MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Fourteen beaches across the Garden Route received Blue Flag status for the 2026/27 season - but none of these are in Mossel Bay.
The Mossel Bay Municipality says this is because it did not pursue Blue Flag status, and opted instead to apply the associated funds where they were urgently needed, such as beach infrastructure.
Last year, four beaches in the Mossel Bay municipal area were awarded Blue Flag status: De Bakke, Hartenbos, Little Brak River and Glentana. Three beaches, Santos, Suiderkruis and Tweekuilen, received pilot status last year.
A pilot beach is a site in the process of working towards full Blue Flag accreditation. Blue Flag status is an internationally recognised eco-label that highlights beaches meeting established criteria of water quality, environmental management, environmental education, safety and the provision of appropriate facilities. See the full criteria here: Blue Flag criteria
Despite the lack of Blue Flag status, the municipality said the area's beaches remain immensely popular and attract thousands of residents and visitors each year.
See the full list of Blue Flag sites and operators here: South Africa's Blue Flag sites for 2026/27
See the full list of Green Coast sites here: South Africa's Green Coast sites for 2026/27
The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa), which receives and processes applications for Blue Flag status, said that an application for the full accreditation requires the submission of 20 compliant water quality samples, supported by the required sampling records and a statistical assessment.
"As the application window approached its closing date, Santos Beach had insufficient sampling data available to adequately demonstrate compliance with the 95th percentile requirement.
"It was thus recommended that the beach continue under pilot status while further sampling is undertaken and compliance is demonstrated," said Wessa's coastal programmes and sustainable tourism project manager, Lindokuhle Mkhize.
"In parallel, there was a need to identify and improve an alternative beach (other than Santos) that could meet criterion 33, relating to accessibility for people with disabilities, to support the municipality's application for an accessible beach. The identified site would require the necessary upgrades to demonstrate compliance with the applicable criterion before being put forward for consideration.
"However, for reasons not communicated to Wessa, the recommendation for the sites to continue under pilot status was not taken forward. Consequently, no Mossel Bay beaches have been submitted for full Blue Flag or pilot beach status for the upcoming 2026/27 season," he said.
The municipality added that it remains committed to the principles and objectives of the Blue Flag programme, as well as to safe, accessible and well-managed beaches.
"While the municipality is not participating in the Blue Flag programme this year, its commitment to environmental excellence has been recognised through Kanon Beach's achievement of [First Year] Green Coast status for [2026/2027], highlighting the area's exceptional natural environment and ongoing conservation efforts."
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