Published on : Wednesday, January 9, 2019
To my heart, the Transkei Wild Coast remains closest due to the fact that it was the place where I was born. Even there, I still unravel new places that can easily take your breath away due to its natural beauty.
During this past festive season I visited Lowveld in Mpumalanga. The state of the R36 between Lydenburg and Machadodorp is beyond shocking. We took it, considering that it was the shortest route to the N4 – something which is a mistake. Also, I visited Coffee Bay, Presley’s Bay on the Ngqeleni coast and Mngazi River Mouth in Port St Johns.
Sadly, there’s a common problem. Roads are shocking. The road to Mngazi has numerous patches, gravel and potholes.
All the way, Presley’s Bay is a typical Wild Coast beach that has gravel road. Forget what racist naysayers are explaining in terms of foreign tourists shunning SA. I met people who speak languages I was not aware of.
People are realizing that the world is an aggressive place. As a tourist, all you need is common sense. Most of our tourist attractions are relatively safe, where there are people.
The Eastern Cape is a sleeping tourism giant in particular. If most roads to beaches can be tarred and bulk water supplied, locals would make a decent living. The government should do its part in improving infrastructure.
Tourist boards and the government need to communicate more. It doesn’t help to promote places which aren’t easily accessible. We need to wake up and learn from countries where tourism is the top earner of foreign currency.