aimed at creating a coterminous 

linkage with Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. 

Development of a Coastal Resort in the Siyaya Coastal Strip – This project will address the lack 

of luxurious coastal resort options (primarily aimed at foreign tourists) in uThungulu District and, 

indeed, in the whole of KwaZulu-Natal. 

Development of a Great Forests of Zululand Tour – This project will look to unite all of uThungulu 

District’s forest attractions into one unique tourism experience which will appeal to eco-tourists; 

birders and heritage tourists alike. 

Achieving Part 2 of the Tourism Vision for the District 

The second part of the vision for tourism in the district concerns the distribution of benefits flowing 

from increased tourism activity. A strategy must be formulated to ensure that tourism development 

does not simply increase the profit margins of well established private sector tourism-based companies, 

but also benefits the local population, whether directly or via a ‘spill-over effect’. There are three ways 

in which the benefits of tourism development can be transmitted to local communities. 

follows: 

These are as 

 

Local entrepreneurship opportunities 

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Income derived from community ownership of land or tourism initiatives 

Employment opportunities 

This master plan identifies three strategies for realising the opportunities arising from increased tourism 

activity in uThungulu District. These are: 

 

 

 

Strategy 1 – Expanding the tourism skills base 

Strategy 2 – Development and support for tourism SMMEs 

Strategy 3 – Providing an effective framework for tourism development on community 

owned land 

Undertaking these strategies is critical to equitably distributing the benefits arising from increased 

tourism development in uThungulu District Municipality. 

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Introduction 

Tourism, as a stimulant for local economic development and job creation underperforms for uThungulu 

District. This, in the main, is attributable to a relatively low (in comparison to the neighbouring districts 

of iLembe, Zululand and Umkhanyakude) tourism footfall in the district. uThungulu District is viewed by 

tourists, largely, as a ‘drive-through’ destination, en route to attractions in either Zululand or the 

Elephant Coast. Low levels of tourism activity, however, do not reflect the true tourism potential of the 

district which, in fact, is immense. The problem is not so much a lack of tourism assets as it is one of 

insufficient product development and diversification. uThungulu District can legitimately lay claim to 

possessing three (namely, Beach; Battlefields and Bush) out of the five (also including Berg and Buzz) top 

tourism experiences in the province. None of these experiences and attractions, however, are 

sufficiently developed in the district or marketed in a way as to attract significant numbers of tourists to 

the district. This document looks to provide a comprehensive product development strategy aimed at 

exploiting the tourism potential of the district so as best to capture the local economic development 

benefits associated with tourism. Although necessary, product development alone is not a sufficient 

condition for the success of tourism in a region, and must be supported by a strong marketing strategy, 

which includes the branding and positioning of the tourism experience that the district offers. 

A tourism strategy was developed for uThungulu District in 2003, but has since become outdated. This 

strategy aimed to provide guidelines for tourism development in the district. More than five years later, 

the current strategy reviews the relevance of some of the recommendations made in 2003. The current 

strategy also assesses the present status of a number of projects identified in the 2003 strategy 

document. Standing on the eve of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the biggest sporting event ever hosted in 

South Africa, a new vision for tourism development for uThungulu District is articulated in this 

document, one which is cognisant of the changing trends in the past five years and of the opportunity 

that the hosting of the World Cup will provide for tourism in the district. This vision will guide tourism 

strategies and initiatives in uThungulu District for at least the next 5 years. 

In articulating an overall vision and specifying a set of tourism development strategies for the district, 

this strategy document draws greatly on the ‘Situational Analysis’ and ‘SWOT and Gap Analysis’ 

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produced by GMA. 

document. 

This initial research forms the rationale behind the recommendations of this 

Section 1: Tourism Vision for uThungulu District 

A tourism vision should act as an overriding goal to which all tourism developments and strategies 

should work toward achieving. The vision should articulate a view of the future which sees the 

realisation of tourism potential and points toward ways of achieving this realisation. 

2003 Vision 

To create, develop and manage ‘uThungulu District’ to become a preferred tourism destination, 

for both foreign and domestic tourists, offering wildlife, cultural and coastal tourism 

attractions in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner that will 

deliver local socio-economic benefit to all the people of the district. 

The vision as articulated in the 2003 tourism development plan is a very broad vision which is still 

applicable today but is not unique to uThungulu District in a way that would suggest specific strategies 

for tourism development. As such a new vision is specified below. 

New Vision 

To develop and market holistic tourism products that utilise the competitive advantages that 

uThungulu District enjoys in ecological/wildlife and cultural/heritage attractions in such a way as to 

appeal to a broad, and international in scope, tourism market, creating new flows of tourists in the 

region and also capturing a substantial share of the existing tourism trade which currently passes 

through the district. 

and… 

To ensure that tourism contributes toward local economic development though the active involvement 

of communities in tourism projects and the strengthening of linkages with the SMME Sector. 

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The new vision can be decomposed to provide a greater understanding: 

 

Holistic tourism products: Tourism revenue is composed of three principal factors. Namely, the 

number of tourists who visit a destination, their duration of stay and their average spend per 

day. Product development should seek to increase each one of these factors by providing a 

more complete tourist experience. Tourism products should be developed which integrate well 

with existing products and lead to a clustering of mutually-reinforcing attractions and facilities, 

such that holistic tourism products are offered. 

 

Competitive advantages….ecological/wildlife and cultural/heritage: It is essential for tourism 

development in uThungulu District to make use of the district’s competitive advantages, and not 

simply superimpose contextually irrelevant tourism initiatives. uThungulu District enjoys 

significant advantages over its competitors (advantages derived from the uniqueness of these 

attractions) in the areas of ecological/wildlife and cultural/heritage attractions. As such tourism 

development should look to further develop and market the uniqueness of these attractions 

 

Broad and international in scope: Tourism in uThungulu District is dominated by niche markets, 

with limited scope for extensive expansion. While these markets are valuable, exclusively 

targeting these markets offers little in the way of future growth prospects. Tourism 

development in the district must thus also aim to appeal to a broad tourism market by providing 

primary, wide appeal attractions. These attractions must also have the ability and quality to 

attract the international visitor, who can choose between any number of tourist attractions in 

South Africa. 

 

New flows: While the nature of tourism (predominantly business) in uThungulu District means 

that average spend per day is relatively low, the main driver of a below average GDP 

contribution of tourism for uThungulu District, is limited tourist footfall in the district. It is thus 

essential to increase the number of tourists visiting uThungulu District. This will necessarily 

involve expanding the district’s tourism target market as indicated above. 

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Capturing existing tourism trade: It is important for the district to develop tourism products 

which create new tourism flows in the region. This is, however, a long term goal. In the short 

term the district must look to tap into the lucrative flow of tourists to areas immediately 

bordering uThungulu District. These tourists should be encouraged to spend more time in 

uThungulu District before progressing to their intended destinations. 

 

Active involvement of communities; linkages with the SMME sector: In order to ensure 

support for tourism projects, and to achieve development aims in the district, the community 

must be given a stake in tourism development. This is best achieved by encouraging 

partnerships with local SMME’s and community land owners. 

1.1 5 Key Objectives of Tourism Development in uThungulu 

District 

Achieving the tourism vision specified in the previous section requires that a number of intermediate 

objectives be targeted. These objectives are listed below: 

1. Increase tourist footfall in uThungulu District 

2. Appeal to high spending tourist market segments and encourage increased spend 

3. Enhance linkages with established tourism attractions in the region 

4. Create an easily recognisable tourism brand identity for uThungulu District 

5. Maximise the community benefit of tourism in the district 

1. Increase tourist footfall in uThungulu District 

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The starting point of any tourism strategy for an area with little previous tourism development is to 

increase the tourist footfall in that area. uThungulu District’s tourist footfall (the number of tourists in 

the district at any given time), is relatively low and comprised mainly of tourists travelling to the 

Elephant Coast, or Business tourists staying in the district for work purposes. These two groups tend to 

concentrate around the N2 Highway, and in business centres such as Richards Bay, Empangeni and 

Eshowe. Remoter areas such as those in Ntambanana, Nkandla and Mthonjaneni, experience very little 

tourist footfall. In order to ensure that the benefits of tourism are distributed equitably in the district, it 

is essential that development takes places in these remote areas, such that the number of tourists 

visiting them increases significantly. Increasing tourist footfall in the district and in the remote areas in 

particular, also requires the marketing of tourist routes which link otherwise isolated attractions with 

established tourism flows. 

2. Appeal to high spending tourist market segments and encourage increased spend 

Simply attracting large numbers of tourists does not mean that tourism will contribute substantially to 

the district’s economic output. This is because different segments of the tourist market spend widely 

different amounts of money while visiting an area, and if the district has large numbers of low spending 

tourists this will reflect in lower tourism revenue. Tourism in uThungulu District can best be described 

as largely domestic, with a high degree of business tourism. Unfortunately these are relatively low 

revenue generating tourist market segments. Thus uThungulu District must, in addition to these 

established markets, also look to target high spending markets. An average foreign tourist spends up to 

eight times a day more than an average domestic tourist, while leisure tourists typically spend more 

than business tourists. Foreign tourists are the most price‐inelastic segment of the tourism market and 

are willing to pay high prices for unique cultural or adventure activities. Both foreign tourists and 

domestic leisure tourists, however, have to be provided with opportunities to spend within the district. 

This entails developing a greater array of tourism products on offer and clustering tourism supporting 

industries (restaurants, cinemas, craft shops) around places of accommodation. 

3. Enhance linkages with established tourism attractions in the region 

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uThungulu District is located in one of the most popular tourism regions in KwaZulu-Natal. Hluhluwe- 

Umfolozi Game Reserve, the Isimangaliso Wetland Park and the Battlefields of Zululand are all within 

close proximity to the district’s borders. These destinations have over a long period established strong 

and regular flows of tourists. Tourism planning for uThungulu District must take into consideration the 

broader tourism region because tourists, in making decisions on destinations to visit, will generally look 

at the total number of attractions in a region, irrespective of district boundaries. 

Thus tourism 

development in uThungulu District should, as far as possible, complement the existing suite of 

attractions available in neighbouring areas. Linkages with tourist areas outside of uThungulu District 

should be strengthened, allowing for the movement of tourists between districts and contributing to the 

attractiveness of the region as a whole. 

4. Create an easily recognisable tourism brand identity for uThungulu District 

While it is important to enhance the linkages between uThungulu District and its neighbours, it is also 

essential that uThungulu District has a unique identity, even if it is an identity which sits within the 

broader tourism identity for the region. The tourism industry aims to bring the’ market to the product’ 

where most other industries take the ‘product to the market’. Attracting the market (tourists) to the 

product (uThungulu District’s tourist attractions) requires extensive marketing and branding in order to 

project a certain image and ‘sense of place’ for a destination. Tourists, especially foreign tourists who 

have an international range of attractions to compare things to, seek unique destinations and neatly 

defined experiences. An internationally recognisable brand must be created for uThungulu District, one 

which guides the expectations of visitors to the district, while at the same time guiding the nature and 

style of tourism development in the district. An effective tourism identity for uThungulu District should 

fit well with the Elephant Coast/Zululand region’s identity but should also be suitably distinguishable, 

propagating the notion that a visit to uThungulu District is a must for tourists visiting northern KwaZulu- 

Natal, or, in fact, the province as a whole. 

5. Maximise the community benefit of tourism in the district 

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The former objectives concern efforts to maximise tourism revenue in the district. However, maximising 

tourism revenue may have little benefit for local communities if tourism development is not oriented 

toward providing locals with income-generating opportunities as well as a significant stake in tourism 

development. The best way in which the local community can gain from tourism development in the 

district is in the creation of jobs. Wherever possible, locals should be trained to participate in the 

operation of tourism initiatives. Additionally collaborative partnerships should be formed between 

private tourism institutions and traditional land owners, in order to achieve sustainable transformation 

in the district. Finally the District Municipality should encourage the participation of SMME’s in the 

tourism industry as this will result in multiplier benefits for the local population. 

Section 2: Review of 2003 Tourism Plan Projects 

The uThungulu District Municipality Tourism Development Plan prepared in August 2003 lists a number 

of strategic projects which it was felt, at the time, were key to achieving the tourism development 

objectives of the municipality, namely: 

 

Development of uThungulu District’s coastal assets, including Richards Bay and catering for 

primarily the domestic market; 

 

Development of the region’s rich natural resources including wildlife and catering primarily for 

the foreign market; and 

 

Integration and interpretation of cultural and historical assets providing for primarily foreign 

markets but with added value for the domestic market. 

(Halley Sharpe, 2003) 

This chapter reviews those projects and assesses their success where possible. 

1. RICHARDS BAY WATERFRONT & COASTAL TOURISM PRODUCT 

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The waterfront at Richards Bay has received some significant investment in recent years and the 

addition of a Protea Hotel on the waterfront must be seen as a key success in the area. This together 

with the opening of additional restaurants along the waterfront has changed the nature and feel of the 

area and provided both residents and tourists with a more significant recreational node away from the 

industrial heart of Richards Bay. 

The strategic intents (Halley Sharpe, 2003) of this development were for the: 

The re-branding of Richards Bay as a waterfront and beach tourism destination rather than the present 

industrial centre 

The Tuzi Gazi brand is the key to this re-branding exercise and some success has been achieved with 

this. The area is a natural draw card for visitors. However, there is a long way to go before people’s 

perceptions of Richards Bay as primarily an industrial centre are overcome. 

Offer an incentive through the offer of a quality lifestyle, for companies to relocate to Richards Bay; 

The popularity of the Tuzi Gazi area as a residential neighbourhood has seen a number of houses located 

on the waterfront and it is likely that more residential development will occur in the area in the future. 

The building and occupation of luxury houses on the waterfront have helped change the image of the 

area. Current plans by developers to develop adjacent land owned by the municipality, including Pelican 

Island must be taken as a clear sign of the positive perception of the Richards Bay waterfront as a 

development node for residential and recreational use. 

Create day visitor resort type attractions and contribute to higher bed occupancies at existing and new 

tourism establishments in Richards Bay 

This has not been achieved as of yet. Whilst there are restaurants and boat trips from the dock, very 

little else has been achieved. The public perception that it is not safe to walk from Tuzi Gazi to 

Alkantstrand is testimony to this. 

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Assist in transforming the image of the wider district to that of a tourism destination drawing on 

significant scenic appeal 

The waterfront has gone a long way to achieving these objectives, however, a number of issues still 

need to be addressed. The entire area from Tuzi Gazi to Alkantstrand needs to be managed as a single 

tourism precinct where the safety of all visitors is guaranteed on a 24/7 basis. The Naval Island and 

Pelican Island areas have still not received any form of development despite being huge potential draw 

cards. In the case of the latter, an extensive Marina Development Strategy drafted by Mhlatuze 

Municipality aims to use the unique appeal of Pelican Island in developing a mixed-use residential and 

entertainment node incorporating Pelican Island, the Yacht Club and Alkantstrand Beach. The loss of 

Blue Flag status for Alkantstrand Beach is a major setback to the tourist appeal of the area and should 

be addressed as a matter of urgency (see Section 3.1 Strategy 1) 

Encourage longer stays by cruise ships stopping over in Richards Bay 

The strategic intent of getting cruise liner passengers to stay on in Richards Bay for longer has not been 

achieved. Currently cruise liner tourists still tend to head for the game reserves and cultural attractions 

distant from Richards Bay and do not spend time around the waterfront area. This objective was 

probably somewhat misguided. Few cruise liners stay in port for more than 24 hours. A more pertinent 

objective would have been to encourage the arrival of more cruise liners rather than trying to prolong 

the visit of those liners that are already calling at the port. 

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2. RICHARDS BAY CRUISE PASSENGER TERMINAL 

No dedicated cruise liner terminal currently exists, passengers are passed through a customs tent and 

larger vessels are docked in the dirty part of the harbour alongside the piles of chrome ore, magnetite 

and coal. No significant progress on the objective of building a state-of-art dedicated cruise liner 

terminal has been made and Transnet have stated that from their perspective no business case for a 

passenger terminal exists. The strategic objectives below have not been achieved at the scale they were 

intended. This is largely because, up to this point, no financially viable proposals for a cruise liner 

terminal have been formulated. However these are processes which take time and the groundwork for 

these objectives is being put in place, albeit slowly (refer to Section 3.1, Strategy 3) 

1. Provide for an alternative entry point for overseas visitors to the region 

2. Meet demand for coastal resort facilities by the international market and thereby elevate 

tourism revenue yield for the local tourism industry 

3. Increase uThungulu District’s share of the tourism market if matched with the development 

of appropriate attractions in the region; and 

4. Assist in promoting Richards Bay as a cruise liner tourism destination. 

(Halley Sharpe, 2003) 

Despite the lack of progress, 12,500 cruise liner tourists continue to visit Richards Bay annually and the 

cruise liner industry continues to grow. 

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3. ONGOYE TOURISM CLUSTER 

According to the 2003 Tourism Plan: 

“The Ongoye Tourism Cluster incorporates a number of natural, cultural and heritage attractions in the 

vicinity of Gingindlovu, Eshowe and Empangeni. Through identification, packaging, and marketing of 

these attractions, it is intended that this cluster is developed into a destination with critical mass. The 

coast and wildlife attractions to the north and east are the main regional attractions drawing a number 

of destination tourists and providing flow-through visitors as a market for the Ongoye cluster.” 

1. GINGINDLOVU 

A Tourism Gateway Cultural and Heritage Visitor Centre were proposed for the junction of the N2, R102 

and R66 as this was seen as a key nodal point. While there is a small craft centre on the road to Ongoye 

Forest, nothing else has been developed in this vicinity. 

2. ESHOWE 

Eshowe is an established tourism destination within the district, with many attractions, museums and 

the Dlinza Forest Boardwalk. Recent years have seen an erosion of this success with numbers declining 

at the museum and boardwalk while the tourism infrastructure at Mpushini Falls has become broken 

down and eroded. Eshowe’s decline in tourist numbers can largely be attributed to a lack of new 

tourism developments needed to satisfy the ever-changing tastes and demands of tourists. New 

attractions are needed to strengthen the tourism product around Eshowe as the town’s true tourism 

potential has not been fully realised. Private tourist establishment owners offer excellent facilities and 

accommodation, but attractions within the area have not increased significantly in the last five years 

and, until they do so, tourism in the region will continue to stagnate and even decline. 

3. KWABULAWAYO 

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KwaBulawayo is a flagship product of the municipality and substantial funding has been spent on 

developing it. The conference facilities are built and the facility is operational, recently hosting a cultural 

event. The long term success of this facility is yet to be ascertained as the facility was only recently 

opened. Improvements to the road infrastructure to KwaBulawayo need to be completed to improve 

access to the facility for tour buses. KwaBulawayo is a unique cultural attraction in that it fuses a 

modern conference facility, with its paved pathways, parking lot and other modern amenities, with the 

traditional layout and construction style of what was once Shaka’s military capital. If marketed 

effectively KwaBulawayo could be a great asset to uThungulu’s tourism offering. 

4. ONGOYE FOREST 

It was suggested that the forest become a key component of tourism in the district. A lack of private 

funding and investment interest has meant that this has not happened as of yet and the tourist 

attractions in the forest are still very limited. However some efforts have been made, with the track to 

the birding lodge being improved with concrete strips by the District Municipality. Additionally 

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife have committed to improving and sustaining the forest by implementing a plan 

to fence the forest and thus protect the many unique and valuable species of fauna and flora. This will 

prevent cattle encroachment and enable endemic and other indigenous species to thrive. 

4. ROUTE 66 ‘ZULU CULTURAL HERITAGE ROUTE’ LINKAGE TO EMHAKHOSINI 

The plan for Route 66 has been a focal point for the municipality and has been a success in terms of 

implementation from its conception in the 2003 plan. 

Route 66 is operational, and pamphlets advertising the route have been distributed throughout the 

tourism offices in the province. The route is a success from the perspective of cross municipality 

cooperation and whilst it is in the early stages of operation, the route provides access to some of 

KwaZulu-Natal’s best cultural attractions and historic sites. The route brings many of the strategic 

objectives of the tourism master plan to the fore and has the potential to become the premier cultural 

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route in South Africa. Certainly the Route would offer tourist experiences just as diverse as those of 

other successful routes such as the Cape Wine Routes, the Garden Route and the Midlands Meander. 

5. ESHOWE / NKANDLA / KRANSKOP / BABANANGO / MELMOTH TOURISM 

ROUTE 

According to the 2003 Report: 

“The western portion of the uThungulu District is predominantly rural and is host to significant scenic, 

cultural, and heritage assets. Although not currently perceived as a tourism region, the area nevertheless 

has significant untapped potential. The opportunity to develop a tourism route as opposed to a cluster of 

attractions, serving as a secondary web to the primary Zulu Cultural Heritage Route, exists.” 

This route has not as yet been developed as a tourism node, with no apparent advertising or route signs 

designating it as a tourist area. The concept of this route has been neglected in preference of 

developing Route 66. Indeed it is difficult to expand the concept of a tourism route too widely and the 

focus, at least in the short-term, should be on developing Route 66 as it has significantly more 

attractions and tourism infrastructure, than this proposed route. 

6. SIYAYA COASTAL PARK: AMATIKULU / MTUNZINI / UMLALAZI 

The potential exists to encourage appropriate coastal development, which would elevate the status of 

the Siyaya Coastal Park as a discrete tourism destination. 

Currently there are no major new investments in the park area to take advantage of its scenic beach and 

coastal attractions. Since 2003 the developments around Port Durnford which were owned by the 

community have closed and fallen into disrepair. Reports are that community rivalry and jealousy led to 

the demise of these developments. This highlights the importance of an effective community ownership 

model, one which is articulated in section 4.3. Whilst the accommodation capacity at Mtunzini has 

increased, the rest of the park has not seen any new developments. Accommodation options in Umlalazi 

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Nature Reserve have remained unchanged, despite increased visitor numbers to the reserve in the past 

five years. There are currently no plans to expand accommodation within the reserve. 

7. N2 KWAMBONAMBI TOURISM JUNCTION 

Development of the N2 KwaMbonambi Junction is primarily intended to provide a safe stopping point 

offering toilet and refreshment facilities in a secure environment. 

Work is currently underway on the construction of an N2 interchange at KwaMbonambi. This would 

allow easier access for motorists visiting KwaMbonambi or Maphelane. Construction is expected to be 

complete at the end of 2011. Once construction of the interchange is complete, work will begin on the 

planned N2 West development which will include a service station; shopping centre and tourist centre. 

The development will aim to capture a portion of the passing tourist trade en route to the game 

reserves further north. 

8. LAKE NHLABANE, ESTUARY & DAWSONS ROCK 

A study carried out by Urban Econ has identified Lake Nhlabane as a potential tourism node with 

possibilities for linkages with the estuary, beach and the development of a ‘resort’ at Dawson’s Rock. 

Opportunities for pro-poor tourism development involving partnerships with the nearby impoverished 

rural communities are possible. As part of their corporate social responsibility programme, Richards Bay 

Minerals (RBM) could be approached as a development support partner for development in the area. 

(Halley, Sharpe, 2003:54) 

Developments in the Lake Nhlabane area have been hindered by mining activity which has only recently 

ceased. RBM has completed its mining of the area from Lake Nhlabane to Richards Bay and are willing 

to participate in developing nodes within this area as tourist attractions. Some steps have been taken by 

the local community and the local municipality in trying to acquire servitude rights to access the scenic 

beach at Lake Nhlabane estuary. No other steps have been taken to develop this area. However the 

timing has only really become appropriate as of late 2009. In terms of the suggestion of a ‘resort’ at 

Dawson’s rock, this is felt to be misplaced. The beaches in this area are experiencing heavy erosion, and 

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the scars of years of dune mining are all too evident. The project team feels that there are other better 

locations for a coastal resort in the district. 

Just north of the suggested tourism area, in an area still under RBM lease the community has re-opened 

a fishing camp. This form of development is much more appropriate for this area. 

9. MAPELANE – LINKAGE 

Mapelane Wildlife Reserve, located at the southern extremity of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, falls 

within the boundaries of the uThungulu District. The relatively recent proclamation of the Park as a 

World Heritage Site has opened up significant opportunities for attracting greater numbers of foreign 

visitors, and private investment in tourism plant is being encouraged. Current visitor facilities at 

Mapelane attract the domestic fishing market and generate a relatively modest tourism revenue yield. 

Linking and integrating Mapelane with the opportunities being opened up in the rest of the park will add 

to the product uThungulu District can offer both the domestic and foreign markets. 

There is a certain difficulty with linking Mapelane with the rest of St Lucia as it does not have direct road 

access into the town and the park. Driving from Maphelane to St Lucia takes a long time due to poor 

and indirect roads. The 2003 plan suggested upgrading the road linkages with the N2 and improving 

other bulk services. While the construction of the KwaMbonambi interchange will make it easier for 

tourists to get onto the Maphelane road, the Maphelane road has degraded further since 2003 and the 

upgrade of this road is now more urgent. 

The intention (Halley Sharpe, 2003) of this was to: 

 

Facilitate an enabling environment for private investment in appropriate tourism plant at 

Mapelane; 

 

Benefit from the branding and marketing of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park as a World 

Heritage Site; 

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Ultimately attract a greater share of the foreign market and thereby increase tourism revenue 

yield; and 

 

Create strategic linkages with the wildlife and coastal nature tourism attractions of Northern 

Zululand 

No private investment has taken place at Mapelane. This is mostly attributable to the poor road 

network around the reserve. Links to the accommodation at Lake Eteza and Richards Bay, as well as St 

Lucia are still poor and the other objectives cannot be met until this is addressed. 

10. Royal Zulu Reserve – Linkage to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi 

“The proposal to develop the Royal Zulu Biosphere Reserve is an ambitious undertaking involving the 

development of a large tract of land south of the Umfolozi/Hluhluwe Reserve, into three distinct land 

uses: 

• Conservation comprising Game Reserves and eco-tourism facilities; 

• Agriculture; and 

• Formalised settlement in and around an existing village. 

Under the umbrella of the overall development concept of the Royal Zulu Game Reserve, conservation 

areas are located on land of varying tenure, including State Land and Ingonyama Trust Land, and the 

traditional land of the Obuka, Mhlana and Somopho Tribal Authorities.” 

(Halley Sharpe, 2003:45) 

Such is the perceived importance of this project, that its current status and prospect for success or 

failure is discussed in greater detail in Section 3.1, Strategy 2.1. 

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Summary of previous projects and place in current Master Plan 

Of all the projects identified by the Halley Sharpe authored Tourism Master Plan, only three, namely the 

Richards Bay Waterfront; Route 66 and KwaBulawayo have successfully been implemented. The 

principal reasons for the lack of implementation of the other projects relate to funding and viability 

issues. This has contributed to extended delays in implementation. Nonetheless the majority of these 

projects are retained in the current tourism Master Plan, and various alternatives for financial viability 

are assessed later in subsequent sections. Two projects are excluded from the current Master Plan. 

These are the Nkandla Tourism Route and the Gingindlovu Tourism Gateway. In regards to the former 

it is felt that it is better to invest more extensively in the Route 66 development and not expand the 

concept of ‘route tourism’ too widely. The Gingindlovu Tourism Gateway is not prioritised in the new 

master plan as it is felt that attractions in Eshowe itself should be better developed as a first priority. 

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Monitoring Tool 

Table 1 is a tool to monitor the application of the strategic projects identified in the 2003 plan. 

Has the project Have the strategic Does the project fit 

Project: 

been implemented 

or support 

objectives of the 

project plan been 

into the 2009 

tourism master 

provided? 

met? 

plan? 

RB waterfront & beach YES YES YES 

RB cruise liner 

NO NO YES 

terminal 

Eshowe YES YES YES 

Gingindlovu NO NO NO 

Ongoye Forest YES YES YES 

KwaBulawayo YES YES YES 

R66 YES YES YES 

Nkandla Tourism 

NO NO NO 

Route 

Siyaya Coastal Park NO NO YES 

N2 KwaMbonambi 

NO 

NO (currently 

YES 

Tourism Junction 

underway) 

Lake Nhlabane NO NO YES 

Mapelane Linkage NO NO YES 

Royal Zulu YES NO YES 

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Section 3: Tourism Product and Infrastructure Strategy 

The tourism product offered by a destination may be pre‐existing or may need to be created. 

uThungulu District’s tourism product is fragmented, with a number of different and independent 

products being offered. These tourism products need to be linked in order to create broader tourism 

experiences for visitors to the district. In addition, the current suite of tourism products tends to target 

specific market segments and thus should be supplemented by new product developments which 

appeal to a wider market. Tourism infrastructure refers to those elements of development which 

support the tourism products, these include, roads; signage; restaurants; petrol stations and 

accommodation in the area. Identifying uThungulu District’s tourism ‘product/s’ and necessary 

‘infrastructure’, must come out of the analysis of the district’s strengths and weaknesses; its 

comparative advantages and a gap analysis of tourism in the district. In taking into consideration these 

factors, recommendations in this report draw heavily on the research underpinning the Situational 

Analysis Report and the SWOT Analysis Report. 

The SWOT Analysis Report identifies eco-tourism and cultural tourism as the two areas where 

uThungulu District holds competitive advantages and wherein significant tourism growth potential 

exists. The SWOT Analysis, however, is mindful of the fact that, while certain niche markets exist in both 

eco-tourism and cultural tourism in the district, a wider and more international market needs to be 

captured through these attractions. For instance, while uThungulu District possesses a 100km coastline 

and numerous untouched wilderness areas, the district has neither a coastal resort of any sort, nor a big 

five game reserve. Similarly, up until recently with the launch of the Route 66 Cultural and Heritage 

Route, the historical and cultural attractions in uThungulu District have been disjointed and isolated 

from one another, only appealing to very specific groups of cultural tourists (such as Norwegian 

missionary tourists in Eshowe). 

The product and infrastructure strategies identified in this section and listed in table 2 are general ones 

that should be pursued in order to ensure that maximum advantage is taken of uThungulu District’s 

tourism potential. These strategies set the foundations on which specific tourism initiatives can be built 

upon. The rationale behind each of these strategies will not be explained in great detail here and 

reference should be made to the Situational Analysis and SWOT Analysis reports. 

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Table 2 - List of General Product and Infrastructure Strategies 

Strategy Description Priority Level 

1. Develop the Coastline for 

Tourism Purposes 

2. Pursue Big Five Game 

Reserve in District 

3. Encourage Cruise Ship 

Tourism in Richards Bay 

4. Extensively Develop the 

Route 66 Product 

5. Develop Great Forests of 

Zululand Experience 

6. Develop Contemporary 

African Cultural Tourism 

7. Improve Accessibility and 

Visibility of Existing 

Attractions 

8. Develop Adventure 

Tourism in the District 

9. Ensure Tourist Safety in 

Volatile Areas 

10. Provide more Family- 

Attractions and Facilities 

Improve accessibility. 

Reclaim coast for tourism. 

Accommodation development. 

Provide support for private game reserve projects. 

Interact with KZN wildlife. 

Construct dedicated passenger liner terminal. 

Improve linkages with region’s attractions for cruise tourists 

Encourage tourism related SMME’s to locate on Route. 

Product development. 

Standardise signage 

Construct campsites/cabins. 

Develop paths. 

Package Great Forest tours. 

Add to existing cultural attractions by developing urban 

African tourism. 

Tar strategically important access roads. 

Improve signage to remote areas 

Promote adventure sports. 

Introduce high-thrill attractions. 

Create safe tourism precincts. 

Ensure community cooperation. 

Provide armed security. 

Develop child friendly and family-oriented attractions in the 

district. 

High 

High 

Medium/High 

High 

Medium 

Medium 

High 

Medium 

High 

Medium 

11. Promote Events Promote more events in the district to increase exposure Medium 

12. Nodal Tourism 

Development Strategy 

Identify and define areas in which local economic development 

efforts should focus on tourism. Identify tourism corridors 

Medium/High 

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3.1 Ten Product and Infrastructure Strategies for uThungulu 

1. Develop the Coastline for Tourism Purposes 

Despite having +/- 100km of beaches, relatively little tourism development has occurred on uThungulu 

District’s coastline. The district’s beaches function primarily as recreational zones for locals and as a 

fishing holiday destination for domestic tourists. There are presently no authentic coastal resorts in the 

district, despite some large stretches of pristine coastline. The tourism appeal of uThungulu District’s 

coastline is hindered by a lack of safe swimming options; inaccessibility; the ban on 4×4’s on the beach; 

extensive mining of dunes and severe soil erosion in certain areas. Strategies that look to mitigate these 

hindering factors are essential for developing the tourism potential of uThungulu District’s coastline. A 

number of the strategies mentioned here have been highlighted previously in the 2004 Coastal 

Management Plan (enacted in December 2009), but have yet to be effectively implemented, and due to 

the time elapse are now more urgent. 

1.1. Open up the coastal stretch between Richards Bay and the Nhlabane Estuary for tourism 

development 

Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has been mining sand dunes in uThungulu District since 1976. RBM’s 

mining activities have rendered certain sections of uThungulu District’s coastline ‘no-go-areas’ for a long 

period of time. At present RBM leases three coastal areas from the Ingonyama Trust, these are namely, 

Zulti South (Richards Bay to Umlalazi), Tisand (Richards Bay to Nhlabane) and Zulti North (Nhlabane to 

Maphelane). Mining has yet to start at Zulti South, but when it commences, mining is expected to last 

to at least 2050. Mining at Zulti North is expected to continue until 2019. However, the good news for 

tourism in the district is that RBM has completed their mining activities at Tisand. Handing this land 

back to the community requires that RBM complete an Environmental Management Plan for the closure 

of mining activities in this area. Currently only one EMP exists for all of RBM’s operations at the smelter, 

meaning that RBM cannot hand the land back to the community until all operations have ceased in 

2050. In this regard the district municipality can greatly assist tourism development along the coast by 

supporting RBM’s efforts to split the EMP for all three mining areas. 

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If RBM were to be able to hand over the Tisand area to local communities, significant tourism 

opportunities would present themselves. While not all of the coastline would be suitable for tourism 

development due to extensive erosion of the beaches (at a rate of 4.5m a year), the area around the 

Nhlabane estuary presents great opportunities for tourism development and was indentified for tourism 

development in the 2004 Coastal Management Plan. The area has excellent infrastructure (good roads; 

electricity; water) which RBM would leave behind when the EMP is complete. In addition, due to RBM’s 

dune rehabilitation efforts, most of the coastline is populated by pristine indigenous forests and, to a 

lesser extent, Casuarinas’ plantations. Lake Nhlabane, itself, is a scenic attraction with small populations 

of hippos and crocodiles. The estuary is navigable for canoes and has excellent birding potential. In fact, 

RBM currently hosts annual birding days in the coastal forest abutting the lake. 

Conversations with RBM’s ecologist, Michelle Boschoff and with KZN Wildlife, reveal that there is scope 

for the development of eco-sensitive accommodation around either Lake Nhlabane proper, or alongside 

the Nhlabane Estuary. This concurs with the original suggestion of the Coastal Management Plan to 

develop accommodation at the estuary with the capacity to sleep twelve. The recommended area for 

this sort of development is in the isolated patches of casuarinas, which are sprinkled around the 

Nhlabane Estuary. Fishing remains the main attraction for beach visitors in the area and developing 

accommodation to cater for fisherman would provide the initial impetus for developing the Tisand area 

as a tourist destination. This said, however, the lake and estuary could also offer canoeing, birding tours 

and hikes. There is also the possibility of educational eco-tours which take people through the process 

of dune rehabilitation. At the river mouth, a picnic area should be developed, which is both conducive 

to the needs of fisherman and attractive to families visiting the Richard’s Bay area. Finally a number of 

whale watching towers can be erected which make use of the vantage point provided by the high sand 

dunes in the area. 

1.2. Create coastal hiking trails 

The KwaZulu-Natal coastline has a glaring lack of coastal hiking routes. This is not so much because of 

the unsuitability of the terrain or beaches for hiking, but rather because of the high settlement density 

along the province’s coastline. High coastal settlement density has a negative impact on the desirability 

of coastal hiking routes in two ways. Firstly it does not lend itself to the feeling of seclusion that tourists 

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are usually attracted to and, secondly, it tends to be more conducive to a higher incidence of criminal 

activity. In uThungulu District, however, two areas offer excellent possibilities for overnight coastal 

hiking trails. Both of these areas are predominantly located in protected conservation parks, managed 

by KZN Wildlife. As such, they are pristine stretches of coastline, largely secluded from areas of human 

settlement. The first of these possible hiking routes was identified in the 2004 Coastal Management 

Plan and is located almost entirely in the Siyaya Coastal Park, and would link the Amatikulu Nature 

Reserve in the south with the Umlalazi Nature Reserve in the north. The Coastal Management Plan 

(2004:5) elaborated on the need to develop a half-way campsite in order to make the hike a successful 

initiative. This campsite, which was to be able to sleep 16 people, is still considered critical to the 

success of an overnight hiking trail between Umlalazi Estuary and Amatikulu Estuary. 

A second potential hiking route is at the northern extremity of uThungulu District’s coastline and would 

link St Lucia (just outside of the district) to the wreck site of the Jolly Rubino, south of Mapelane Nature 

Reserve. Most of the second hike will also take place within the boundaries of the Mapelane area. A 

possible overnight stop could be the Cape St Lucia lighthouse just 2km south of the wreck site. The 

Mbonambi Municipality currently has plans to develop accommodation and a restaurant at the 

lighthouse property. This could then act as an ideal half-way (or turnaround stop) for hikers. Both hikes 

would require armed rangers, predominantly so as to avoid any unfortunate incidents with hippos or 

crocodiles, but also to ensure the non-interference of any potential criminal elements. The hikes would 

incorporate canoeing/kayaking, when flooded rivers need to be crossed. 

1.3. Regain blue flag status for Alkantstrand Beach 

In 2009 Alkantstrand Beach in Richards Bay was awarded Blue Flag status. This was a notable 

achievement as ‘Blue Flag’ are considered the standard bearers for international beach quality. It also 

represented the successful achievement of one of the major strategic initiatives identified in the 2004 

Coastal Management Plan. Alkantstrand has, however, subsequently lost its Blue Flag status. The Blue 

Flag programme, upon being asked why the beach had lost its Blue flag status, said that it had nothing to 

do with water quality but rather was as a result of a deterioration in beach infrastructure (including 

toilets and lifeguard towers) and an unacceptable amount of litter found on the beach. A representative 

of the Blue Flag Programme said that it was these visual conditions which had led to the beach being 

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stripped of its Blue Flag status. The Blue Flag representative believed that, with better management the 

beach could regain its Blue Flag status. Alkantstrand Beach would, however, have to reapply for the 

programme and become a pilot Blue Flag beach for a year first before it could re-gain Blue Flag status. 

Regaining Blue Flag status should be regarded as a primary tourism strategy for the district and for the 

local municipality. Blue Flag status acts as a positive signal to tourists (foreign in particular) that a 

particular beach is worth visiting. Management structures, with regular and effective monitoring should 

be put in place such that Blue Flag status is achieved as soon as possible. 

Blue flag status alone, 

however, will not make Alkantstrand Beach a major tourist attraction as it currently has limited appeal 

for tourists and is more of an urban recreational beach, than a true holiday destination beach. As such, 

improving Alkantstrand’s tourism appeal will require the upgrading of old and the provision of new 

facilities at the beach, as well as a greater clustering of attractions around the beach and marina area 

(this is discussed in the section on nodal development). 

1.4. Expand swimming options along the coastline 

Despite Alkantstrand’s limitations, it remains the only truly safe swimming beach in uThungulu District. 

Mtunzini/Umlalazi beach, which has the potential to be a popular beach destination, has no shark nets, 

and a high shark population, making bathing hazardous for tourists. The high prevalence of shark 

activity is a feature along the entire uThungulu District coastline. Coupled with strong inshore channels 

and currents, this is near prohibitive to promoting bathing along the coastline (except at Alkantstrand 

which is sheltered by the bay). This is not to say that beach tourism is not worthwhile pursuing, but 

rather that swimming alternatives need to be investigated. The ideal, in this regard, is to construct tidal 

pools at beaches such as the one at Umlalazi as well as at Port Durnford. Tidal pools, however, require a 

strong rock base for construction. The relative scarcity of rocky outcrops along the coastline may 

complicate this particular strategy to broaden swimming options in the districts. Alternatively bathing 

enclosures could be investigated as a means of ensuring the safety of bathers at these beaches. 

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1.5. Develop a Coastal Resort in uThungulu District 

There are few genuine coastal resorts in KwaZulu-Natal. James Seymour from Tourism KwaZulu-Natal 

identifies this as a constraint to foreign tourism growth in the province. Many foreign tourists seek allinclusive 

resort style accommodation which offers escapist getaway experiences. These tourists do not 

want to stay in coastal villages, or towns, but rather are looking for dedicated, private and secluded 

resorts. Zimbali Coastal Resort and Thonga Beach Lodge are two examples of coastal resorts in 

KwaZulu-Natal and are located in the neighbouring districts of Ilembe and Umkhanyakude respectively. 

Neither is renowned for their safe swimming beaches, and both place far more emphasis on their 

enchanting coastal forest settings and long sandy beaches. Just beyond KwaZulu-Natal’s southern 

boundaries are the Wild Coast Sun Resort and Umgazi River Bungalows. Once again neither resort has a 

designated safe swimming beach. The former of these resorts relies on the appeal of a well established 

casino, but Umgazi River Bungalows, makes use of a picturesque lagoon and pristine coastline. Thus it is 

apparent that safe swimming beaches (with shark nets) are not a pre-requisite for coastal resort 

developments. In KwaZulu-Natal, and in the Transkei, resort tourists seemingly base their choice of 

beach resort on the beauty and tranquillity of the location rather than on the availability of a shark-net 

protected beach 1 . uThungulu District has a number of areas along its coastline which are virtually 

untouched from a development perspective, and retain their centuries’ old natural quality and serenity. 

These areas present great opportunities for the development of a coastal resort. 

In respect to the best possible location of a coastal resort in uThungulu District, the most logical area 

would be in the Siyaya Coastal Park. RBM mining operations north of Nhlabane and, in the future, south 

of Richards Bay, as well as heavy erosion between Richards Bay and Nhlabane, rule out these stretches 

of coastline. 

The Maphelane area has some potential, but is mostly outside of the district and 

nonetheless already has a well established KZN Wildlife camp, not to mention also being very closely 

located to a high density of accommodation at St Lucia. The Siyaya Coastal Park, south of Umlalazi, 

however, is a perfect location for the development of a coastal resort. While there is significant 

accommodation at Mtunzini Village and Umlalazi Nature Reserve, there is presently, apart from the 

Twinstreams Educational Adventure Centre, no accommodation between Umlalazi and Amatikulu. This 

stretch contains conserved coastal dune forests, and beaches, which unlike those north of Richards Bay, 

1 This is important however, for a lower end of the tourist market (including foreign tourists but especially visitors 

from Gauteng), for whom safe swimming beaches are a must. Thus, as indicated in strategy 1.3, safe swimming 

options should still be pursued 

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are actually widening annually. The area inland of the Coastal Park is also relatively sparsely populated. 

However, KZN Wildlife, in an interview with the project team, suggested that the best area for the 

location of a coastal resort would be in an area of the Siyaya Coastal Park known as the Tommage Pan. 

The Tommage Pan, has been given back to the local community as custodians, and is situated in front of 

the Dokodweni community settlement and to the east of the Amatikulu Estuary. Substantial patches of 

exotic casuarinas trees, which could easily be cleared, would present an ideal location for a resort style 

development in this area. The area around the prawn farm and Prawn Shack, in particular, with its 

excellent views of the Amatikulu Estuary, could be an ideal location for resort accommodation. The 

development could also significantly benefit both the environmental status of the area (which, 

unmanaged, may now be under threat) as well as benefitting the local community in respect to 

generating jobs and income from leasing arrangements. 

A coastal resort development in the Tommage Pan area would be an attractive tourism development 

option for a number of reasons, these include: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The resort would have almost exclusive access to over 10km of deserted sandy beaches 

The resort would be situated in pristine coastal dune forests 

The resort would enjoy sweeping views of the Amatikulu Estuary 

The resort could offer kayaking opportunities on the Amatikulu Estuary 

The resort would be in close proximity to two popular KZN Wildlife Nature Reserves, namely, the 

Amatikulu Nature Reserve and the Umlalazi Nature Reserve (and the Raphia Palm Monument) 

The resort may, in the future, be in the middle of a popular coastal hiking route 

The resort could be seen as a way of protecting the high environmental status of the area 

The Tommage Pan offers more space in which development can occur without damaging the 

coastal dune forests 

By being located on community-owned land, the development would enhance the equitable 

distribution of tourism benefits among residents in the district 

There are some disadvantages to locating a resort in this area. One such disadvantage is the presence of 

a relatively large settlement nearby. This is a potential threat both in terms of crime and from an 

aesthetic point of view. Another possible disadvantage is the fact that tourism projects on community 

owned land have had a low success rate in the district. This need not be prohibitive, however, if an 

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effective framework for community-private tourism projects is instituted. This will be discussed in 

greater detail later in this report. 

2. Pursue “Big Five” Game Reserve Development 

uThungulu District Municipality has a number of nature reserves, and, in Thula Thula, a small game 

reserve, but despite the availability of large wilderness areas and suitable terrain, the district has no “big 

five” game reserves. (“Big five” game reserves offer the possibility of viewing buffalo, elephant, lion, 

leopard and rhinocerous). Such is the expertise of tourism marketing specialists, that foreign tourists 

demand nothing less of a ‘safari’ experience than to have the opportunity of seeing the Big Five. The 

absence of the opportunity to spot the Big Five in uThungulu District, thus, constitutes a serious gap in 

the eco-tourism product offered by the district. A Big Five Game Reserve in uThungulu District would 

be the closest Big Five Game Reserve to the new international airport at La Mercy, and presents an 

excellent opportunity to encourage a greater number of foreign tourists to the district. It is the 

recommendation of the project team, that the District Municipality vigorously pursue the development 

of a Big Five Game Reserve within the district. Two potential Big Five projects, driven by the private 

sector and local communities, are currently underway in the district. The District Municipality should 

endeavour to support these initiatives as they could become catalytic for tourism in the district. 

2.1. Renewed support for the Royal Zulu concept 

The concept of the Royal Zulu Game Reserve is not a new one and was identified in the 2003 Tourism 

Plan for uThungulu District as a catalytic project for tourism development in the district. The concept 

was to convert 18,000-20,000ha of private land, community owned land and state land into a large 

game reserve, comprising of a number of tourist lodges to be part-owned by the local community. The 

long-run intention of the project was to drop fences with the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game reserve, thereby 

locating the southern entrance to this famous park in uThungulu District, less than an hour and a half 

from the new international airport. Six years later, Royal Zulu, has yet to become a reality. Efforts some 

3-5 years ago to fence the area met with resistance from the local community, and may have led to 

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disillusionment with the project from the District Municipality’s perspective. The project, however, has 

progressed since then and may be imminently realisable. 

A meeting with Lawrence Anthony, driver of the project and owner of Thula Thula, revealed that the 

community were now supportive of the project and that the major hold-up is actually with the stateowned 

land, whose ownership was recently handed over to the Department of Land Affairs. Mr 

Anthony assures that this hold up is not over any substantive issues and rather is procedural in nature, 

and believes that support from the District Municipality would greatly assist in this process. Mr Anthony 

explains that the subsequent development of accommodation on the land, once fenced, would be a 

joint venture between the community and private investors, with 50/50 profit sharing and the 

opportunity for locals to participate in running lodges. In addition to the revenue generated from 

accommodation, the Royal Zulu Reserve would also embark on a breeding, with the aim of selling, 

programme for buffalo, white rhino and black rhino. 

While the Royal Zulu project has been tumultuous at times, it still represents one of the best tourism 

opportunities in the district, and certainly one of only two viable Big Five Game Reserve options in the 

district. The possible dropping of fences between Royal Zulu with Hluhluwe –Umfolozi would give 

uThungulu District a tourism stake in the oldest, largest and most popular game reserve in the province. 

Royal Zulu has the significant advantage of being able to draw on the international reputation of Thula 

Thula and the charismatic persona of Lawrence Anthony. In addition the area is reputedly the site of 

Shaka’s childhood home, and Dingiswayo’s kraal, so has a rich history attached to it. The project would 

also stand to benefit local communities enormously. It is therefore the recommendation of this strategy 

document that the District Municipality renew their support for the Royal Zulu Project. Further details 

concerning what role the District Municipality can play will be discussed later on in this report. 

2.2. Simunye Project 

The second viable Big Five option for the district is that which is embodied in the Simunye Project. The 

Simunye Project is basically a land reform project which aims to establish a community owned game 

reserve on land in Mthonjaneni Municipality. As part of the project a 6,000ha piece of community 

owned land has already been fenced and registered as a game reserve with KZN Wildlife. Another 

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6,300ha of beneficiary land has yet to be fenced but will be incorporated, with the fenced land, as part 

of a game reserve. The eventual aim is to link these areas with Opathe Game Reserve and Emakhosini 

Heritage Park, creating a singular game reserve 38,000ha in area. The 12,000ha of land in the Simunye 

Project is regarded as having exceptional biodiversity and is considered to be excellent black rhino 

country. Like Thula Thula is to Royal Zulu, Simunye Lodge, rated 2 nd best cultural village in the country, 

is regarded as the catalyst for the Simunye Project. Simunye Lodge’s relationship with Protea Hotels has 

been extended to the rest of the project, with Protea Hotels agreeing to operate all of the proposed 

lodges within the project land. These lodges are presently old farmhouses and guesthouses which are 

currently being converted. 

The Simunye Project has major backing from the local community and from the Department of Land 

Affairs; 6,000ha of land has already been fenced and registered; Simunye Lodge is a renowned cultural 

village; and a partnership is in place with a reliable private sector provider. For these reasons the 

Simunye Project presents an excellent opportunity for the development of a Big Five Game Reserve in 

the district. The minimum area for which KZN Wildlife will consider an application to stock lions is 

5000ha. The fenced part of the reserve is 6000ha, so in theory, lions could possibly be introduced into 

the reserve. Additionally the creation of an extended game reserve including Opathe and Emakhosini 

would create a tourism zone which blends heritage and wildlife attractions, running on either side of 

Route 66. The district should, wherever possible, look to assist in furthering the aims of this project. 

Further details of how the district can support the Simunye Project will be discussed later on in this 

report. 

2.3. Supporting both Projects 

Both the Royal Zulu and Simunye Projects look to create large community-owned tourism conservation 

areas linked to existing game reserves outside of the district. While one might think that these two 

projects are too similar to support simultaneously, the lack of genuine large game reserves, means that 

the district has the capacity to sustain both of these developments. Neighbouring Umkhanyakude has 

no less than 10 large game reserves. Furthermore Royal Zulu and Simunye, will create two distinctly 

separate clusters, the former of which will gravitate toward Hluhluwe-Umfolozi and the latter of which 

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will gravitate toward Opathe and Emakhosini. These could, in the future become some of the most 

popular tourist destinations in the country. 

3. Encourage Cruise Ship Tourism in Richards Bay 

The Cruise tourist market is a very lucrative one and offers high returns in the form of foreign spending 

in the district. Presently around 25 cruise ships enter Richards Bay annually. This is equivalent to 12,500 

cruise tourists docking at Richards Bay per year. When one considers that most of these tourists are 

from overseas, this is akin to a direct injection of foreign investment into Richards Bay and uThungulu 

District in general. Cruise tourists should be encouraged to disembark and spend time and money in the 

district, as an immediate priority. As a longer term priority, more cruise ships should be encouraged to 

dock at Richards Bay. The port has the opportunity to market itself as the gateway to both the Game 

Reserves of Northern KwaZulu‐Natal and to the attractions of Swaziland and southern Mozambique. By 

positioning itself as such, the Port of Richards Bay could become one of the most popular cruise ship 

stops in Southern Africa. 

3.1. Construct a dedicated passenger liner terminal as a means of attracting more cruise ships 

This issue is a contentious one and was also articulated in the 2003 Tourism Plan. The issue is that 

Transnet believe that the construction of a passenger liner terminal in Richards Bay does not make 

business sense as the capital outlay is too high compared to the expected return from port charges for 

cruise ships entering Richards Bay. The indirect, multiplier impact of cruise ship tourism in Richards Bay, 

however, is significant for tourism development in the district. The construction of a dedicated 

passenger liner terminal, as opposed to mobile welcoming units, would have the effect of making 

Richards Bay a much more appealing cruise ship destination. This is important because cruise ships 

generally contain the highly lucrative foreign tourist market. If 70% of the estimated 12,500 (500 

passengers per ship) cruise tourists docking at Richards Bay, are foreign and spend at least one day in 

the district, spending R880 per day (TKZN, 2008), then one can make a rough estimation of the total 

spending of cruise tourists in the district. Total cruise tourist spending in the district would be in the 

region of R8 million per annum. At a tourism multiplier of 1.42 (TKZN, 2008), the total contribution of 

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cruise ship tourism to the local economy is about R11.5 million per annum. A key question is whether 

the construction of a passenger liner terminal and other ancillary facilities for cruise tourists in Richards 

Bay, would significantly add to the revenue generated from cruise tourism and whether this revenue 

would justify this sort of investment? A study on the cruise ship industry commissioned by the City of 

Cape Town states that “in their most simplistic development application, cruise terminals have highly 

constrained revenue generating capabilities-port charges cannot cover terminal developments”, rather 

the “majority of benefit is experienced at the community level”. However, the revenue generation of 

additional cruise tourism for uThungulu District as a whole, let alone port charges, may fail to justify the 

capital outlay needed for the construction of a passenger liner terminal. It is for this reason that a 

passenger liner terminal should be developed as a multi-use facility, generating other tourist income for 

the district as well as cruise tourist income. The passenger liner terminal should not simply be a piece of 

infrastructure but should also be an attraction in its own right. 

The Cape Town study provides the example of the Bell Harbour International Conference Centre in 

Seattle, which combines a major cruise terminal with conference facilities, including banquet rooms; 

meeting rooms and a 300 person auditorium. It is the recommendation of this strategy that a similar 

type of facility is developed for Richards Bay. The nature of the development is such that the 

government would have to provide the majority of the funding, as not enough of the external benefits 

are likely to be captured to make the development feasible from a strictly business point of view. 

3.2. Creating a cruise destination at Richards Bay 

While a passenger liner terminal will definitely add to the appeal of Richards Bay as a cruise ship 

destination, the attractiveness of the destination goes beyond the port itself. Destinations are also 

selected on the basis of tourist facilities in the immediate vicinity of the port, tourism attractions in the 

district and transport linkages with other attractions in the province. In the first respect Richards Bay 

should develop its waterfront area more extensively to cater for cruise tourists. This will, in part, be 

achieved by the establishment of a tourism zone, or tourism precinct, around the Richards Bay marina 

and waterfront. 

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Cruise ship tourists have been described as ‘cash-rich, time-poor’ (TKZN, 2003). As such it is imperative 

to maximise the spending opportunities available to Cruise Tourists in the short period of time in which 

they are in the district. This would involve developing and marketing comprehensive day packages for 

cruise tourists. The longer term vision for Richards Bay as a cruise destination should be to market the 

port as being the closest to a Big Five Reserve of all of South Africa’s ports, and as a major gateway to 

the land of the Zulu. Day trips to a future Big Five Reserve in the district should be marketed as one of 

the main attractions of Richards Bay as a cruise ship destination. While cruise tourists only spend a 

minimal amount of time in the district, it should be borne in mind that “some 85% of the passengers are 

‘destination sampling’ with a view to returning for longer periods at a later stage”. (TKZN, 2003) 

such uThungulu must look to the indirect as well as the direct benefits of cruise tourism, and realise the 

opportunity that cruise tourism provides to promote the district internationally. 

As 

Where possible, 

however, uThungulu and the Port of Richards Bay should also look to attract re-provisioning/repositioning 

cruise ships which stay in Port for at least two days, “paving the way for longer shore 

excursions for cruise tourists” and allowing the district more time to create a positive impression. 

(TKZN, 2003) 

In addition a long term vision should include the potential to create a multi-modal link between the Port 

of Richards Bay and the Port of Maputo. In this conception cruise tourists would stop at Richards Bay (as 

the end of the first leg of their journey), disembark and board a train or tour bus which would make its 

way up Route 66. This would enable tourists to engage in various cultural activities along the way and, if 

the Simunye Project is complete, provide them with the opportunity to stay overnight at a Game 

Reserve. Alternatively tourists can enjoy the Big Five experience at Pongola/Jozini Dam, before moving 

onto Swaziland and then on to Maputo where they would re-board the cruise ship to embark on their 

next leg of the journey. Alternatively tourists could simply fly home from Maputo, if their particular 

passenger liner is inflexible in allowing for re-embarking. This could be advertised as a three countries in 

three days tour package for cruise tourists. A package of this nature could greatly enhance the appeal of 

Richards Bay as a cruise ship destination and could have substantial benefits for the rest of the district. 

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4. Extensively Develop the Route 66 Project 

The launching of the Zulu Cultural and Heritage Route, Route 66 constitutes significant progress toward 

tourism development in uThungulu District. The Route provides linkages between uThungulu District 

and Zululand District, incorporating numerous cultural, historical and wildlife attractions, which 

otherwise would have existed in relative isolation. The Route aims to benefit from economies of scale 

by integrating these attractions and accommodation establishments into one holistic tourism 

experience. One of the major advantages of Route 66 is that uThungulu District can also benefit from 

the appeal of certain attractions in Zululand, located further up the Route. While Route 66, is largely a 

marketing initiative, aimed at presenting tourists with an attractive and neatly demarcated tour 

package, product development along the Route is also necessary in order to ‘flesh out’ the skeletal 

structure that is Route 66 at present. 

4.1. Product Development on Route 66 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upgrade historical sites and memorials: The British grave site at Gingindlovu is in need of better 

maintenance, as is Fort Chelmsford and the Grave of John Dunn. The Coward’s Bush monument 

could also be better maintained. There is presently no cross at the martyr’s cross memorial, a 

cross needs to be re-installed there. 2 Security needs to be improved at the British Military 

Cemetery and at Fort KwaMondi in Eshowe. 

Upgrading of Fort Nonqayi: The fort has underutilised potential. Greater use should be made of 

the fort as an attraction in itself and to this end, the three turrets should be made accessible to 

the public. The museum’s display is also in serious need of an upgrade. 

The walk to Mpushini Falls from the Museum Village should be revitalised. 

A wide appeal adventure attraction should be developed in one of Eshowe’s forests: The 

location of a Canopy Tour in Dlinza forest would greatly broaden Eshowe’s tourism appeal. 

Mandawe Cross should be improved and refurbished: There are currently plans to make 

Mandawe Cross a popular functions and wedding venue. 

Development of a Craft Hub on Route 66: The area around Eshowe is well known for producing 

excellent craftsmen. A craft centre should be established which looks to gather the area’s top 

2 At the time of project finalisation a cross had been re-installed at Mandawe cross 

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crafters in a centre which exhibits some of the best craft in the country and allows tourists to 

watch these craftsmen at work. This craft centre should be of a sufficient scale to become a 

significant tourism attraction. 

 

Encourage the establishment of various SMME’s on the Route: This includes the establishment 

of medicinal gardens, nurseries, furniture shops, small restaurants selling Zulu cuisine, and Bed 

and Breakfasts. 

4.2. Marketing and infrastructure development of Route 66 

 

 

 

 

Create a narrative for attractions: Sites of cultural and historical importance on Route 66 should 

be linked by narrative, helping to create a sense of the inter-linkages of history and cultural 

interaction on the Route. For example the battle of Gingindlovu preceded the relief of the siege 

of Eshowe, and the subsequent battle of Ulundi, which in turn resulted in Cetswayo seeking 

refuge in Nkandla Forest and eventually being exiled at Port Durnford. 

Adoption of standard signage along the Route: All tourism signage on the route should be 

identifiable by a common name or common sign attributes. Standardisation of signage would 

reassure tourists that a particular attraction is part of Route 66, and thus convey a certain 

expectation of the quality of this attraction or facility. 

Mtunzini should be incorporated in Route 66 as a splinter route: The history of Mtunzini, as John 

Dunn’s headquarters and as the place of Cetswayo’s point of exile is integral in the history of the 

region and, as such, needs to be linked with Route 66 via a splinter route. This route could 

travel either south from Mtunzini along the R102 toward Eshowe, or from Mtunzini along the 

P240 past Ongoye Forest, to KwaBulawayo and Coward’s Bush. 

Tarring of a stretch of road between Pongola and Nongoma: This is essential in getting tour 

busses to travel down the R66 into uThungulu District. 

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5. Develop Great Forests of Zululand experience 

From a tourism perspective, one of the more distinguishable features of uThungulu District is the 

presence of five very scenic indigenous forests. Ongoye, Nkandla, Entumeni, Dlinza and Quedeni forests 

provide uThungulu District with an unrivalled competitive advantage when it comes to forest ecotourism 

in KwaZulu-Natal. Presently, withstanding very basic birding facilities, only Dlinza forest has any 

significant form of tourism development. This situation represents a waste of excellent raw tourism 

assets. Accommodation development at Ongoye Forest and the development of an adventure 

attraction at either Dlinza Forest or Entumeni Forest would look to utilise the natural appeal of these 

forests to capture a greater share of eco-tourism in the district. For the true tourism benefit of these 

forests to be captured however, they must be developed as a total experience and not simply developed 

in isolation. Nkandla and Quedeni forests cannot sustain self-sufficient tourism attractions at present 

and must be linked to a wider tourist experience or tour. In this respect the concept, advocated by KZN 

Wildlife, of a Great Forests of Zululand Tour, would bring Nkandla and Quedeni into the tourism 

mainstream, by positioning them as essential stops on a tour encompassing visits to all five forests. The 

following basic strategies are indispensible to the success of a Great Forests of Zululand Tour: 

5.1. Development of a recognisable brand name 

The success of tourism attractions is often dependent on the novelty or uniqueness factor captured in 

the name of that attraction. The concept of the Great Forests of Zululand, is a grand one, alluding to the 

grandeur of these magnificent habitats. In keeping with the idea of ‘greatness’ and of the linkage with 

the’ Zulu’, the tour should look to emphasise the role that these forests played in the history of the Zulu 

nation, and specifically of the Zulu Royal family. For instance Ongoye Forest was protected by the Zulu 

Royal household due to the ‘medicinal’ value placed on the plants found there. Ongoye was also the 

site of Prince (later to become King) Cetswayo’s kraal. 

Nkandla has, possibly, an even richer history. Nkandla was home to the nation of iron workers known as 

the Chube, who were never conquered by Shaka. The forest has also always been the last retreat of the 

Zulu, from the time of ‘Shaka to Bhambata’ (KZN Wildlife, 2009) The other three forests, though 

perhaps not as historically rich as Ongoye and Nkandla also have much to offer from a historical 

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perspective. The Great Forests of Zululand Tour should combine both the natural wonder and incredible 

biodiversity (Ongoye is currently rated top biodiversity hot spot in KZN) of the five forests with the 

historical legacy of each of these forests. The tour should not simply be another birding route but 

should include historical sites (like Bhambatha’s last stand, and Cetswayo’s grave), as well as adventure 

activities including zip-lining, and 4×4ing. 

5.2. Development of navigable paths 

Ongoye, Nkandla and Quedeni and to a lesser extent Entumeni, all have insufficient visitor paths in the 

forest. While there may be a few not widely known paths used by birders, there are certainly no paths 

suitable for a broader range of tourists. The Great Forests Tour should be accessible to both those 

tourists who want a guided, highly informative experience, as well as those tourists who are looking for 

adventure and want to do the Great Forest Tour by themselves. In the latter situation, paths need to be 

well marked out and detailed information boards need to indicate the location of sites of interest within 

the forest. Visitors, not using a guide should have to sign in with the local reserve manager. Nkandla 

forest has an extensive system of KZN Wildlife maintenance paths, upon which are a number of sites of 

historical interest. These paths should be upgraded and opened to the public, particularly in the context 

of a road upgrade to Nkandla Town and the fact that South Africa’s current president is from the area. 

5.3. Develop overnight tour itineraries 

The table shown below indicates only guided tour packages, which would include transport costs, 

accommodation costs and catering. Self-guided tours can build on these suggested itineraries and mix 

and match the most suitable tour package for them. Self-guided tourists may choose to add visits to 

historical and cultural attractions (i.e. Museum Village, Martyr’s Cross, Gingindlovu battle site and 

Shakaland) to these suggested itineraries. 

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Table 3 – Overnight Itineraries 

Three Possible Tour Itineraries 

Conventional 

Extended 

Future Conventional 

Day 1: Ongoye Forest 

Overnight: Eshowe 

Day 1: Umlalazi Nature Reserve 

Overnight Mtunzini 


Overnight: A Lodge at Ongoye 

Day 2: Dlinza Forest, Mpushini 

Falls, Entumeni Forest 





Falls, Entumeni Forest 


Day 3: Nkandla Forest 

Overnight: Matshenzimpisi 


Falls, Entumeni 


Day 3: Nkandla Forest 

Overnight: Nkandla Forest 

camping/ Matshenzimpisi 

Day 4: Quedeni forest 

Day 4: Nkandla 

Overnight: Matshenzimpisi 

Day 4: Quedeni Forest 

Day 5: Ntingwe Tea Estate, 

Quedeni Forest 

5.4. Development of campsites and picnic spots 

For forests to become popular domestic-resident tourist attractions, necessary facilities will need to be 

built. These include picnic spots (as well as necessary ablutions) which can cater for families seeking a 

‘day out’ and a break from the bustle of large towns like Richards Bay. Campsites under the forest 

canopies could also prove highly popular attractions for both foreign and domestic tourists. KZN 

Wildlife, are in principle supportive of these developments as long as they are eco sensitive. 

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5.5. Create strong linkages with Route 66 and other attractions in the local area 

While the Great Forest Tour would hopefully be a strong attraction in and of itself, linking it with the 

Route 66 Zulu Culture and Heritage Route would lend even greater publicity to the route. The Great 

Forests Tour could act as an offshoot, which one can embark on at Eshowe, of Route 66. The tour would 

also enhance the geographic spread of Route 66 which largely bypasses the Nkandla area. 

6. Develop Contemporary and Authentic African Cultural Tourism 

The cultural tourism market is a significant one in South Africa and in KwaZulu‐Natal especially, because 

of the province’s rich Zulu heritage. Cultural tourism involves tourists visiting human attractions. 

“Cultural tourists often want to consume themselves in the contemporary way of life of the destination 

they are visiting”. (TKZN, 2009:2) The aim of cultural tourists is to experience a way of life that is 

uniquely foreign to the way of life which they are accustomed to. As such cultural tourists are most 

typically foreign tourists as the culture of the destination which they are visiting differs most markedly 

with their home countries. Statistics (TKZN, 2009) reveal the popularity of cultural experiences for 

foreign tourists: 60% of KZN’s air departure market undertook some form of cultural activity in the 

province during their stay. The statistics also reveal the relative unpopularity of cultural activities for 

South Africa’s domestic tourist market, only 10.7% of KZN’s domestic tourist market reported visiting an 

African township or cultural village during their stay in the province. 

The ‘Zulu culture’ tourism product is well developed within uThungulu District. Simunye Lodge was 

recently voted the second best cultural village in the country, while Shakaland and Stewarts Farm have 

long proven popular with foreign tourists. Cultural villages, however, target a specific segment of the 

cultural tourist market. There is a growing segment of foreign cultural tourists who view cultural villages 

as ‘artificial cultural attractions and experiences’. These tourists tend to seek a rawer and rougher, yet 

more genuine cultural experience. On the tourism site, Tripadvisor (2009), where people write of their 

experiences at accommodation facilities in a number of countries, a person from the United Kingdom, 

on his/her visit to one of KwaZulu‐Natal’s cultural villages referred to the village as a “fake rural Zulu 

village” and the staff as “replica Zulus” (Tripadvisor, 2009). Although this sentiment is certainly not 

representative of all foreign tourists’ experiences, and cultural villages definitely have their place, there 

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is a significant demand by foreign tourists for ‘real’ experiences with Zulu culture. In this regard, tours 

which portray contemporary African culture, particularly as seen in rural villages (such as those in 

Nkandla) and urban settlements (like Esikhawini), should be more extensively developed in the district. 

At present well organised tours of contemporary Zulu villages just outside of Eshowe operate from the 

George Hotel under the auspices of Graham Chennells. There is, however, scope for significantly more 

of these types of tours. A list of possible options is presented below. 

6.1 Mzingazi and Nzalabantu settlements northeast of Richards Bay 

The settlements at the far end of Lake Mzingazi provide an interesting merging of urban and rural 

contemporary African lifestyles. These communities are heavily influenced by the immense presence of 

the RBM smelter. Indeed RBM’s corporate social responsibility efforts are evident throughout these 

areas, with a number of RBM funded projects. Some of these projects such as the ‘treepreneurs’, 

wherein young entrepreneurs from the community grow indigenous trees which are then sold to the 

Willdlands Trust and used in their greening project, already attract small numbers of overseas tourists 

interested in community projects in disadvantaged areas. This form of community based tourism is a 

growing sector and the opportunity to visit these community-based projects should be extended. The 

Mzingazi and Nzalabantu settlements also have the added advantage of being close to Richards Bay and 

being located on a possible alternative future tourism route linking Richards Bay and Maphelane. 

6.2. Esikhawini and Lake Cubhu settlements 

Esikhawini is a large township and probably the best option for a township tour experience in uThungulu 

District. Township Tourism is a relatively new, multi-million dollar addition to South Africa’s suite of 

tourism attractions. It involves tours of South African townships as well as cultural immersions which 

include overnight stays in townships. The idea of township tourism is to provide a glimpse of urban 

African culture as people go about their daily business. Its success is based, in part, on the uniqueness 

of township life and people’s fascination with the political processes which shaped these communities. 

Visiting a South African township, with its unique blend of politics and culture, is an experience unlike 

any in the world, and this can lead to a relatively price inelastic demand by foreign tourists for this 

experience. The benefits of township tourism are as follows: it incorporates isolated areas otherwise 

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perceived as dangerous, relatively little infrastructure investment is required and the existing resources, 

particularly human resources, can be widely utilised. It also “brings the visitors to the hosts”. (Township 

Tours, 2004) Township tourism at Esikhawini, however, would have strong competition from Soweto; 

Khayelitsha (Cape Town) and Inanda/KwaMashu (Durban), all of which would be easier for foreign 

tourists, arriving at the respective international airports, to visit. The only competitive advantage that 

Esikhawini may possess in terms of township tourism is in the Richards Bay cruise ship market. It is thus 

important to try and differentiate the township product offered by uThungulu District. In this respect, 

the neighbouring settlement around Lake Cubhu offers something quite unique. The Lake itself is a 

picturesque setting and the communities abutting the lake are excellent examples of urban fringe 

settlement. In addition the Shembe settlement on the shores of the lake is an intriguing cultural 

attraction. Esikhawini and Cubhu offered together, thus, form a strong tourism product. 

6.3. Nkandla rural settlements 

The settlement pattern in Nkandla Municipality is very rural, with numerous examples of traditional Zulu 

homesteads dotted around the countryside. People in this area today live in much the same manner as 

they did centuries ago. A visit to one of the kraals on the Nkandla heights would be an incredibly 

evocative cultural experience for a foreign tourist. This area also has the advantage of being close to 

Nkandla forest and can boast being the home town of the country’s first Zulu-speaking president. This 

latter characteristic should not be underestimated as it draws significant international spotlight on 

Nkandla. 

Another area with rural and traditional tourism potential is the area around Lake Phobane (Goedetrouw 

Dam). Visits to traditional homesteads on the outskirts of the dam, amidst typical Zululand bushveld, 

could prove popular with tourists especially if linked to boat trips on the dam and activities at nearby 

Shakaland 

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6.4. Possible features of African experience tours 

Table 4: Features of African Experience Tours in uThungulu District 

Features of African Experience Tours in uThungulu District 

1. Home visits Tourists are hosted for an hour or two by a local family who will explain 

their way of life and daily activities 

2. Day to day Tourists will get involved in daily activities such as fetching firewood and 

activities 

water, farming, home building etc. 

3. Community Tourists will have a chance to see how community projects like 

projects 

‘treepreneurs’ works and will be able to participate in these projects 

4. Cultural and Tourists are invited to attend cleansing ceremonies, bull slaughters, church 

religious events services, Zionist and Shembe Meetings 

5. Visiting a Tourist visit a local sangoma or traditional healer’s house 

sangoma 

6. Visiting the local Tourists visit the local market on market day, get the chance to bargain 

market 

and purchase locally made goods 

7. Socialising at a Tourists well relax at a local shebeen or tavern, sampling local brews and 

shebeen 

foods 

8. Home stays Tourists will stay overnight (or for a few nights) at selected community 

members houses. 

Key guidelines to be followed: 

 

Tour guides should be sourced from the local community and trained by professional tour 

operators. Guides should be able to converse well in English and should be friendly and 

enthusiastic, displaying a sound knowledge of the village/township and the Zulu way of life. 

 

Community approval and support needs to be secured. 

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Village tours should be coordinated and run by a community tourism organization (CTO), the 

CTO should have direct linkages to the offices of various Tourist Routes. 

 

The safety of tourists should be high priority and it must be ensured that tourists never find 

themselves isolated and alone in the village. 

 

The focus should always be on offering tourists a genuine ‘Rural African Experience’, one which 

they would recommend to their fellow countrymen. 

 

The selection of homes for home stays must be thoroughly investigated and the ‘hosts’ must be 

highly trustworthy. 

7. Develop adventure tourism in the district 

The Gap Analysis for Tourism in uThungulu District identified the development of adventure tourism 

attractions as being a key opportunity for the district. Tourism KZN (2009) finds that, in 2006, 17% of 

foreign air departure tourists participated in at least one adventure activity during their stay in the 

province. On the domestic front, hiking and mountain climbing is listed by 9.1% of domestic tourists as 

an activity they undertook during trips to the province. Domestic tourists also list having participated in 

mountain biking and other cycling (2.8%), horse riding (3.9%), a water sport (14.6%) and a sports event 

(14.6%). These figures confirm that there is substantial demand from both international and domestic 

tourists for adventure experiences in KwaZulu‐Natal. uThungulu District’s terrain and level of 

development make it highly conducive to the development of these types of activities. Developing 

adventure attractions are a key strategy for attracting domestic tourists who are far less likely to visit 

the district for cultural experiences/attractions than what foreign tourists are. Similarly foreign tourists 

are less likely to participate in adventure experiences unless they are very well organized (due to the risk 

associated with getting injured in a foreign country) and unless they are truly unique experiences. The 

following table shows some of the adventure activities which could be developed in uThungulu District, 

and where they could be located. 

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Table 5 – Types of adventure activity 

Type of adventure activity 

Conventional 

Horse Riding 

Mountain Biking 

Quad Biking 

Kayaking 

Water sports 

Thrill 

Zip-lining/foefee sliding 

Shark Diving 

Paragliding 

Sky Diving 

Location 

Predominantly on coastal routes. Siyaya Coastal Park, Maphelane to 

Jolly Rubino. There are also options for riding routes from Eshowe to 

Ongoye. 

Could develop routes at Matshenezimpisi, and in any of the forests in 

the district. 

In properly demarcated wilderness areas. 

On the Umlalazi Estuary, Lake Nhlabane, Lake Eteza 

On Lake Phobane, Richards Bay Marina area 

Possibilities at Dlinza, Entumeni and Mpushini Falls 

Off areas of the coastline, Cape St Lucia 

Nkandla heights 

Eshowe, Empangeni airfields 

8. Improve accessibility and visibility of existing attractions 

Adequate road infrastructure is essential for the development of tourism in the district. This is especially 

the case for attracting foreign tour groups who typically arrive in large tour buses. As such the roads to 

tourist attractions in uThungulu District must be of a standard that would cater for big tour buses as well 

as for smaller private vehicles. Poor quality roads are a significant deterrent to tourists looking to 

explore new areas. Improvements in road infrastructure may also serve as a stimulus to tourism in 

uThungulu District by crowding in private sector developments and increasing the footfall of tourists in 

the region. Similarly, clear and comprehensive road signage is a key ingredient for tourism development 

in the district. Tourists travelling privately need the re‐assurances, not to mention the directions, that 

good signage provides. Road signage fulfills three important roles: it provides motorists with directions 

to destinations which may otherwise be difficult to reach; it acts as a signal of the quality of the tourism 

product in an area; and, finally, good signage can function as a very effective form of advertising, 

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conveying information about a destination to passing motorists. The district has been highly active in the 

upgrading of roads in the last few years, with the Shakaland Road, the roads to Ongoye and the road to 

KwaBulawayo, having been or in the process of being upgraded. However, tourism development in the 

district would further benefit from the following key strategic interventions for both road improvements 

and signage which are listed below. 

8.1. Tourist routes that should be tarred 

 

The road to Thula Thula. The 3.5km stretch of road between Ntambanana and Thula Thula, is 

un-tarred and very rough in places. The current state of this road discourages tour buses from 

visiting Thula Thula, despite this being one of the district’s top attractions. Presently this road is 

being tarred from the Ulundi side, but this may be a lengthy process, and requires the support 

of uThungulu District Municipality to speed up this process. In the interim the road to Thula 

Thula, needs to be graded so that sedans and tour busses can comfortably access the reserve. 

 

Inside Ongoye Forest. KZN Wildlife has plans to lay concrete strips through the forest, which 

would make the forest much more accessible for individuals that don’t own 4×4’s. Utilising the 

natural asset that is Ongoye Forest is a top tourism priority for the district and as such a road 

through Ongoye should be strongly supported. 

 

Sections of the Road from KwaMbonambi turnoff to Maphelane. Maphelane, like Thula Thula, is 

one of the district’s top attractions but poses significant access problems for visitors. Large 

segments of this road, including the final stretch are un-tarred and would make travel there by 

sedan very precarious in inclement weather. Both Maphelane and the Jolly Rubino wreck would 

benefit from a tarred road. 

 

The Road into Simunye Lodge. The case for a tarred road into Simunye is very similar to that for 

a tarred road into Thula Thula. While Thula Thula’s road is passable, however, Simunye’s is not, 

and visitors have to be taken to the lodge by ox wagon, horseback or 4×4. This limits the width 

of the appeal of Simunye Lodge and also constrains future growth. As with Thula Thula and 

Royal Zulu, a tarred road to Simunye Lodge would be crucial to the development of the Simunye 

Project Game Reserve. 

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A section of Route 66 between Pongola and Nongoma. Tour busses coming into the province 

from Mpumalanga and stopping at Pongola or Pongola Dam are put off travelling down Route 

66 into Zululand and uThungulu District by the condition of a +/-25km stretch of un-tarred road 

between Nongoma and Pongola, or Pongola Dam. Instead tour busses remain on the N2, 

thereby bypassing the cultural and heritage attractions of Route 66. While this portion of road 

is outside the district municipality’s boundaries, it is critical to the success of uThungulu 

District’s attractions located on Route 66. As the route is a provincial one, uThungulu District 

Municipality should, with Zululand District Municipality, engage with the province, in an effort 

to upgrade this road. 

 

A section of the road to Ntingwe Tea Estate and Quedeni Forest. (Medium priority) This road is 

an un-tarred and precarious, yet highly scenic road. If Ntingwe Tea Estate is to offer tours to the 

public and if trails in Quedeni Forest were to be developed then the tarring of this road would 

greatly assist. 

8.2. Opening up new routes 

 

Negotiate with RBM for servitudes in mining areas. RBM have an extensive system of tarred 

roads running from North of Richards Bay to just short of the T-junction with the road from 

KwaMbonambi to Maphelane. The ability to use these roads would greatly decrease the untarred 

section of road to Maphelane and would directly link the marina area in Richards Bay 

with Lake Nhlabane and Maphelane Nature Reserve. RBM are, in principle, open to discussing 

the possibility of limited, and regulated, use of these roads by the public. This is especially the 

case with the road to the Nhlabane estuary which RBM are willing to open to the public. 

 

Connect Naval and Pelican islands by bridge. Presently tourists wanting to access Pelican Island 

or Alkantstrand Beach from the Tuzi Gazi waterfront are required to take the long way around 

via the Mzingazi Canal Bridge. The distance from the waterfront to Pelican Island, via this route, 

is 3km while to Alkantstrand Beach it is 3.6km. Linking Naval and Pelican islands will drastically 

shorten the distance from the waterfront to Pelican Island and from the waterfront to 

Alkantstrand Beach. It will also serve the purpose of creating one continuous linkage between 

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the potential Passenger Liner terminal, the waterfront, Naval Island and Alkantstrand Beach. 

The islands would need to be linked via bridge, a small portion of which would need to be a 

drawbridge to allow for yachts to enter and exit the marina. The bridge between Naval and 

Pelican Island could also become a significant tourist attraction in-and-of-itself. 

8.3. Improving signage to tourist attractions 

 

More signage to Thula Thula. On leaving Empangeni there is no signage to Thula Thula prior to 

turning onto the Heatonville Road. Signs for Thula Thula should be installed just outside of 

Empangeni, in order to ensure that tourists do not miss the turnoff. 

 

More signage to Mthonjaneni Museum and Dingane’s Spring. No immediately conspicuous 

signage exists on Route 66 for the turnoff to Mthonjaneni Lodge; Mthonjaneni Museum; 

Dingane’s Spring or the earthen Anglo-Zulu War forts. While there is some signage for these 

attractions on the hill above the turnoff to Mthonjaneni, this would be very easy to miss and, by 

not having the formal appearance of standard tourism markers, does not convey a sense of 

reliability to tourists. It is suggested that formal Route 66 tourist signboards, which indicate the 

attractions available in this area, be erected. 

 

Re-install signage to Mpushini Falls. Mpushini Falls in Eshowe was once a fairly popular 

attraction for both local residents and tourists visiting Eshowe. Unfortunately criminal activity 

has prevented people from visiting the falls in recent times. As such, in order to dissuade 

people from visiting the site, most signage has been removed. If the crime problem is to be 

rectified and the falls are to be resurrected as a tourist attraction, then signage which existed in 

the past needs to be re-installed. 

 

Off the road signpost for Nyezane Battle Site. On one of the project team’s site visits to the 

Eshowe area the Nyezane Battle Site was unable to be located. While there is a prominent 

signboard for the site on the R66, no further signage leads one to the actual site once the 

turnoff has been made. Further, clearly visible, signage must be installed that takes one straight 

to the battle site memorial. 

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9. Ensure Tourist Safety in Dangerous Areas 

In South Africa combating crime is always a crucial tourism strategy. Ensuring tourists’ safety should be 

a number one priority for the district municipality. If uThungulu District can gain a reputation as a 

relatively safe destination in South Africa this would act as a greater attraction than most of the tourism 

developments detailed in the preceding pages of this document. Conversely the success of these 

selfsame developments hinges on the safety of tourists in the first place. The following two strategies 

therefore look at ways of establishing uThungulu District as a ‘safe’ tourist destination. 

9.1. Policing of identified criminal hotspots at tourist attractions 

In many areas of the district attractive seclusion strikes a precarious balance with crime. Pristine, 

tranquil areas, primed for eco-tourism are often also areas which are considered by many to be highly 

dangerous. A number of examples exist: 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Nhlabane Estuary 

Cape St Lucia 

Naval Island 

Mpushini Falls 

Martyr’s cross and KwaMondi Fort in Eshowe 

These areas are key tourist attractions, yet tourist information offices regularly discourage people from 

visiting these destinations (at least not alone). As such security services should be established at most of 

these destinations. Security guards do not need to patrol 24hrs a day (though in the case of Naval island 

this would be a good idea), and could instead patrol for designated periods, after which time tourists are 

strongly discouraged from visiting the site. A key element of better policing in these areas involves 

creating safe parking for visitors. 

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9.2. Creation of ‘safe’ tourism precincts 

While tourist’s safety cannot be guaranteed in all areas of the district and discretion needs to be 

exercised with respect to which areas are visited and when they are visited, there should be certain 

areas where tourists can feel completely safe and relaxed. Tourism precincts should be created, 

whereby tourists are given top priority and a high level of security for tourists exists. As such tourists 

should be able to walk around at night without feeling vulnerable, focusing only on enjoying themselves 

and prolonging there stay in the district. Tourism precincts are found around the world, particularly in 

Europe and the USA, and are key to ensuring steady flows of visitors year on year. Tourism precincts 

have the following features: 

 

 

 

 

 

Located in areas of high tourism accommodation density 

Incorporates high-level surveillance equipment 

Has a very visible police presence 

Access to non-tourists is closely monitored 

Extensive street lighting is provided 

The aim of creating safe tourism precincts is so as to manage the risk of crime committed against 

tourists on their visits to the district by focusing on tourism safety in areas of high tourist density. In 

areas outside of the tourism precincts, tourists would have to use a greater degree of discretion in 

timing their visits to certain attractions. 

10. Provide More Family Attractions and Facilities 

Niche market tourism in the district, namely, birding; fishing; business and cultural activities, tend to be 

targeted at individuals as opposed to family groups. This is reflected in the lack of attractions suitable 

for children in uThungulu District’s tourist areas. Domestic family tourism, however, is a very large 

market in South Africa and, as such, family-style attractions and facilities should be developed in the 

municipality as a means of attracting a greater number of tourist families. 

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12.1 Develop ancillary attractions aimed at children in uThungulu District’s major tourism areas 

None of the main tourism towns in the district (Mtunzini, Eshowe, and Richards Bay) could be described 

as major family holiday destinations. In each of these towns there is a distinct lack of facilities for 

children. This is not to say that there are no tourism facilities for children in these towns, for instance 

the Dlinza Boardwalk in Eshowe and Reptile City outside of Richards Bay are ideal attractions for 

children, but rather that there is a general deficiency of attractions and facilities for children. Richards 

Bay, Eshowe and Mtunzini would be more rounded tourism destinations if more of the following 

facilities were developed: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playground areas 

Go-kart tracks 

Animal petting zoos 

Paddling pools and water slides 

Paintball courses 

Movie theatres and bowling alleys 

Miniature train rides 

Mini-golf; putt-putt 

10.2. Develop a safari-park attraction within the district 

In addition to developing ancillary tourism facilities for children in the district’s main tourism towns, the 

district municipality should also look to create a primary family attraction in the district. A safari park 

attraction which would offer eco adventure activities aimed at families, could fill a significant gap in the 

district, and indeed the province, when it comes to offering genuine family based attractions. A safari 

park should offer more intimate experiences for families than that which game reserves, where children 

are confined to the inside of vehicles, offer. The safari park should be set in an area of scenic natural 

beauty and be populated with non-dangerous game. The park would offer walking paths; horse riding; 

picnic sites; themed playgrounds; foefee slides; rock pools; swimming and kayaking in the dam; an 

educational awareness centre and possibly an animal nursery or rehabilitation centre. The basic 

concept behind the park would be to instil in children an awareness of the environment and to foster a 

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love for the outdoors. The aim of developing this attraction would be to create KwaZulu-Natal’s premier 

family attraction. 

11. Promote Events 

Events are usually once a year injections of tourism revenue into the district. They are a convenient 

way of compensating for seasonality in the market for holiday tourists. A year round calendar of 

tourism events, not only increases tourism revenue in the district for the duration of the event but also 

enhances the publicity of tourism opportunities in the district. Events are a good way of increasing the 

exposure of tourist destinations. uThungulu should seek to increase the number of events it has in a 

year, taking advantage of a good climate; wide open spaces and beautiful natural surroundings; and a 

vast coastline. 

uThungulu hosts a wide range of events ranging from business and promotional events like the Zululand 

Expo to major fishing events and water sports competitions, to name only a few. While these events 

certainly do draw tourists to uThungulu, they are not sufficiently large enough to yield the desired 

degree of international exposure for the district. Tourism KZN conduct annual impact studies on the 

province’s biggest events, namely, the Comrades and Amashova Marathons; the Midmar Mile; Splashy 

Fen Music Festival; the Durban July and the Zulu Reed Dance. What distinguishes these events, with the 

possible exception of the last one, is that they are all iconic world-renowned events. As such they 

attract a large number of tourists each year. The Comrades Marathon, for example was found to 

attract 17,682 non-resident participants and 23,317 non-resident supporters in 2010. In total between 

R146-247 million was spent by participants and non-resident spectators at the Comrades Marathon. 

This represented a large boom for the local tourism industry. Furthermore, when asked whether they 

would recommend the event to friends and family, 99% of survey respondents answered in the 

affirmative. An event like the Comrades has an international profile, and attracts people by weight of its 

legendary history and uniqueness. uThungulu District Municipality should look to encourage these sort 

of mass appeal events within the district. 

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Opportunities for events in uThungulu include: 

 

A beach music festival: Unique destination musical festivals such as Splashy Fen in Underberg, 

attract visitors from around the country each year. A scenic destination should be sought for a 

music festival in uThungulu. The beach by Dokodweni Ski-boat club and the Prawn Shack could 

be an ideal venue for a uniquely-styled beach music festival. 

 

A multi-day cultural event commemorating the history of the Zulu people in the region: This 

type of event should be purposely created, with foreign tour groups in mind, and should look to 

showcase the vibrancy of Zulu culture and the intrigue of Zulu history. Features of the event 

should include Zulu dances and musical performances; educational displays; mini battle reenactments; 

traditional food stalls as well as arts and crafts stands The location is important 

and should be somewhere easily accessible but scenic and historically significant. In this respect 

the Gingindlovu area would be an appropriate location. 

 

Watersports events: Richards Bay has had a history of hosting various watersports events, but 

in recent times has struggled to re-attract these events. With the further development of the 

Richards Bay waterfront area, and the extension of tourist services in this area, the city should 

make a renewed effort to re-attract these events, and attract newer bigger events. 

 

Fishing events: There are already a number of fishing events which take place in uThungulu, 

these need to be better supported by the district municipality and expanded in scope. To this 

end aggressive marketing of these events is essential. 

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3.2. Nodal Tourism Development Strategy 

Tourism development in a district needs to be mindful of the fact that some areas have competitive 

advantages when it comes to tourism while others simply do not. Scarcity of resources means that not 

all areas can be extensively developed for tourism purposes. This is especially the case when 

formulating a tourism strategy for an entire district. It is the role of local municipalities to fill in the gaps 

when it comes to lower level marginal tourism development. However, it is the role of the District 

Municipality to identify areas with high tourism potential that will offer cross-cutting benefits for the 

entire district, and earmark these areas for extensive tourism development. In this respect a nodal 

tourism strategy provides a spatial context for tourism development in the district, prioritising areas 

which are expected to have the highest yield for investments in tourism. Nodal tourism development 

prevents the, at times, fruitless efforts to find tourism attractions in areas which have little scope for 

tourism. Instead nodal development looks to promote specialisation in areas in which actual potential 

exists. The identification and classification of tourism nodes ensures that tourism is made the focus in 

smaller but more manageable areas which have relative competitive advantages with regards to tourism 

opportunities. 

The areas identified as tourism nodes in this strategy are those areas which either, have significant 

existing flows of tourists, or have imminently realisable prospects for increased tourist numbers. In the 

latter respect, the easiest way, in the short-run, to increase tourist numbers to the district is to take 

advantage of the significant flows of tourists to popular attractions in neighbouring districts by 

developing trans-district tourism products and thereby creating critical mass destinations. 

Tourism development nodes are those areas wherein tourist attractions, facilities and infrastructure 

should be clustered. Within these nodes, tourism should be given priority and tourists treated as 

valuable commodities. 

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Primary Tourist Nodes in uThungulu District 

1. Richards Bay Marina Area and Waterfront 

2. Eshowe and surrounding region 

3. Mtunzini/Siyaya Coastal Park 

4. Mthonjaneni/ Dingane Spring 

5. Thula Thula/ Royal Zulu 

Secondary nodes 

1. Lake Eteza, Umfolozi Village 

2. Nkandla/Matshenezimpisi 

Richards Bay Marina and Waterfront 

Richards Bay has the highest number of tourist beds in the district as well as the highest occupancy rate. 

This is mainly on account of business tourism in the city. Business tourism, however, presents an 

excellent foundation from which to tackle other tourist markets. If Richards Bay were to become a more 

appealing family destination, business tourists may bring their families on business trips or at least visit 

with their families at a later stage. Richards Bay also benefits from having a functioning airport and an 

international seaport. The presence of an international seaport, in particular, offers significant 

opportunities for future increases in tourist numbers as the cruise ship industry grows in Richards Bay 

(see Section 3.1 Strategy 3). Leisure tourism in Richards Bay, however, is undoubtedly negatively 

affected by heavy industry in the town. For this reason only a section of Richards Bay can be considered 

to be a genuine tourism node with growth potential. This area would include the Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, 

Mzingazi canal and lake, the small craft harbour, Pelican Island, Naval Island and Alkantstrand Beach. 

Numerous hotels, guesthouses and restaurants exist in this area already but there is still significant 

tourism growth potential. Various tourism projects which would contribute toward making this area a 

popular tourist destination, for both land-based and cruise tourists are listed below: 

Possible tourism projects 

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Establishment of a safe tourism precinct (see strategy 9) 

Construction of multi-purpose passenger liner terminal (see strategy 3) 

Construction of a linkage between Pelican and Naval islands (see strategy 7) 

 

 

 

Development of themed Botanic Gardens, amphitheatre and water world on Naval island 

Extension of waterfront 

Cruises on Lake Mzingazi 

Support for the Richards Bay Waterfront Development (Mhlatuze Marina Development Plan) 

In 2009 the City of Mhlatzue developed a concept plan for the development of Richards Bay’s 

waterfront. This development, which is planned to supplement current facilities at Tuzi Gazi, will take 

place on the north bank of the Mzingazi canal as it enters the bay, and will include Pelican Island; the 

NSRI and Water Board premises; the Dredger Berths and Alkanstrand Beach. The primary aim of the 

development is articulated as follows: “Conceptually the proposal creates a mixed land use 

development that ranges in density and integrates living, working and playing experiences in such a 

unique way that the Richards Bay Waterfront will be one of the most sought after addresses in Northern 

KwaZulu-Natal”. (PV&E Townplanners, 2009) The development is proposed to include commercial and 

residential nodes of varying density, as well as hotels and a theme park. The concept plan is currently 

undergoing a consultative process which aims to refine the concept and provide the foundation to 

practically implement the vision for the area. This process is expected to be complete by September 

2011. The Richards Bay Waterfront Development is considered critical to improving the attractiveness 

of Richards Bay as a tourist destination and as a premier gateway to uThungulu for cruise tourists. It is 

therefore recommended that the district municipality lend their full support to this project. 

Eshowe and surrounding region 

Eshowe is the oldest town in Zululand and has a rich repository of historical and cultural attractions. The 

town and surrounding areas (Lake Phobane, Entumeni) has a number of accommodation establishments 

and is in the centre of uThungulu District’s segment of Route 66. The launch of Route 66, on which a 

number of Eshowe’s attractions feature prominently, should give Eshowe the tourism injection it has 

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needed for the last five years. Eshowe should be marketed as one of the base towns of the Route 66 

experience. As such, additional tourism development should look to capitalise on increased tourist 

flows associated with the Route. 

Possible tourism projects: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dlinza Forest boardwalk expansion 

Canopy tours at either Dlinza, Entumeni or Mpushini Falls 

Re-opening Mpushini Falls to tourists 

Upgrading of Fort Nonqayi, Martyr’s Cross 

Packaging missionary tours 

Development of large-scale craft centre 

Zulu blonde brewery tours 

Mtunzini, Siyaya Coastal Park 

Mtunzini is uThungulu District’s top tourist leisure destination as well as being its fastest growing 

destination overall. Though this growth is driven primarily by angling tourists, Mtunzini also has the 

potential to position itself as a popular family holiday destination. However, this will require the 

development of tourism facilities which would appeal to families and children in particular. While ecotourism 

plays an important role in the present appeal of Mtunzini, there is still substantial unexplored 

potential for this type of attraction. The Siyaya Coastal Park is a pristine coastal conservation area, 

which although having much to offer tourists, has seen little tourism development. 


 

 

 

 

Development of coastal resort in the Siyaya Coastal Park 

Development of overnight trails in the Siyaya Coastal Park 

Construction of a tidal pool or public swimming facilities at Mtunzini 

Development of a John Dunn Interactive Museum in Mtunzini Village 

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Mthonjaneni/Dingane Spring 

This area, on the boundary of the district, would incorporate Mthonjaneni Lodge and Museum, 

Dingane’s Spring, the British earthen forts, and the proposed Simunye Game Reserve. The node would 

also lie on the most northern section of uThungulu District’s segment of Route 66. While the previous 

three nodes that were mentioned had significant existing tourism activity, this area is highlighted more 

in regard to its long-term potential. The Mthonjaneni/Dingane’s spring node would look toward 

Zululand district to provide significant flows of tourists. This area should position itself as the gateway 

to the Valley of the Kings and the starting point for visits to eMakhosini, Opathe, UMgungundlovu and 

Ulundi, all of which have growing tourism appeal. The node would also look to establish itself as part of 

a wider trans-district cultural heritage and wildlife tourism zone. 


 

 

 

 

Simunye Project creating a Big Five Game Reserve linked to Opathe and eMakhosini 

Revival of Dingane’s spring 

The opportunity for tours of eMakhosini to be run from Mthonjaneni Museum 

Further accommodation development at Mthonjaneni 

Thula Thula/Royal Zulu 

Thula Thula’s international reputation has grown substantially in the last five years and the extra 

business from this increased exposure has led to an increase of accommodation at the reserve. The 

reserve, having purchased two neighbouring properties, is also set to expand in the next six months. 

However, it is not so much Thula Thula’s popularity which should lead to the designation of this area as 

a tourism zone but rather the prospect of the Royal Zulu Reserve which would provide a direct linkage 

between uThungulu District and the province’s biggest and most popular game reserve, namely, 

Hluhluwe Umfolozi. Designating this area as a tourism node would aim to exploit the huge tourism 

popularity of this game park. 

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Thula Thula’s immediate expansion (dropping of fences with Lavonie and Fundumvelo) 

Emphasis on Shaka’s early childhood legacy within the area 

Creation of Royal Zulu Reserve and the dropping of fences with Hluhluwe Umfolozi 

Lake Eteza/Umfolozi 

The area around Lake Eteza and Umfolozi, is perfectly placed for tourism development. Lake Eteza is 

one of the best aquatic bird watching destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The lake also boasts small 

populations of crocodiles and hippos. On the eastern side of the lake are situated a number of 

accommodation establishments, including the Umfolozi Hydro Spa and Umfolozi River Lodge and Bird 

Park. There is also a large plot of land which has been fenced and filled with game (including giraffe, 

zebra, impala), and is owned by a cooperative of local cane farmers. These farmers do not have any 

short term tourism plans, but do not rule out future tourism development which would be done of their 

own accord and initiative. The prime reason for designating this area as a tourism node is because of its 

close proximity to Maphelane Nature Reserve and the popular tourist town of St Lucia. Tourist 

attractions situated in this node should look to draw on the surplus pool of tourists in St Lucia. 


 

 

 

Birding tours on Lake Eteza 

Makoro trips on Lake Eteza 

Development of a safari-park style attraction 

Nkandla and Matshenezimpisi 

This area has low tourism footfall at present and is not located on, or near any major tourism routes. 

However, on account of the State President hailing from this area and the coverage that this brings, 

there are significant prospects for future tourism growth. This node would look to link the nature 

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reserve, accommodation and conference centre at Matshenzimpisi with the intriguing Nkandla Forest 

and Zululand’s famous Ntingwe Tea Estate. Traditional tourism initiatives could also be included as part 

of the tourism product offered in this node. 

Possible Projects: 

 

Development of public walking trails and historical tours in Nkandla Forest 

 

Development of further accommodation at Matshenezimpisi 

 

Designation of Matshenezimpisi as a hunting reserve 

 

Traditional home visits 

 

Tours of Ntingwe Tea Estate 

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Primary Tourism Corridors 

1. Route 66 

2. Nhlabane Corridor 

Route 66 

Route 66 must be viewed as the primary tourism corridor in uThungulu District, and development in the 

district should put significant focus on investing in tourism initiatives along this route. Route 66 must be 

conceived as the primary artery of the tourism industry in uThungulu District. The route has the 

potential to attract both international and domestic tourists, as well as cultural, historical, wildlife and 

adventure tourists. 

Nhlabane Corridor 

With the possible closure of RBM’s Tisand mining site, should the EMPR be split, a new tourism corridor 

could present itself, linking Richards Bay and Lake Nhlabane. This would provide tourists staying in the 

Meerensee area with the opportunity to take a scenic driver to Lake Nhlabane and the Nhlabane estuary 

where they can enjoy the activities on the lake and the beauty of pristine, rehabilitated dune forests. In 

the longer-run, however, the district municipality should engage in negotiations with RBM to allow for 

the use (even if limited) of its road north of Nhlabane. This would create a continuous corridor linking 

Meerensee with Cape St Lucia and Maphelane. The following is a list of advantages of the opening up of 

this route: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The route would bypass Richards Bay’s heavy industrial sites around the harbour 

It would ease some of the congestion on the John Ross Highway 

It would be a significantly shorter route to Maphelane 

It could stimulate cultural tourism in the Mzingazi community 

It would incorporate attractions at Lake Nhlabane 

It would open up the rehabilitated dune forests for eco-tourism 

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3.3. Emergency Services for Tourists 

If uThungulu District is to host international events, attracting large numbers of tourists, then available 

emergency services and attendant infrastructure needs to be comprehensively developed. For the most 

part individual tourist emergencies can be catered for by regular emergency services, but emergencies 

at large scale events or emergencies involving tour groups in transit, need to be catered for by specific 

emergency plans and services. In preparing for the 2010 World Cup, the district engaged in the 

development of specialised emergency plans for various scenarios which would impact on tourists at 

events in the district. 

The strategy formulated for 2010, specifies ten different disaster scenarios which are identified as 

potentially having an impact on major events. In the event of these disasters occurring, checklists 

listing applicable responses are provided and would need to be completed by the relevant authority. 

The disasters/emergencies identified are as follows: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aircraft disasters – including crashes on vacant and occupied land as well as at airports 

Collapsed facilities – particularly stands; roofs and temporary structures 

Disruption in power supply – causing possible postponement or delays in the event 

Disruption in solid waste services – possibly causing health risks and delays 

Disruption in waste water services – possibly causing health risks and delays 

Disruption in water supply - possibly causing health risks and delays 

Fire situations – including runaway fires and the possibility of toxic contamination 

Flooding – possibly causing delays or physical risks to tourists 

Hazardous chemical spillage – leading to health risks 

Major road accidents – collisions involving tourists as well as toxic spillage and damages to roads 

In addition to the disaster response checklists, the roles of key services before, during and after events, 

are identified, ensuring that all potential emergencies or disasters scenarios are prepared for and, where 

it is possible, averted. Disaster management also includes a proposed list of coded and general 

messages by security forces; a proposal on how future task teams should operate; and a list of all 

possible scenarios for disaster management. This latter list includes scenarios of a security nature as 

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well as those scenarios for which the ten checklists have been developed. The list can be found in the 

Appendix C of this document. 

Comments on emergency plans 

The emergency response and disaster management plans compiled by the district for the 2010 FIFA 

World Cup event, can be utilised for a number of other events in the future, including other sporting 

events; as well as concerts and expos. However, the plans formulated for 2010 relate mostly to events 

which take place in stadia or other large venues and are not necessarily appropriate for 

disaster/emergency scenarios involving tourists not attending a major event. For instance, large tour 

groups who are not on their way to any particular event in the district but are visiting a number of 

distinct attractions may also encounter situations in which emergency services are required. While 

major road and aircraft incidents are covered in the existing emergency strategies, other import risks are 

not prepared for. These include attacks on tour groups by either terrorists or criminals; tourists trapped 

in severe thunderstorms or other natural disasters; tourists embroiled in violent protests; and tourists 

involved in shipping incidents (particularly on cruise liners). A complete list of scenarios needs to be 

drawn up which includes large tour groups and is not exclusively for event attendees. While uThungulu 

seemingly has adequate emergency plans and procedures to host international events, there is little 

currently in place to deal with tour-group related emergencies. It is the recommendation of this 

tourism master plan that such strategies are designed as a high priority. These strategies could include 

the following key components: 

 

Large-scale tour operators should be required to inform the Destination Management Office or 

the District Municipality of any imminent tours, and the itineraries of these tours. This would 

enable essential services to respond faster in the event of an emergency. 

 

The district municipality should identify contact people at the embassies of the district’s major 

tourist source destinations. 

 

The district should have a database of possible translators, in the event of an incident involving 

tourists speaking foreign languages. 

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Section 4: Deriving Local Benefit from Tourism 

Development 

Part of the vision for tourism development in uThungulu District Municipality, expressed in Section 1 of 

this strategy document, emphasises the importance of formulating a strategy which maximises the 

benefit that local communities derive from tourism development in the district. This vision is 

reproduced here: 

To ensure that tourism contributes toward local economic development though the active involvement 

of communities in tourism projects and the strengthening of linkages with the SMME Sector. 

A strategy must be formulated to ensure that tourism development does not simply increase the profit 

margins of well established private sector tourism-based companies, but also benefits the local 

population, whether directly or via a ‘spill-over effect’. There are three ways in which the benefits of 

tourism development can be transmitted to local communities. These are as follows: 

 

Local entrepreneurship opportunities 

 

Income derived from community ownership of land or tourism initiatives 

 

Employment opportunities 

Local entrepreneurship opportunities refer to small local businesses which either supply the tourism 

industry or form part of the tourism industry’s product offering. Income derived from community 

ownership, is that income which is received either as a profit share from a tourism initiative or as 

payments for the leasing of land. Employment opportunities refer to direct employment in a tourism 

initiative or business. Strategies can be formulated, which aim to optimally maximise each of these 

tourism benefit flows. 

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4.1 Strategy 1 - Expanding the Tourism Skills Base 

Problem Statement 1: 

uThungulu District Municipality has the benefit of having the University of Zululand within its borders. 

Tourism Graduates from the University number between 70-80 students, as well as additional Honours 

and Masters Graduates. These Graduates are highly skilled and are qualified for tourism planning jobs, 

of which there are very few in the district. As such Tourism Graduates frequently tend to leave the 

district in search of suitable work. While there may be a lack of demand for highly skilled individuals, 

there is a growing demand for skilled individuals, with diplomas, who can work in the hospitality and 

tour segments of the tourism industry. To this end Umfolozi College, have in the past, provided highly 

competent people for a range of tourism jobs in the district. The dropping of the Diploma (or N) system 

and the adoption of the National Certificate Vocational system, however, has significantly weakened the 

quality of tourism qualification from the campus. Tourism establishments are thus caught in a position 

where the University of Zululand Graduates are too qualified and the Umfolozi College Graduates too 

under-qualified, to employ. The District Municipality should thus motivate with the Department of 

Education to provide additional funding for Umfolozi College to offer N-courses in tourism again, or the 

District Municipality could fund these courses itself. 

Key Intervention 1: Support the re-introduction of tourism diploma courses at Umfolozi College 


Academic tourism skills may be relatively abundant in the district, but practical tourism skills are lacking. 

Firstly there are no specialised hotel schools in the district where people can receive practical training in 

hotel management, and hospitality. Secondly no one from uThungulu District has ever received training 

as an Adventure Guide. This deficiency in uThungulu District’s tourism skills base needs to be addressed 

if the district is to promote adventure attractions. 

Key Intervention 2: Employ the Adventure Qualifications Network to train adventure tourism guides in 

the district 

Page 70 of 120




A shortage of tourism jobs should not be prohibitive to finding working in the tourism industry, because 

(at least a percentage) of skilled individuals should be able to start their own tourism business. The 

reason for such little entrepreneurial initiative, however, by skilled individuals in the district is indicative 

of a shortage of entrepreneurial and project management skills. 

Key Intervention 3: Provide entrepreneurship and project management courses for individuals wanting to 

establish tourism businesses 

This strategy does not just concern tourism graduates, but also uneducated individuals looking to set up 

a tourism related business. As such it must also be seen as part of the strategy described below. 

4.2 Strategy 2 - Tourism SMME and Supply Chain Development 

Strategy 

Tourism KZN is a key driver of economic development and assisting SMME’s in both supplying tourism 

services to customers and supplying existing tourism service providers with goods and services. 

Guidelines for SMME support need to be developed in order to assist SMME’s and spread the benefits of 

tourism revenue to a wider community. Many tour operators and accommodation facilities are simply 

unaware of the SMME and community tourism opportunities surrounding them and a successful SMME 

policy seeks to redress this issue and open the market for SMME operatives. 

SMME development can serve as a source of transformation in the tourism industry. Tourism KZN 

(2009) lays out the following key monitoring tools to assess SMME growth: 

 

 

 

% increase in the number of SMME businesses supported. 

% increase in budget spent on SMME service providers. 

% increase in training and capacity building interventions. 

Page 71 of 120



The three key ways that an overarching body such as uThungulu District can provide SMME assistance 

are: 

 

 

 

Advisory services to SMMEs and Community Tourism Organisations 

Skills Development focussed on SMME and Community Tourism Organisations 

Monitor and encourage SMME compliance within larger tourism based companies in the district 

Advisory Services 

A centre for promoting ‘start-up businesses’ with business planning assistance would give SMMEs and 

communities with tourism ideas and plans the opportunity to present their plan to an expert who can 

assist them in finding the correct sources of finance, provide business planning assistance and give 

advice for overcoming other obstacles to entering the market. This would include allowing the SMMEs 

to market their establishment or product, overcome land tenure issues and find suitable business 

partners where necessary. 

Community based tourism operations in uThungulu District have often been unsuccessful and this is 

mentioned in the next section. However as part of the advisory services offered, a document on the 

guidelines for community based developments needs to be drafted which looks into the reasons for 

these failures and ways of mitigating these issues. This document can serve as a guideline for future 

SMME developments. Additionally, operators of SMME businesses and community tourism operations 

should be encouraged to visit successful community and SMME run operations. 

Mentorship programmes are an opportunity for existing and successful tourism operations to assist 

SMME operations nearby and advise them on operational issues. Linking SMMEs to existing businesses 

and fellow SMME’s is crucial to their growth. SMME supply chains to local service providers can be 

greatly enhanced by the provision of a database of suppliers of goods and services at a local level. This 

type of database would go beyond merely listing tourism operations and also list those companies which 

are potential goods and services suppliers to the industry. 

Page 72 of 120



Areas the database should cover: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accommodation Providers 

Food providers 

Service Providers 

Function Providers 

Cultural Attractions 

Arts & Crafts Attractions and suppliers 

Tour Services and other SMME tourism activities 

All service providers should provide their locations and maps of services should include their operational 

areas. Such a database should be available on the municipal website and distributed to all 

accommodation facilities in the district. Currently this study has provided a comprehensive list of 

accommodation facilities in the district and would be an excellent basis for starting this database. 

Local Municipalities would need to survey service providers and provide this information to the District 

Municipality. A comprehensive list of this nature would provide LED officers in the local municipalities 

the opportunities to engage with SMME’s and assist them in accessing local markets. 

Skills Development 

SMME skills development is a key factor in their success and there are two providers of tourism based 

education in uThungulu District. 

 

 

The University of Zululand 

Umfolozi College (Eshowe Campus, Esikhawini Campus, Richtek Campus) 

These institutions could be utilised to provide SMME owners and employees with the opportunity to 

take courses which facilitate training and capacity building interventions for SMMEs. The municipality 

needs to facilitate such training by providing venues, advertising and accessing funding from Tourism 

KwaZulu-Natal. 

Page 73 of 120



Monitor and Encourage Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Compliance 

In order to promote the business benefits of the Tourism BEE Scorecard these benefits need to be well 

known throughout the industry in uThungulu District, but the district municipality also needs to ensure 

that BEE compliance is as easy as possible. The database of SMME suppliers would encourage BEE 

scorecard compliance. 

Table 6 – SMME Strategy Summary 

Strategy Suggested Intervention Potential Benefits 

Advisory Services Tourism Business Planning 

Offices 

Formulation of successful 

model for community-run 

tourism initiatives 

Site visits to successful 

operations 

Skills Development Training for SMMEs provided 

by resident training facilities 

in uThungulu District. 

Mentorship Programme 

Linking SMME’s with larger 

tourism operations through 

database of SMME and all 

other tourism operations in 

the district 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increased SMME and 

community based 

tourism initiatives 

which are successful 

in the long term. 

Transformation 

Greater customer 

satisfaction with 

SMME operators 

More efficient 

SMME operators 

Expansion of SMME 

operations 


Encourage BEE 

 

Educate businesses on 

 

Increased use of 

compliance 

Tourism BEE compliance 

SMME’s in the 

 

Increase access to BEE 

supply chain 

compliance through database 

 


of compliant companies 

Page 74 of 120



4.3 Strategy 3 - A Framework for Tourism Development on 

Community Owned Land 

The track record of tourism development on community owned land in uThungulu District is mostly 

dismal. Promising developments such as Shangri-La, north of Mtunzini, Iphiva Lodge on Lake Phobane 

and the chalets on the beach near Port Durnford have all failed. Some relatively minor initiatives such as 

the coastal fishing camp site near Lake Nhlabane and numerous craft stalls continue to operate, but 

these are small scale enterprises creating little in the way of full-time employment. The one shining 

exception is Simunye Lodge near Melmoth. For improved success for tourism developments on 

community owned land in the future it is important to take the example of Simunye Lodge and other 

successful tourism ventures on community owned land from elsewhere in Africa and build on the 

lessons learnt from these successes. 

Key to success in the few exceptional instances is that the facilities, whilst community owned, are 

managed and run by a managing agent, who are tourism professionals, namely Protea Hotels, in the 

case of Simunye Lodge. It simply will never work to award operating responsibility to an inexperienced 

and untrained individual or group of individuals chosen from within the community by the community. 

Furthermore, for every venture established on community owned land it is critical that the managing 

agent has access to a separate flow of funds to cover initial investment, operating costs and the costs of 

sustaining the business (including maintenance and replacement of assets as these wear out or are 

damaged). 

It is equally important, of course, that the community, as land owner, also enjoys an equitable flow of 

funds representative of the value of the land leased to the tourism development, together with training 

and employment opportunities and a profit share commensurate with any capital invested in addition to 

the land. Also important, is the need to ensure that the flow of funds to the community is directed to a 

properly constituted trust or not-for-profit organisation with robust governance structures in order to 

ensure that the funds earned by the community from the land lease and any investment in the tourism 

development are deployed to the community in a manner that has the full support of the entire 

beneficiary community. 

Page 75 of 120



Any payments due to government structures such as the SA Revenue Service, municipalities, the 

KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority, tribal authorities, the Ingonyama Trust, skills and education training 

authorities, unemployment insurance fund and compensation fund must also be clearly identified and 

provided for. 

Graham Muller Associates recommend that future tourism developments on community owned land in 

uThungulu District be structured in this fashion. Obviously, the details will vary for each development 

according to the needs and preferences of the parties involved, however, the following are seen as key 

elements critical to the success of tourism developments on community owned land: 

1. The appointment of professionally qualified and experienced management agents with a long – 

term commitment to the development of at least twenty years to ensure sustainability 

2. Clear distinctions between funds flowing to 

a. the community as land owner; 

b. investors (possibly including the community); 

c. the managing agent; 

d. employees 

e. government structures (rates, taxes, levies and the like) 

3. Robust governance structures for the management of all funds flowing to the community as a 

collective entity 

The opportunities for sustainable tourism developments on community owned land in uThungulu 

District are considerable. These will be successfully realised only if practical and sensible structures are 

put in place to realise this potential. The benefit to communities will be a sustainable stream of rentals, 

profits shares, jobs and training. 

Page 76 of 120



Section 5: Business Plans 

Project Name: 

Project Location: 

Local Municipality: 

Strategic Rationale for 

Project: 

Rationale for Project’s 

Location: 

Project Aims: 

Forest Canopy Tours 

PROJECT DETAILS 

Eshowe (Dlinza Forest or Mpushini Falls or Entumeni Forest) 

Umlalazi Local Municipality 

The tourism gap analysis for uThungulu District Municipality finds that 

the district is lacking in adventure tourism products. Adventure 

attractions appeal both to foreign and domestic tourists and face 

relatively inelastic demand whereby tourists are prepared to pay high 

prices for unique adventure experiences. 

Canopy tours have proven successful throughout the country, and can be 

found in the Tsitsikamma, Magaliesberg, Karkloof and, recently, the 

Drakensberg. These attractions draw large numbers of tourists. The 

Canopy Tours at Tsitsikamma is by far the most popular, while Karkloof 

Canopy Tours in KwaZulu-Natal draws close to 10,000 participants a year. 

The development of this type of attraction in an area will greatly 

enhance the appeal of the area’s tourism product and will also attract a 

new set of tourists to the region. 

The development of Canopy Tours in Eshowe would have a number of 

advantages: 

 

Eshowe is an established tourist destination in the district 

Eshowe has tourism capacity. The Dlinza boardwalk has 5,000 

visitors a year, the Museum Village: 7,000 and Shakaland 5,500 

 

Eshowe can provide a number of accommodation options 

Eshowe is located on Route 66 

 

 

 

The Canopy Tours could be linked with visits to the Museum 

Village, Dlinza Boardwalk and Martyr’s Cross 

Eshowe has three locations which could be suitable for the 

development of Canopy Tours 

There is already a precedent for tourism development in Dlinza 

Forest as well as existing infrastructure in the forest 

The aims of developing a canopy tour attraction in Eshowe are as 

follows: 

 

 

 

To provide uThungulu District with a viable adventure tourism 

option 

To arrest the recent decline in visitor numbers at Eshowe’s major 

attractions 

To add a new dimension to the Route 66 tourism product 

Page 77 of 120



Target Market: 

Category: 

Project Description: 

Domestic and foreign adventure and eco-tourists 

Forest 

A Canopy Tour Development would involve constructing a number of 

high platforms amongst the forest canopy. These platforms would be 

linked to each other by steel zip-lines. Participants are taken to the first 

platform, harnessed onto the zip line and from this platform glide 

through the forest canopies to each subsequent platform. At each 

platform, participants are unhooked from the previous zip-line and 

harnessed onto the new one. Participants control how fast they glide 

through the air by pulling down on their line with their gloved hand. 

The zip-lines can be up to 200m long, and number between 8 (Karkloof) 

and 13 (Drakensberg). Participants are provided with snacks at one of 

the platforms and a light lunch afterwards. Depending on the number of 

zip-lines, the tour takes between 2.5-3hrs. The price charged is between 

R400-R450 per person. 

The development of Canopy Tours will entail: 

Construction of platforms 

Installation of steel cables 

A small office area 

A place to store equipment 

A kitchen 

Ablutions 

Requirements: 

Direct employment 

generation during 

operations: 

Project Cost: 

Project Driver: 

Status 

An advantage of locating the Canopy Tours in Dlinza Forest is that certain 

infrastructure, like an office and ablutions, already exists 

For construction 

A fair degree of elevation in the forest 

Tall, sturdy trees 

Accessibility 

For operational feasibility 

Must have at least 5,000 participants per year for viable profit 

margin to be reached 

Must have the potential to reach 10,000 participants per year 

16 employees (substantial portion can be locally trained) 

R2million-R3million (depending on difficulty of terrain, number of zip 

lines and existing infrastructure) 

Private Sector, supported by Parks Board 

Current Status of Project 

The project is only in the conceptual phase, and requires considerable 

further research, including a feasibility study and an environmental 

Page 78 of 120



Feasibility Study? 

Business Plan? 

Project Leader 

Ownership: 

impact assessment. 

No 

No 

Canopy Tours SA 

Local franchisee 

Contact Persons 

Principal Stakeholder: 

Name: 

Mark Brown 

Organisation: 

Canopy Tours SA 

Phone: 082 453 3970 

Email: 

mark@canopytour.co.za 

Other Key Stakeholders: 

Name: 

Graham Keet 

Organisation: 

KZN Wildlife 

Phone: 083 225 2992 

Email: 

keetg@kznwildlife.co.za 

Role of the District Municipality 

Interventions 

The development of Canopy Tours would be funded privately, and, once 

complete, handed over to a franchisee who would take ownership of the 

operation. It is suggested that the private sector run the Canopy Tours. 

The District Municipality can, however, encourage the development of 

Canopy Tours in Eshowe by funding the initial conceptualisation study 

and even, the subsequent Environmental Impact Assessment. The cost 

of these studies could otherwise prove to be prohibitive to the 

development of what could be a lucrative tourist operation. 

3-Year Budget Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 

Prioritisation 

R15,000 - R20,000 

(conceptualisation 

study) 

Important 

R100,000 

(EIA, pending approval 

of first study) 

R2 million 

(Canopy Tour 

development and 

inception) 

Page 79 of 120



Project Name: 

Project Location 

Local Municipality 


Project: 

Rationale for Project 

Location: 

Project Aims: 


Category: 


Development of Siyaya Hiking Trail 


Siyaya Coastal Park 

Umlalazi Local Municipality 

uThungulu District Municipality has very little coastal tourism 

development, despite having a 100km+ coastline, which in many parts is 

untouched and consists of pristine dune forests. There is thus ample 

space for an eco-tourism initiative along the district’s coastline. While 

the Western and Eastern Cape have a number of overnight coastal trails, 

most famous of which is the otter trail, KwaZulu‐Natal currently has 

none. This constitutes a significant gap in KwaZulu-Natal’s tourism 

product, a gap which uThungulu District is in a perfect place to fill. 

The development of overnight coastal trails will require very little capital 

investment and makes optimum use of the ecological tourism appeal of 

parts of uThungulu District’s coastline. 

Two trail routes were identified in the Tourism Gap Analysis for the 

district, namely, Maphelane to the Jolly Rubino and Umlalazi to 

Amatikulu. While both of these routes represent viable opportunities, it 

is felt that only one should be initially developed so as to gauge the 

popularity of these hikes. The route from Umlalazi to Amatikulu has the 

following advantages: 

It is located in the environmentally protected Siyaya Coastal 

Park 

The beach in this area is widening annually 

It links two established nature reserves and estuary systems, 

Amatikulu and Umlalazi 

There is significant tourism activity in neighbouring Mtunzini 

The Siyaya Coastal Park is considered to be very safe 

The word ‘siyaya’ means ‘we go to’ which is very marketable 

KZN Wildlife currently have plans to build rest huts in the area 

The Prawn Shack is located on the route 

The aims of developing coastal hiking trails in the Siyaya Coastal Park are 

as follows: 

 

 

 

To create an iconic eco-tourism attraction in the district 

To provide a unique experience for tourists within KZN 

To utilise the latent potential of the district’s coastline 

Mostly foreign and from other provinces, eco-tourists 

Coastal 

The ‘Siyaya Hike’ would start at either Umlalazi Nature Reserve in 

Mtunzini or at the Amatikulu Nature Reserve. Hikers would register at 

either of these nature reserves and get assigned an armed ranger, who 

Page 80 of 120



would serve both as a tourist guide and as protection from wild animals 

and criminals. The trail would be about 24km long, incorporating coastal 

dune forest trails, beach trails and 5km of kayaking on the Amatikulu 

estuary. Different options which cater for the varying fitness levels of 

different groups of tourists would need to be provided. The more 

strenuous option would include only 1 night’s accommodation on the 

route, while the easier option would require two night’s accommodation 

on the route. Hikers would also spend at least one night at either 

Amatikulu or Umlalazi Nature Reserves. 

KZN wildlife currently have plans to build a rustic camp 11km south of 

Umlalazi Nature Reserve, and, are in principle, supportive of the idea of 

using these huts as a hiking camp. The huts would be very basic reed 

structures, with a concrete floor, fireplace, and basic beds and would be 

able to sleep 12. They would constitute the perfect first night stop from 

either Amatikulu or Umlalazi Nature Reserve on the more strenuous 

hiking option. 

Requirements: 

Direct Employment 

Generation During 

Operations: 

Project Cost: 


Ownership: 

Status 



Other accommodation options include those surrounding the Prawn 

Farm, like the Nkwazi Camps. In total, tourists could spend up to 5 nights 

in the region, simply because of the coastal trail. 

For construction: 

Path development and maintenance 

Concrete floor reed huts 

Communal kitchen 

Water storage facilities 

Access dirt road 

4 specialised guides (rest of staff can be sourced from the two nature 

reserves) 

R500,000 (for rustic camp) 

R300,000 (path development) 

Parks Board, Public Sector 

KZN Wildlife 


The development of overnight trails in the Siyaya Coastal Park is still at a 

conceptual phase. However, KZN Wildlife does have basic plans for the 

construction of a rustic camp in the area. 

No 

No 

Page 81 of 120




Name: 

Organisation: 

Contact Persons 

Richard Penn-Sawers 

KZN Wildlife 

Phone: 082 559 2868 

Email: - 

Other Key Stakeholders 

Name: 

Ronell Hulley 

Organisation: 

Umlalazi Tourism Association 

Phone: 035 473 3474 

Email: 

ronel@umlalazi.org.za 

ROLE OF THE DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY 

Interventions 

The coastal hiking trails should be established and operated by KZN 

Wildlife. However, the District Municipality could provide the initial 

investment in infrastructure for the rustic hiking camp. Subsequent path 

maintenance should be the responsibility of KZN Wildlife. 

3-YearBudget Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 


R300,000 (trail 

development) 

Important 

R500,000 (rustic camp 

set-up) 

R500,000 (promotion 

of trail, inception) 

Page 82 of 120



Project Name: 




Project: 

Rationale for Project’s 

Location: 

Nseleni Conference Centre and Accommodation 


Nseleni Nature Reserve 

Mhlatuze Local Municipality 

Although Richards Bay is a significant business tourist destination within 

the province, there are few independently-run facilities catering for the 

needs of business tourism within the town. Most conference facilities in 

Richards Bay are attached to accommodation establishments, typically 

located in Meerensee, or, are part of the in-house facilities offered by 

the industrial corporations. A few years ago the conference centre at the 

Nseleni Nature Reserve burnt down. The facility has recently been 

rebuilt but still has no nearby accommodation. There is thus an 

opportunity to develop accommodation options in the Nseleni Nature 

Reserve. Such a facility would present businessmen/women with the 

opportunity to enjoy pleasant natural surrounds while attending a 

conference in Richards Bay. It would also tap into the passing traveller 

market, by providing cheap and easily accessible accommodation on the 

side of the N2. 

Richards Bay is situated relatively far off the N2 to be able to capture 

passing motorists who may be looking for a place to spend the night. 

The N2 is a major transportation route for tourists, and those driving 

from Durban to Pongola or vice a versa, may be tempted to stay 

overnight somewhere close to the road if this was possible. Nseleni 

Nature Reserve has access straight off the N2, and is an ideal place to 

develop accommodation. Indeed KZN Wildlife report that they 

frequently receive calls enquiring as to whether there is accommodation 

at Nseleni Nature Reserve. The main advantages of building 

accommodation at Nseleni are: 

 

 

 

Nseleni Nature Reserve has excellent access to the N2 and can 

tap into the passing traveller market. 

The Reserve is very scenic and provides a great alternative to 

holding conferences in Richards Bay town 

The conference facility has been well used here in the past. 

Project Aims: 

The aims of developing accommodation at Nseleni Nature Reserve are as 

follows: 

 

 

 

To provide a comprehensive conferencing experience in 

Mhlatuze Municipality 

To utilise the natural appeal of Nseleni Nature Reserve 

To capture a share of the passing traveller market 

Page 83 of 120




Category: 

Project Description 

Requirements 


Generation in 

Operations: 

Project Cost: 


To combine conferencing and accommodation in a scenic setting 

Domestic: Business tourists and passing travellers looking for overnight 

accommodation 

Nature Reserve 

Six basic KZN Wildlife self-catering chalets should, initially, be built. They 

should be located as far from the N2 within the reserve as possible, but 

be easily accessible by any type of vehicle and also be easily accessible 

from the conference centre. Each chalet should have its own rowingboat 

which can be used on the scenic Nseleni River. 

Funding requirements 

KZN Wildlife in conjunction with Mhlatzue Municipality will need 

to raise the additional funds for the development of 

accommodation in the Reserve. 

5 (two security guards; 1 manager; 2 cleaning staff) 

For six accommodation units: R10 million 

Parks Board, Public Sector 

CURRENT STATUS OF PROJECT 

Status The conference centre has been re-built and re-opened. At present 

there are no plans to develop accommodation in the reserve but KZN 

Wildlife are, in principle, agreeable to this. 



Project Leader: 

Ownership: 


Unknown 

Yes 

KZN Wildlife 

Name: 

Roy Jones 

Organisation: 

KZN Wildlife 

Phone: 082 559 2852 

Email: - 

Co-owned: Mhlatuze Municipality and KZN Wildlife 

CONTACT PERSONS 


Name: 

Cedric Koekemoer 

Organisation: 

Mhlatuze Local Municipality 

Cell: 035 907 5000 

Email: 

koekemeorc@richemp.org.za 

Page 84 of 120



ROLE OF DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY 

Interventions: 

3-Year Budget 

(accommodation) 


This project will be led by KZN Wildlife. However, KZN wildlife will only 

develop the limited conference facility they have planned to, with no 

accommodation, unless they receive additional funding. Because this 

project will predominantly serve the interests of Mhlatuze Municipality 

and has relatively few cross-cutting benefits for the other municipalities, 

it is suggested that the local municipality rather than the district 

municipality provide the additional funding for this project. uThungulu 

District’s role then is to encourage Mhlatuze Local Municipality to 

support the project. 

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 

R300,000 (EIA Study) R5 million R5 million 

Medium 

Page 85 of 120



Project Name: 



Rationale for Project and 

Strategic Importance of 

Project’s Location: 

Project Aims: 


Category: 


Simunye Project 


North of Melmoth 

Mthonjaneni Local Municipality 

For rationale behind the development of a Big Five Reserve in the district 

see Section 3.1, Strategy 2. 

The Simunye Project represents a viable option for the establishment of 

a community-owned Big Five Game Reserve within uThungulu District. 

The land has been sold to the Department of Land Affairs and 

subsequently given over to the community. With the assistance of the 

original land owners, Protea Hotels and the backing of Land Affairs, the 

project offers an excellent opportunity for tourism development in the 

district to directly benefit local communities. 

6,000ha of land has been fenced and is already registered as a game 

reserve. There is potential to extend this to 12,000ha in the future. This 

would make the introduction of lions to the reserve possible, thereby 

creating a big Five Game Reserve which would be 70km closer to the 

new international airport than what Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is. The longterm 

vision is for this game reserve to link up with Opathe Game Reserve 

and the Emakhosini Heritage Park, creating a 38,000ha game reserve. 

The combined Game Reserve would straddle Route 66 and lend huge 

weight to the product that Route 66 offers tourists. The Reserve would 

also look to tap into the rich flows of tourists to the heritage sites in the 

Valley of the Kings and in Ulundi. 

The aims of supporting the Simunye Project are as follows: 

To create a large-scale Big Five Game Reserve attraction in 

uThungulu District 

To create a primary, anchor attraction on Route 66 

To stimulate the tourism industry in Mthonjaneni Municipality 

To assist in creating a wildlife/heritage tourism node 

To show the benefits of tourism development for local 

communities 

Predominantly foreign tourists looking to mix both a heritage and wildlife 

experience 

Game Reserve 

The Simunye Project entails the development of the tourism potential of 

a large area of land in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality which was 

recently handed over to the local community. This development involves 

the fencing of wilderness areas and the registration of these areas as 

Page 86 of 120



Requirements 


Generation in 

Operations: 

Project Cost : 


game reserves. Four lodges, in partnership with Protea Hotels, are being 

established on this land at present. These lodges are predominantly old 

farmhouses which are to be extensively refurbished and remodelled. 

The long-term perspective is that once the Simunye Project land is linked 

with Opathe and Emakhosini, these lodges would act as premium tourist 

game lodges, owned by the community and run by Protea Hotels. 

As the driver of the project, Simunye Lodge requires extensive 

upgrading: 

Upgrade staff quarters 

Upgrade reception area 

Expand conference capacity 

Further staff training and development 

New equipment 

Better road access (currently inaccessible for non-4×4’s) 

Uncertain, but extensive 

R40-R60 million (game fencing, animal stocking, lodge refurbishment) 

Community, Public Sector 

Status: 




Ownership: 


The project is in an advanced stage, the preliminary research has been 

done, 6,000ha game reserve fenced and registered and a partnership 

with Protea Hotels has been secured. 

Uncertain 

Yes 

Leitch Trust 

Community 



Name: 

Nick Leitch 

Organisation: 

Leitch Trust 

Cell: 082 076 9828 

Email: 

nick@itarmy.co.za 


Name: 

Department of Land Affairs 

Organisation: - 

Cell: - 

Email: - 

Page 87 of 120



Interventions 

ROLE OF THE DISTRICT MUNICPALITY 

The Simunye Project is a collaboration between the Leitch Trust, the 

local community and the Department of Land Affairs. Extensive research 

has gone into the project and the project is in an advanced stage. 

Additional funding, however, still needs to be sourced. The project’s 

benefits are cross-cutting across municipalities and catalytic to the 

success of Route 66, and it is thus recommended that the District 

Municipality provide substantial assistance in helping the Project source 

funding from the likes of the Development Bank of South Africa and from 

Ithala Bank. 

In addition the District Municipality should tar the road to Simunye 

Lodge as this is set to be the gateway to the Game Reserve, and would 

pose a major hindrance to tourists if it remains un-tarred. 

Budget Allocation Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 


Timeframes 

R20 million (game 

stocking and reserve 

establishment) 

Very Important 

R20 million (first 

phase accommodation 

construction) 

Year 1: Establishing and stocking 12,000ha game reserve 

Year 2: Development of premium quality lodges 

Year 3: Development of premium quality lodges 

Year 4: Dropping of fences with Opathe/Emakhosini 

R20 million (second 

phase accommodation 

construction) 

Page 88 of 120



Project Name: 






Royal Zulu Game Reserve 

Between Heatonville and Umfolozi Game Reserve 

Ntambanana Local Municipality 

For rationale behind the development of a Big Five Reserve in the district 

see Section 3.1, Strategy 2. 

The Royal Zulu Game Reserve Project entails the creation of a joint, 

private sector-community, owned Game Reserve abutting the Hluhluwe- 

Umfolozi Game Reserve. The Project’s intention is to distribute the 

benefits of wildlife tourism to the local communities which, although 

having lived in the area for such a long time, have received little benefit 

from Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. In so doing the intention of the 

project is also to raise awareness among local communities of the value 

of wildlife in KwaZulu-Natal. 

The Royal Zulu Project is important from two perspectives. Firstly it links 

wildlife tourism with the internationally recognised ‘Zulu’ name and, 

secondly, it looks to position itself as the gateway to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi 

Park. In the second respect the project has the potential to capture large 

numbers of tourists, who would otherwise bypass the district in order to 

access Hluhluwe-Umfolozi from either Zululand or Umkhanyakude 

Districts. 

Project Aims: 

Target Market 

Category 

The Royal Zulu Project also has international pulling power due to the 

popular personality of Lawrence Anthony who has gained international 

fame with his exploits in Baghdad and on account of the best-selling 

books he has written. Royal Zulu benefits from both Lawrence Anthony’s 

reputation and Thula Thula’s rising popularity. 

The aims of developing the Royal Zulu Reserve are as follows: 

To create a mega-game reserve in the region (118,000ha) 

To move Hluhluwe-Umfolozi’s entrance into uThungulu District, 

and significantly closer to the new international airport 

To distribute the benefit of wildlife tourism more equitably 

To link the Zulu Royal Household with wildlife tourism in the 

district 

Predominantly foreign, though also intra-provincial, wildlife tourists 

Game Reserve 

Project Description See Section 3.1, Strategy 2. 

Requirements Need backing for Project from Department of Land Affairs 

Require water piping for Fundumvelo Reserve 

Road to Thula Thula needs to be tarred, or at least graded in the 

interim 

Page 89 of 120




Generation During 

Operations: 

Project Cost 

Project Driver 

Status: 




Ownership: 

Unknown, but likely to be extensive 

Training of locals for game ranging and hospitality jobs 

Unknown 

Community, Private Sector 


Advanced. Negotiations with community largely finalised, fencing on 

some plots has taken place, awaiting authorisation from Department of 

Land Affairs with regard to Ntambanana State Farms 

Yes 

Yes 

Earth Organisation 

Partnership: Community and private investors 



Name: 

Lawrence Anthony 

Organisation: 

Earth Organisation, Thula Thula 

Cell: 083 294 2940 

Email: 

thula@netactive.co.za 

Other Key Stakeholders: - 

Name: - 

Organisation: - 

Cell: - 

Email: - 

Interventions: 

Budget Allocation 


The development of the Royal Zulu Reserve has funding lined up and is 

ready to proceed if given the go ahead by the Department of Land 

Affairs. This process could be speeded up if supported by the District 

Municipality. In support of the project the district should: 

Attend Royal Zulu meetings 

Motivate the importance of the project with the Department of 

Land Affairs 

Provide piped water for Fundumvelo Nature Reserve 

Object to the construction of more power lines through the 

Royal Zulu Area 

Grade road to Thula Thula and ensure that the tarring of the 

road from Ulundi continues at a decent pace 

Unknown (cost of water infrastructure at Fundumvelo, road grading) 

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Timeframe 


Year 1: Consolidation of land and game fencing 

Year 2: Construction of new lodges 

Year 3: Dropping of fences with Hluhluwe-Umfolozi 

Project Name: 





Project Aims: 


Category: 


Siyaya Coastal Resort 


Siyaya Coastal Park, Tommage Pan 

See Section 3.1, Strategy 1 

The aims of developing a coastal resort in the Siyaya Coastal Park are as 

follows: 

To develop a popular coastal resort for the province 

To utilise uThungulu District’s coastline for tourism purposes 

To attract foreign tourists to uThungulu District 

To create a pristine beach/eco-tourism experience 

Foreign tourists (mainly middle-age and older) 

Coastal 

The Siyaya Coastal Resort would be located among pristine coastal dune 

forests with near-exclusive access to 15km of wide sandy beaches. The 

resort would have up to 20 secluded bungalows each sleeping four. Each 

bungalow would have its own double-seater kayak for use on the 

Amatikulu estuary. The resort would include: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A main building (housing: a reception area, gym and fitness 

centre, function room, restaurant and kitchen, bar, TV lounge 

and library. 

A pool area (with infinity pool, bar area and tropical restaurant) 

A themed spa and beauty centre 

A playground 

Archery range 

Stables 

The guiding principle behind the design of the resort is to provide 

tourists with an understated but luxurious secluded beach experience. 

All buildings will be designed to merge easily with the natural 

environment. 

Requirements: Community support and land use 

Agreement for community/private partnership 

Extensive EIA process 

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Project Cost (estimated) 


R60 million (total) 

Private Sector, Community 

Status: 



Project Leader 

Ownership: 


The project is only in the conceptual phase, and requires considerable 

further research, including a feasibility study and an environmental 

impact assessment. 

No 

No 


Joint ownership: Community and Private Investors 

No Contact Persons at Present 

ROLE OF DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY 

Interventions 

The development of a coastal resort in the Tommage Pan area of the 

Siyaya Coastal Park should be undertaken as a partnership between the 

local community and private investors. However the District 

Municipality should look to attract private interest by facilitating the 

interaction between private investors and the local community and by 

funding the feasibility study and subsequent environmental impact 

assessment. This will open the door for private investors who otherwise 

may not have taken the risk of extensive capital outlay for these costly 

processes. 

3-Year Budget Allocation Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 


R50,000 (feasibility 

study) 

Medium importance 

R300,000 (an EIA 

should an investor 

undertake the project) 

R10 million (first 

phase construction) 

Page 92 of 120



Project Name: 


Local Municipalities: 




Project Aims: 


Category: 


Great Forests Tour 


All of uThungulu District’s major forests 

Nkandla and Umlalazi Municipalities 

See Section 3.1, Strategy 5 

The aims of developing a Great Forests Tour are as follows: 

To make use of uThungulu District’s greatest competitive 

advantage in tourism, namely, forest tourism 

To integrate Nkandla Municipality in a wider tourism product 

To combine heritage tourism and eco-tourism and uncover the 

historical legacy of uThungulu District’s Great Forests 

To provide a unique and iconic experience for tourists in 


To create a strong brand name and package 

A mixture of foreign and domestic eco-tourists 

Forest 

The Great Forests of uThungulu District Tour looks to create a singular 

tourism experience out of presently isolated tourism destinations. The 

tour will take visitors on insightful trips into the heart of uThungulu 

District’s five forests, Nkandla, Ongoye, Quedeni, Dlinza and Entumeni. 

These trips will emphasise the biodiversity within these forests and the 

differences between them, as well as the historical legacies of the forests 

and their place in Zulu culture. The tourism appeal of each forest, 

though inextricably linked to the other forests on the tour, will need to 

be suitably advanced to ensure a world class product. This will 

necessitate path and infrastructure development at certain forests. 

The main thrust of this project, however, is to market a must-do 

experience for tourists. As such branding and advertising is very 

important. 

For possible itineraries see General Strategy 5. 

Requirements: Improvement of access routes at Ongoye, Nkandla and Quedeni 

Development of public walking paths 

Development of campsites and picnic spots 

Identification of sites of historical importance 

Strong promotion with tour operators and at airports 

Direct employment Unknown (but will require tour guides, and maintenance staff) 

generation during 

operations: 

Page 93 of 120



Project Cost 


Unknown 

Public Sector, Parks Board 

Status: 




Ownership: 


The project is still at a conceptual phase although KZN Wildlife has, in the 

past, done informal research into the feasibility of this project. 

No 

No 


uThungulu District Municipality and KZN Wildlife 


Stakeholder: 

Name: 

Graham Keet 

Organisation: 

KZN Wildlife 

Cell: 083 225 2992 

Email: 

keetg@kznwildlife.co.za 

Interventions 


The development of the Great Forests of uThungulu District Tour is a 

tourism initiative which cuts across municipalities and has the potential 

to add to the existing Route 66 experience. It must be considered to be 

catalytic to tourism development in isolated areas like those around 

Nkandla, Ongoye and Quedeni Forests. While it is the role of KZN 

Wildlife to maintain and improve facilities at these forests, it should be 

the role of the District Municipality to develop the Great Forest 

experience. This will involve: 

Providing financial support to KZN Wildlife for the development 

of trails, access roads within the reserves, campsites and picnic 

spots 

The branding of the Great Forests Experience/Tour 

Seeking partnerships with accommodation establishments 

Providing linkages to Route 66 

Marketing Great Forests Experience to Tour Operators 

3-Year Budget A Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 


R300,000 (Feasibility 

Study and EIA) 


R3 million (project 

initialisation) 

R300,000 p.a. 

(recurrent spending 

on marketing and 

promotion) 

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Section 6: Performance Management 

This section sets out some tools by which the performance of the tourism industry in the district can be 

monitored and enhanced. Three tools for performance management are elaborated on here. These 

are, namely, a proposed service excellence award system for the district; future research projects to 

measure growth in the tourism industry; and a set of performance management indicators which can be 

used to assess the level of progress in achieving the aims of this Master Plan. 

6.1. Service Excellence Award System 

In recognising that “tourism is the epitome of a service industry” and that it “is absolutely essential 

to....institute programmes to improve these levels”, TKZN introduced a service excellence programme 

for tourism providers in the province at the beginning of 2002. The annual award ceremony has 

subsequently become a major event for tourism establishments in KwaZulu-Natal. A Tourism Award 

System is a way of recognising tourism providers which consistently offer world-class services and 

facilities. It also acts as an incentive for tourism providers to strive to attain and then sustain high levels 

of service excellence. Service excellence is pivotal in improving the tourism image of a destination. 

High levels of service provision and hospitality can, at times, even compensate for limited physical 

attractiveness of a destination. Conversely poor service can leave a lasting bad impression for tourists 

even in the most unique locations. 

While a service excellence award system exists for the province, the scale is such that uThungulu 

establishments often do not feature on the shortlists for the major prizes. This is both a result of the 

extent (being the entire province) and quality of the competition in major tourist destinations like 

Durban and the Elephant Coast. A district service excellence award system would provide far greater 

incentive for tourism providers in uThungulu. The basic setup for such an award system could be based 

upon the successful provincial award system. The key element of the TKZN service excellence awards is 

that participants must be registered with TKZN. As such for a service award system of this sort to work 

in the district, it is critical that it is aligned with the proposed Destination Management Office (DMO) for 

uThungulu (see Marketing Strategy). Participation should be limited to those service providers who are 

Page 95 of 120



registered with the DMO. 

Participation in the district’s service excellence awards should not be 

compulsory. In the TKZN model tourism providers wanting to participate in the awards nominate 

themselves. The TKZN model is briefly described below: 

TKZN Service Excellence Awards Model 

KZN tourism providers wanting to participate in the service excellence awards are required to complete 

an online entry form, which is judged on the following criteria: 

1. Describe your project/business or nominated service in terms of its history, growth and nature. 

2. Give an example how you “delivered service excellence” to make your guest's/client's visit 

special. 

3. Motivate why your entry should be considered to win this award. 

4. Indicate how you or your nominated service provider, apply the following concepts in your 

project/business. 

- Promotion of business to clients, users and customers 

- Improving service to tourists 

5. Include 4 referrals (guests/clients/members of the public) together with their contact details. 

(TKZN, 2010) 

A panel of judges thereafter adjudicate the entries received and nominees are shortlisted using a shortlisting 

score card. The judging panel then conduct surprise visits of the short-listed candidates 

businesses. Alternative judging panels are used for different award categories. Each panel contains 

experts and authorities in the chosen category. Based on the performance of providers during the 

surprise visit, and on the quality of the written entry and referrals, winners and runners-up in each 

category are announced. The winner of the respective categories receives a prize of R10,000 and is 

featured on TKZN’s website. 

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Challenges related to the TKZN service excellence award model 

The major challenge for uThungulu in instituting a service excellence award model like that used by 

TKZN, is that tourism providers have to put in quite a lot of effort and be proactive in nominating 

themselves. It is likely that many tourism establishments simply do not have the time to undertake 

entering for the service awards. This is not a major problem at a provincial level as the sample 

population is so large that meaningful decisions can still be made. However, at a district level nonproactive 

service providers can result in an inefficiently small sample size. In order to overcome this 

challenge the DMO will need to be very active in promoting the service awards and encouraging 

providers to participate. Alternatively another model is specified below: 

Alternate service excellence award model 

In this model tourist providers would not be required to nominate themselves, but rather all providers 

registered with the district DMO would automatically be entered for the awards. If a provider does not 

wish to be part of the award programme they can state this when they renew membership. The 

defining feature of this model is to introduce a double-layered adjudication process. In the first round, 

online tourist reviews could be used to obtain a weighted rating for the establishment/service. The 

DMO website should provide tourists with the opportunity to rate registered accommodation 

establishments, tour operators; attractions and restaurants. As an alternative, links could be provided 

to established tourism-review websites like TripAdvisor. Weighted scores for providers with a threshold 

number of reviews will be calculated. The best performing providers in their respective categories will 

thereafter be shortlisted, and a judging panel will pay surprise visits to the shortlisted candidates. 

Winners and runners-up will be judged on the basis of the weighted tourist reviews and on the findings 

of the panel’s surprise visits. 

Challenges related to the alternate service excellence award model 

The major challenges associated with this model is establishing an efficient online review facility, and 

attaining high enough tourism response rates. 

facilities according to their category. 

Another challenge is ensuring that reviewers rate 

Page 97 of 120



Either model is workable but the Destination Management Office (when established) will need to make 

a final decision as to which model is most appropriate, based on available human resources and the 

sophistication of the DMO website. Under both models it is recommended that the award categories 

are kept to a minimum. The prizes for each award will have to be decided by the DMO based on 

available finances. 

Award Categories (TKZN, 2010) 

Accommodation 

Hotel of the Year - Provides accommodation to the travelling public, has a reception area, and offers at 

least a “breakfast room” or communal eating area. In general, a hotel makes food and beverage services 

available to guests, and these may be outsourced or provided by the hotel. 

B&B/ Guest House of the Year 

Bed & Breakfast - accommodation is provided in a family (private) home and the owner/manager lives 

in the house or on the property. Breakfast must be served. Bathroom facilities may or may not be ensuite 

and/or private. In general, the guest shares the public areas with the host family. 

Guest House - can be an existing home, a renovated home or a building that has been specifically 

designed to provide overnight accommodation. A guest house will have public areas for the exclusive 

use of its guests. A guest house is a commercial operation enterprise and as such the owner or manager 

may live on the property. 

Self-catering/ Backpackers establishment of the Year 

Self-catering - a house, cottage, chalet, bungalow, flat, studio, apartment, villa, houseboat, tent or 

similar accommodation where facilities and equipment are provided for guests to cater for 

themselves. The facilities should be adequate to cater for the maximum advertised number of residents 

the facility can accommodate. 

Backpackers & Hostelling - an establishment which provides communal facilities including a 

dormitory. It may also offer a range of alternative sleeping arrangements and cater for transient guests. 

Page 98 of 120



Lodge of the Year 

Lodge - an accommodation facility located in natural surroundings. The rates charged are usually 

inclusive of all meals and the experience offered at the lodge including game drives or battlefield tours. 

Tour operating 

Tour Operator of the Year 

A tour operator is any person who owns a business which transports paying tourists on scheduled 

itineraries and makes arrangements for their clients in terms of accommodation, transport and 

excursions. These businesses often own vehicles to transport tourists and the owners of these 

enterprises often accompany tour parties. 

Most Innovative Tourism Project 

This award is presented to a deserving service provider who offers unconventional and unique tourism 

experiences or services. 

Restaurants 

Elegant dining restaurant of the year (Established /Emerging) 

Family restaurant of the year (Established / Emerging) 

Traditional restaurant of the year (Established/ Emerging) 

A restaurant or other eating house is a business that concentrates on selling meals, and may or may not 

be licensed to sell liquor for consumption on the premises. These broad categories ensure that all dining 

establishments in KwaZulu-Natal have the opportunity to enter. Please note that each restaurant may 

only enter in one category. 

Page 99 of 120



6.2. Future research projects to measure growth in the local 

tourism industry 

It is important for there to be ongoing research in the field of tourism within the district. This Master 

Plan cannot be relied on solely for insight into the district’s tourism industry over the next five to ten 

years. Rather various tourism research projects which measure the growth and development of the 

district’s tourism industry need to be undertaken on a regular basis, as means of evaluating the 

performance of tourism in the district. These research projects need to be spearheaded by either the 

district municipality’s tourism officers or the Destination Management Office for the district. Five 

critical research projects are identified below: 

1. Annual tourism provider surveys: In order to ascertain the status quo of tourism in the district, the 

Master Plan process involved undertaking a tourism provider survey. This survey was targeted at 

tourism accommodation owners; tour operators and managers of tourist attractions in the district. 

Questions were aimed at ascertaining the nature of the tourist market in the district, including their 

composition and habits (such as activities pursued in the district) as well as the average stay of 

tourists at establishments. A number of supplier based questions were included in the survey such 

as the number of beds offered by the establishments; the number of people employed at the 

establishment and the pricing structures used by the providers. Additionally demand-side 

questions relating to the average number of visitors per day and the estimated occupancy rates 

were asked. 70 responses to the survey were received and these were of immeasurable help in 

deriving a picture for the status quo of tourism in the district. It is therefore recommended that an 

annual tourism provider survey is undertaken by the district’s proposed Destination Management 

Office. The survey can be used to construct up-to-date tourism supplier databases for the district. 

It can also be used to provide yardsticks (occupancy and visitor rates) by which growth in the 

industry can be measured. A requirement of membership of the DMO should be that members 

complete the survey at the beginning of each financial year. 

2. Tourist exit surveys: While most visitors to uThungulu arrive and leave by personalised motor 

vehicle transport, there are some which leave at distinct ports of exit. These are, namely, tourists 

flying from Richards Bay Airport to Johannesburg and cruise ship tourists re-embarking on a 

Page 100 of 120



passenger liner. These tourists are far easier to survey than road-transported tourists and can 

provide valuable insights into how tourists have experienced the district. Questions which should be 

asked should include those relating to their nature of stay or visit to the district; their overall 

impression of the district (from surrounds to service); their opinions as to what can be done better 

to position uThungulu as a major tourist destination; and whether they will return and recommend 

the district to others. These surveys should be regular and can be undertaken over the period of a 

few months in order to obtain a sufficiently large sample. 

3. Establish a tourist review system: This project would relate to the previous section on service 

excellence, and could be used as the basis for short listing tourism providers for specific awards. 

Ideally there should be a facility on the DMO website whereby tourists can rate the service they 

received in the district. These reviews could be used to monitor the levels of service excellence in 

the district and point to potential areas where the district can improve. 

4. A Review of all tourism-related community projects pursued in the district over the last 10 years: 

The Master Plan process revealed a disturbingly high failure rate of tourism-related community 

projects within the district. While this is certainly not unique to uThungulu and is a feature of 

community tourism across the province, the various failures or successes of community tourism 

projects need to be understood so as not to replicate the same mistakes. The exact reasons for the 

failure of some of these projects (such as Iphiva Lodge) need to be clearly understood. At the same 

time the factors underpinning the success of community projects like Simunye Lodge must be 

identified for further use in future community projects. The findings of this study should add to the 

framework for effective community tourism as elucidated earlier in this Master plan document. 

5. Event impact studies: In addition to acting as a promotional tool for tourism in the district, events 

have multiplier impacts for the local economy. These impacts need to be understood in order to 

know how better to extract maximum tourism value from these events. For instance the Zululand 

Expo attracts people from across the province which then require overnight accommodation and 

food, all of which act as an injection of value into the local economy. However, the magnitude and 

extent of this injection of value and whether it has grown historically is unknown, and this lack of 

information about the impacts of events hinders the planning of future tourism events. 

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6.3. Monitoring and Evaluation 

In order to ensure that the objectives of this Master Plan are met, a set of time-specific goals are set out in the table following: 

Monitoring and Evaluation Tool 

General Objectives for 

Tourism Growth 

Increase overnight stays in 

the district 

Enhance the performance 

of attractions 

Increase tourism-related 

employment 

Grow the contribution of 

tourism to the district 

economy 

Increase number of cruise 

tourists 

Increase community 

tourism 

Key Indicator 

Annual 

accommodation 

occupancy rates 

Annual day visitor 

numbers 

Percentage 

contribution of 

tourism to district GDP 

Number of cruise ship 

stops per annum 

Goal / Timeframe 

To increase the average district occupancy rate by 5% (to 54%) in the next five years. 

To increase the occupancy rate in uMlalazi, in particular by 10% (to 46%) 

To arrest the annual decline in visitor numbers at a number of the district’s attractions 

and target positive visitor growth of 5% per annum 

To attain a 9% contribution of tourism employment to total employment in the district 

economy by 2015 

To attain a tourism contribution of between 8-10% to district GDP by 2015 

Through effective destination marketing and management, to increase the number of 

cruise ship stops by 2 ships per annum over the next five years 

To develop two successful community tourism projects in the district by 2016 

Page 102 of 120



Specific development objectives Key Responsibility Goal/Timeframe 

Regain Blue Flag status for 

Alkantstrand 

Construct a multi-purpose 

passenger terminal 

including conference 

facilities and retail options 

Secure a beach music 

festival 

Develop a major kids 

attraction 

Achieve a safe tourism 

precinct in Richards 

Bay(Waterfront Area to 

Alkantstrand) 

Develop cultural tours of 

Esikhawini/Cubhu 

Develop a major craft 

centre on the R66 

Development of Canopy 

Tours 

uMhlatuze 

Municipality 

uMhlatuze 

Municipality; 


Municipality; Transnet 





uMhlatuze 


uMhlatuze 


uMlalazi Municipality; 

uThungulu 

uMlalazi Municipality; 

KZN Wildlife 

To enrol Alkantstrand as a pilot Blue flag beach in 2012, and to receive full Blue Flag 

status from 2013 onwards. 

To develop a fully-operational passenger liner terminal and multi-purpose facility in 

the Port of Richards Bay by 2020 

To host a first beach music festival in the district by the end of 2013 and annually 

thereafter 

To develop a fully-fledged kids tourist attraction in the district by the end of 2013 

To establish a safe, dedicated tourism precinct in the Tuzi Gazi/Alkantstrand area by 

2016 

To Initiate tours of the area as soon as the end of 2012 

To begin construction work on the development in 2013 and complete the centre by 

the end of 2014. 

To have fully operational Canopy Tours in one of uThungulu’s forests (preferably 

Dlinza) by the end of 2013. 

Development of Siyaya uThungulu District To, in conjunction with KZN Wildlife, immediately develop this hiking route to be 

Page 103 of 120



Hiking Trail 

Accommodation 

development at Nseleni 

Nature Reserve 

Development of Great 

Forests of Zululand Tour 

Development of a Big Five 

Reserve 

Development of a coastal 

resort 

Establishment of the Zulu 

Coast Brand (refer to 

Marketing Strategy) 

Construction of the Zulu 

Coast tourism website 

Municipality; KZN 

Wildlife 

uMhlatuze 


Wildlife 



Wildlife 


Municipality; Private 

Sector 


Municipality; 

Dokodweni 

Community; Private 

Sector 




Municipality; TKZN 

useable by mid-2013. 

To develop accommodation (six units initially) to supplement the conference facilities 

by 2014 

To launch the Great Forests of Zuluand Tour by the end of 2012 

To have a Big Five Reserve with accommodation in the district by the year 2015 

To develop an attractive coastal resort in uThungulu by 2016 

To unveil the Zulu Coast branding of uThungulu, together with promotional material 

by 2012 

To have a fully functioning website linked to accommodation establishments and TKZN 

by 2012 

Page 104 of 120



Appendix A – Maps and Images 

A1 – JOLLY RUBINO HIKE 

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(top) 

SIYAYA HIKE 

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A2 – TOURISM NODES 

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A3 – NHLABANE CORRIDOR 

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A4 – GREAT FORESTS ROUTE (clockwise; Dlinza Forest; Mpushini Falls; Nkandla Forest, Ongoye Forest) 

Page 109 of 120



A5 – RBM’S TISAND AREA (AREA AVAILABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT) 

Page 110 of 120


- prepared by G 

Appendix B – Policy and Legislation 

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996 as adopted on 8 May 1996 and amended on 11 October 

1996 

The Constitution sets out the internal arrangements, proceedings and procedures of provincial 

legislatures. In this regard the following sections are of relevance: 

“Section 116. (1) sets out that a provincial legislature may: 

a. determine and control its internal arrangements, proceedings and procedures; and 

b. make rules and orders concerning its business, with due regard to representative and participatory 

democracy, accountability, transparency and public involvement. 

Schedule 4 sets out the Functional Areas of Concurrent National and Provincial Legislative Competence. 

In Part A it identified Tourism at a Provincial level and in Part B Local Tourism as outlined in section 

155(6)(a) and (7). 

Section 155 (6)(a) and (7) sets out the following: 

(6) Each provincial government must establish municipalities in its province in a manner consistent with 

the legislation enacted in terms of subsections (2) and (3) and, by legislative or other measures, must: 

a. provide for the monitoring and support of local government in the province; and 

b. promote the development of local government capacity to enable municipalities to perform their 

functions and manage their own affairs. 

(7) The National government, subject to section 44, and the provincial governments have the legislative 

and executive authority to see to the effective performance by municipalities of their functions in 

respect of matters listed in Schedules 4 and 5, by regulating the exercise by municipalities of their 

executive authority referred to in section 156(1). 

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Of relevance to the role of municipalities to be outlined later in the Policy, it is worth noting the 

following: 

126. A Member of the Executive Council of a province may assign any power or function that is to be 

exercised or performed in terms of an Act of Parliament or a provincial Act, to a Municipal Council. 

An assignment: 

a. must be in terms of an agreement between the relevant Member of the Executive Council and 

the Municipal Council; 

b. must be consistent with the Act in terms of which the relevant power or function is exercised 

or performed; and 

c. takes effect upon proclamation by the Premier.” 

Intergovernmental Relations Act (Act No. 13, 10 August 2005) 

The Intergovernmental Relations Act establishes a framework for the national government, provincial 

governments and local governments to promote and facilitate intergovernmental relations. 

Of relevance to the Tourism Policy development process described in Section 36 of the Act, which sets 

out that when developing provincial policies or draft legislation affects the local sphere of government 

in a province, the provincial government must: 

a. take into account national priorities; 

b. take into account the interests of local communities in the province; and 

c. consult the local sphere of government in the province and any specifically affected 

municipalities. 

Page 112 of 120



National Tourism Act 1993 (and amendments 1996, 1998, 2000) 

The Tourism Act makes provision for: 

i. the promotion of tourism to and in the Republic; 

ii. the further regulation and rationalization of the tourism industry; 

iii. measures aimed at the maintenance and enhancement of the standards of facilities and 

services hired out or made available to tourists; and 

iv. the co-ordination and rationalization, as far as practicable, of the activities of persons who 

are active in the tourism industry; 

v. to establish a grading and classification scheme in respect of accommodation establishments, 

the membership of which shall be voluntary; 

vi. to authorize the Minister to establish schemes for prescribed sectors of the tourism industry, 

the membership of which shall be voluntary; 

vii. to make provision for the registration of tourist guides; 

viii. to prohibit any person to act for gain as a tourist guide unless he has been registered as a 

tourist guide in terms of the Act. 

White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism In South Africa- May, 1996 

The Tourism White paper informed the roles envisaged of the various partners in Tourism. In the first 

instance, it set out and entrenched the principle that Tourism must be: Government led, private sector 

driven, and community based. 

In addition the roles and relationships between the various tiers of government were set out in broad 

terms. 

“The Role of provincial government was seen as a critically important role to play in the development 

and promotion of the tourism industry of South Africa. The provincial tourism organisations are key 

players in the tourism industry. The provincial government has responsibility for all of the functions 

indicated at the national government level (facilitation, co-ordination, regulation, monitoring and 

Page 113 of 120



development promotion) with a few exceptions, additions and modifications. Provincial tourism 

organisations will formulate tourism policies which are applicable to their areas, in accordance with 

the national policy. They will also be partners in the implementation of relevant national policies, 

strategies, and objectives.” 

The provincial government, through provincial tourism organisations, have the responsibility for 

marketing and promoting their destinations”. This is particularly relevant in regard to marketing the 

province to the domestic market where provinces compete against each other. 

In regard to “International marketing, the national and provincial tourism organisations should agree on 

a strong, effective marketing strategy; to be coordinated at the national level and executed with the 

participation and support of the provincial organisations. This may not imply the promotion of separate 

brand identities by provinces, but possibly a number of strong product lines (e.g. ecotourism, culture 

tourism, sports tourism) which are applicable across provincial boundaries. 

This approach is recommended providing that it does not exclude provincial initiatives in markets that 

they wish to develop independently and where national presence is nonexistent”. 

The role of the Province, as set out in the Tourism White Paper, is to: 

i. “develop a common strategy for the international marketing and promotion of South Africa as 

a joint effort among the private sector, the national organisation and provincial authorities, 

taking cognisance of international trends and the competitive environment; 

ii. fund international marketing efforts from private sector, national and provincial resources; 

iii. participate in supporting the international marketing effort by the national body; 

iv. play a more prominent role in tourism development activities, than the national government. 

This should include the involvement of local communities, environmental management, safety 

and security of visitors, tourism plant development, infrastructure provision, etc. 

v. ensure budgets and resources allocated to provinces reflect this reality”. 

The role of local government includes: 

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i. responsible land-use planning, urban and rural development; 

ii. control over land-use and land allocation; 

iii. provision and maintenance of tourist services, sites and attractions, e.g. camping and caravan 

sites, recreational facilities (parks, historical buildings, sports facilities, theatres, museums, etc.) 

and public services; 

iv. provision of road signs in accordance with nationally established guidelines; 

v. market and promote specific local attractions and disseminate information in this regard; 

vi. control public health and safety; 

vii. facilitate the participation of local communities in the tourism industry; 

viii. own and maintain certain plant, e.g. ports and airports; 

ix. provide adequate parking, also for coaches; 

x. facilitate the establishment of appropriate public transportation services, e.g. taxi services; 

xi. license establishments in accordance with national framework; 

xii. promote and financially support the establishment of local publicity associations / 

community tourism and marketing organisations to facilitate, market, coordinate and 

administer tourism initiatives.” 

It is not intended that local government provide services that can be provided by the 

private sector. 

The Kwazulu-Natal Tourism Act, 1996 (as amended, including No. 2 of 2002) 

The KZN Tourism Act provides for the establishment of bodies to develop, promote and market tourism 

in KwaZulu-Natal within the framework of government policy. 

Section 30 of the Act sets out that the “Functions of Provincial Tourism” must be specified in provincial 

tourism policy including, but not limited to, the following core areas: 

 

 

 

international tourism marketing 

national tourism marketing 

planning, development and promotion of tourism products for the Province 

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implementation of national and provincial tourism policies 

integrated marketing and development of the tourism industry in the Province 

Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, 2003. 

The BBBEE Act was promulgated, amongst other issues, to: 

i. establish a legislative framework for the promotion of black economic empowerment; 

ii. to empower the Minister to issue codes of good practice; and 

iii. to publish transformation charters. 

In addition to promote the purposes of the Act, the Minister may by notice in the Gazette issue codes of 

good practice on black economic empowerment that may include: 

a. the further interpretation and definition of broad-based black economic empowerment and 

the interpretation and definition of different categories of black empowerment entities; 

b. qualification criteria for preferential purposes for procurement and other economic activities; 

c. indicators to measure broad-based black economic empowerment; 

d. the weighting to be attached to broad-based black economic empowerment indicators 

referred to in paragraph (c); 

e. guidelines for stakeholders in the relevant sectors of the economy to draw up transformation 

charters for their sector; and 

f. any other matter necessary to achieve the objectives of this Act. 

Section 12 of the Act makes provision for the Minister to publish in the Gazette for general information 

and promote a transformation charter for a particular sector of the economy, if the Minister is satisfied 

that the charter: 

a. has been developed by major stakeholders in that sector; and 

b. advances the objectives of this Act. 

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The BEE Charter for the Tourism sector has been developed and launched in May 2005. It sets out 

targets for a mid – term by 2009 and a set of targets for 2014 in relation to: 

i. Ownership; 

ii. Strategic Representation; 

iii. Employment Equity; 

iv. Skills development; 

v. Preferential procurement; 

vi. Enterprise development; 

vii. Social Development and industry specific interventions. 

White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal (March 2008) 

The White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in KwaZulu-Natal was commissioned 

by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism to develop a provincial strategic policy 

that is going to provide foundation and competitive strategies for 

KwaZulu-Natal linked to existing and provincial strategies. 

Integrated Development Planning 

Local municipalities in South Africa have to use "integrated development planning" as a method to plan 

future development in their areas. Apartheid planning left South Africa with cities and towns that: 

 

 

 

Had racially divided business and residential areas 

Were badly planned to cater for the poor - with long travelling distances to work and poor 

access to business and other services 

Had great differences in level of services between rich and poor areas 

Integrated Development Planning is an approach to planning that involves the entire municipality and its 

citizens in finding the best solutions to achieve good long-term development. Tourism must, at a local 

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level, engage in this process. An Integrated Development Plan is a master plan for an area that gives an 

overall framework for development. It aims to co-ordinate the work of local and other spheres of 

government in a coherent plan to improve the quality of life for all the people living in an area. It should 

take into account the existing conditions and problems and resources available for development. The 

plan should look at economic and social development for the area as a whole. It must set a framework 

for how land should be used, what infrastructure and services are needed and how the environment 

should be protected. All municipalities have to produce an Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The 

municipality is responsible for the co-ordination of the IDP and must draw in other stakeholders in the 

area who can impact on and/or benefit from development in the area. 

Once the IDP is drawn up all municipal planning and projects should happen in terms of that IDP. 

The annual council budget should be based on the IDP. Other government departments working in the 

area would also be well-advised to take the IDP into account when making their own plans. 

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Other legislation of relevance to tourism planning includes: 

Town Planning Ordinance No. 27 of 1949 

KwaZulu-Natal Land Affairs act No. 11 of 1992 

Conservation of Agriculture Resources Act No. 43 of 1983 

Water Act No. 54 of 1956 

Seashore Act No. 21 of 1935 

Environment Conservation Act 

Mountain Catchment Areas Act No. 63 of 1970 

National Parks Act 

Physical Planning Act No. 125 of 1991 

Share Block Control Scheme of 1980 

AMAFA Act 

Prevention of Illegal Eviction From and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act 19 of 1998 

Restitution of Land Rights Act 3 of 1996 

Extension of Security of Tenure Act 62 of 1997 (ESTA) 

Informal Protection of Informal Lands Rights Act 31 of 1996 

Communal Property Associations Act 28 of 1996 

Amendment of the Upgrading of Land Tenure Rights Act 112 of 1991 

Distribution and Transfer of certain State Land Act 119 of 1993 

Land Titles Adjustment Act 111 of 1993 

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Appendix C –List of Possible Emergency Scenarios 

WHAT COULD BE SCENARIOS FOR WHICH PLANS MAY HAVE TO BE COMPILED? 

The following list contains (most of the possible) scenarios, depending on where an event is held, type of 

facilities and for what purpose. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Severe storms during event. 

Possible flooding of key areas/installations. 

Delays in starting of event. 

Unruly behavior of spectators/delegates, etc. 

Fires (at event or in close proximity to venue/stadium) 

Mass casualties (however caused) 

Protection of V.I.P.’s 

Possible bomb threats. 

Heat waves. 

Major disruption in electricity supply (or other essential services: i.e. water supply; sewer 

system; refuse removal). 

Rumours. 

Armed action/attacks. 

Hostage situations 

Collapsed facilities. 

Access control, including restricting access and more turning up then what could be 

accommodated. 

Vehicular (access and egress) control. 

Major accident impacting on event 

Disruption in transport system.(busses; trains; taxis; whatever the cause) 

Breakdown in essential communication systems. 

Emergency evacuation. 

Explosions (however caused) 

Unforeseen cancellation (during event). 

Food poisoning outbreak. 

Protests near event. 

Hazardous or poisonous gasses released (however caused and not necessary at event) 

Extensive panic amongst spectators/delegates 

Treatment of known trauma cases (over an extended period) 

Last minute cancellations (before start of event). 

Strikes by municipal and /or other key services. 

Planning to ensure accessibility to residence adjacent to or within possible impact zone of 

stadium. 

(Compiled by Henk van Elst and updated 2 November 2009 after consulting with various departments) 

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Revised Tourism Strategy for uThungulu District Municipality Final

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