By Thapelo Molefe
Fifty South African beaches have been awarded full Blue Flag status for the 2026/27 summer season, with another 20 designated pilot sites as they work towards meeting international environmental and safety standards.
The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) announced the results at the National Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards in Hermanus in October, recognising beaches across the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Eight Cape Town beaches received full Blue Flag status, including Bikini Beach, Camps Bay, Clifton Fourth Beach, Fish Hoek, Llandudno, Melkbosstrand, Muizenberg and Silwerstroomstrand.
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Four other Cape Town beaches, Chapman’s Peak, Big Bay, Strand and Strandfontein, were designated pilot sites as they work towards meeting the requirements for full accreditation.
The Blue Flag programme is an international environmental award that assesses beaches against strict criteria covering water quality, safety, environmental management, education and public facilities.
It is coordinated internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education and managed in South Africa by WESSA.
Water quality is one of its key requirements. Beaches must undergo regular testing by independent, accredited laboratories to determine whether the water meets the standards for swimming.
The tests check for E. coli and enterococci, bacteria that can indicate faecal contamination. If water quality falls outside the permitted limits, the Blue Flag must be lowered until satisfactory results are obtained.
“Blue Flag is an award based on a defined set of 33 environmental and sustainability criteria set by the international body, and WESSA reviews and evaluates against those criteria,” WESSA coastal programme manager Mike Denison said in a statement earlier this year.
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The assessment also considers lifeguard services, public facilities, waste management, environmental information and access for people with disabilities.
Participating beaches must maintain the required standards throughout the designated season, with their status reviewed annually.
Western Cape
Several beaches across the Western Cape received full Blue Flag status.
In Overstrand Municipality, these include Grotto, Kleinmond, Castle, Hawston and Onrus beaches. George Municipality’s recognised beaches include Herold’s Bay, Victoria Bay and Wilderness.
Hessequa Municipality received special recognition after all six of its designated swimming beaches achieved full Blue Flag status. These are Lappiesbaai, Gouritzmond, Stilbaai-Wes, Witsand, Jongensfontein and Preekstoel.
In Bitou Municipality, The Dunes, The Waves, Singing Kettle, Nature’s Valley and Lookout Beach received full status, while Robberg V was designated a pilot site.
Eastern Cape
In the Eastern Cape, Dolphin Main Beach and Cape St Francis Bay Beach in Kouga Municipality received full Blue Flag status.
Nelson Mandela Bay’s recognised beaches include Hobie Beach, Humewood Beach and Kings Beach, while Bluewater Bay and Wells Estate were listed as pilot sites.
Kariega Beach, Kelly’s Beach and Middle Beach in Kenton-on-Sea also received full status under Ndlambe Municipality.
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality’s Kidds Beach, Gonubie Beach and Keysers Beach were designated pilot sites.
KwaZulu-Natal
In KwaZulu-Natal, full-status beaches include Hibberdene, Marina, Southport, Trafalgar, Umzumbe and St Michaels beaches in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality.
Salt Rock Main Beach, Thompson Bay Beach, Willard Beach and ClubMed at Tinley Manor were also recognised under KwaDukuza Municipality.
In Umdoni Municipality, Pennington, Bazley, Rocky Bay, Preston and Umthwalume received full status, while Scottburgh was designated a pilot site.
Other pilot sites include Port Edward, Mtwentweni, Lucien and Ramsgate in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, as well as Tinley Manor Main Beach in KwaDukuza Municipality.
Pilot sites are working towards meeting the requirements for full accreditation, with the process providing municipalities with a framework to improve beach management and compliance.
Marinas and tourism boats
The 2026/27 awards also recognised five marinas and seven tourism boats.
The marinas include the V&A Waterfront, Royal Alfred Marina, Thesen Harbour Town Marina, Thesen Island Homeowners Marina and Club Mykonos Marina.
Recognised tourism boat operators include Marine Dynamics Shark and Whale Tours, White Shark Diving Company and Offshore Adventures.
Although Blue Flag status indicates that a beach meets the programme’s standards, it does not mean conditions cannot change during the season.
Beachgoers should continue to follow local safety warnings and check the latest water-quality information before swimming.
