Newsletter | October 2025

SCTIE TOURISM NEWSLETTER | October 2025

KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE SOUTH COAST

Dr Vusumuzi Sibiya

CEO of South Coast
Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE)

As we look forward to summer on the KZN South Coast, it’s a good time to reflect on the dynamic developments shaping our region as a premier tourism destination. This past quarter, we have been proud to host and support initiatives that showcase our unique experiences, celebrate local excellence, and empower communities.

One highlight was the inaugural Coastal Seafood Flavours Festival at St Michael’s Beach. This vibrant event celebrated the region’s rich fishing heritage, culinary talent, and outdoor lifestyle, attracting visitors and boosting local businesses.

We also enjoyed the opportunity to host winners from the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Prestige Awards on an informative fam trip to Lake Eland Game Reserve in Oribi Gorge. This immersive experience highlighted our hinterland attractions and celebrated local excellence, reinforcing pride and awareness among community ambassadors.

We were also proud to spotlight the Women Making Waves on the KZN South Coast – trailblazing female entrepreneurs and leaders who are driving innovation, creating opportunities, and strengthening both the tourism landscape. From hospitality and culinary excellence to aviation and artisanal businesses, these women are transforming the industry while inspiring the next generation of leaders.

As we head towards year-end, we remain committed to promoting the KZN South Coast’s vibrant experiences, supporting local businesses, and empowering communities to access the tourism economy. Whether through festivals, fam trips, or celebrating our change-makers, we continue to showcase the KZN South Coast as a destination where visitors can truly Unlock More – more adventure, more culture, and more unforgettable experiences.


	First-Ever Coastal Seafood Flavours Festival

	We hosted the inaugural Coastal Seafood Flavours Festival at St Michael’s Beach on 26 July 2025, celebrating the region’s rich fishing heritage, marine cuisine, and ocean economy. Supported by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.


	Pennington Makes Finals in 2025 kykNET Kwêla Dorp van die Jaar

	The beautiful coastal town of Pennington proudly made it to the finals of the 2025 kykNET Kwêla Dorp van die Jaar (Town of the Year) competition, representing KwaZulu-Natal. Although Bloemhof in the North West Province ultimately took the top prize, Penningtons finalist status brought valuable national exposure to the KZN South Coast.

MARKETING UPDATE

We are leading the way as a destination where you can Unlock More: more adventure, more escapes, and more unforgettable experiences. Building on our Q1 messaging, Spring Escape to Paradise, we continue to showcase the regions unmatched natural beauty and thrilling activities. With the highest number of Blue Flag beaches, exciting infrastructure upgrades, and initiatives like Keep Scottburgh Beautiful and Tidy Towns, the KZN South Coast is thriving.



Buy Local Campaign		Tourism Awareness Campaign

Our Buy Local campaign continues to champion KZN South Coast SMEs by promoting homegrown enterprises and showcasing their products and services across key platforms.		Throughout Tourism Month, we encouraged our local tourism businesses, accommodation providers, tour operators, restaurants, and retailers to get visitor-ready and showcase the very best of the KZN South Coast.



Trade Shows		Fam Trips

As part of our mandate to maximise tourism exposure and support product development, we actively participate in leading trade shows, conferences, and roadshows.		We host familiarisation (fam) trips to give media, industry partners, and stakeholders first-hand experiences of the KZN South Coast’s diverse tourism offerings.

PUBLIC RELATIONS UPDATE


	Our key marketing messages have been shared with local and national media through targeted press releases, reinforcing the KZN South Coast as the ideal spring destination. Building on our Q1 campaign, Spring Escape to Paradise, coverage has highlighted the region’s pristine beaches, outdoor adventures, and vibrant tourism experiences, positioning the KZN South Coast as a must-visit destination for relaxation and exploration.

ADVERTISING UPDATE


	This quarter, our advertising efforts focused on digital platforms to maximise visibility among domestic and international audiences. By reaching users actively seeking tourism experiences, we ensured our messaging was timely, relevant, and impactful to position the KZN South Coast as a vibrant spring destination.

DIGITAL MEDIA UPDATE



	Visit KZN South Coast Website		Explore KZN South Coast App

	We have successfully maintained the KZN South Coast tourism website with 100% uptime this quarter, with ongoing seamless functionality, booking options and consistently appealing features.		We are thrilled to showcase the brilliance of the ‘Explore KZN South Coast’ app, now enhanced with the latest updates and seamlessly connected with our tourism website, to give travellers the ultimate coastal experience.


	Social Media Update

	We have significantly expanded our social media publishing efforts, delivering up to 20 professional posts per day, across our platforms and ‘Boosting’ them in this quarter. This content spans a wide range of themes and topics, including tourism experiences, MICE and teambuilding opportunities, individual events, operator promotions, general blogs and thought-leadership articles.

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE


	We continue to support rural tourism and community upskilling, helping local residents, women, youth, and people with disabilities access the tourism economy. Through targeted programmes, capacity-building workshops, and hands-on training, we aim to grow the skills of local communities, develop sustainable tourism products, and create opportunities for small businesses and emerging entrepreneurs to thrive.




	SMME Development and Support		Youth Support

	We participated in the 14th Inkundla Theatre Festival at Uvongo Town Hall, which showcased dance, comedy, storytelling, and youth-led performances		In partnership with Durban University of Technology (DUT), SCTIE facilitated in-service training for nine Ugu District eco-tourism students.




	Tourism Product Support		Stakeholder Engagement

	We facilitated the installation of brown tourism directional signs for KwaXolo Caves Adventures. This completes the signage project in line with the MOA between ourselves and KwaXolo Caves Adventures, ensuring compliance with approvals from the relevant authorities.		We participated in the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Youth Office outreach at Mphelelwa Community Hall, promoting community involvement, ownership, and the preservation of cultural heritage in KwaNzimakwe and KwaXolo.

Keep Updated

There is always so much happening on the KZN South Coast! Please feel free to share our newsletter with other interested parties and encourage them to sign up for updates. Please also submit any specials, events, images and blog content for digital marketing to info@sctie.co.za.

We’ve made it easy for people to sign up for our mailers via email communication and the website so everyone is updated with relevant information.

	If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free ‘Explore KZN South Coast’ app from Google Play and Apple app stores. We urge you to encourage visitors to also download the app for regular updates on our tourism offerings. Information can also be found by visiting South Coast Tourism on Facebook; South Coast Tourism and Investment Enterprise on YouTube; @infosouthcoast on X or Instagram; sctiekznsouthcoast on TikTok; Info Ugu South Coast Tourism on LinkedIn; the SCTIE website to check out the Events Calendar, the KZN South Coast Meeting Planner Guide and more! Watch why KZN South Coast is a top tourism destination here. And click here to check out previous SCTIE press releases.

	To find out more about the KZN South Coast’s tourism opportunities, contact 039 682 7944, email info@sctie.co.za or visit www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za.