Preserving Pristine Places for People's Prosperity

Pondoland is one of the most biodiverse, pristine, and untouched areas of South Africa, and the AmaPondo people are humble, adhering to strong customs and living in harmony with nature. However, communities are still economically marginalized, underserved with municipal services and infrastructure, and have limited access to income opportunities. The construction of the new N2 Toll Road that will cut through Pondoland will bring new opportunities to the people living in an area with enormous tourism potential. Not being prepared for this development could negatively impact traditional community structures, and social well-being and harm the beauty and pristineness of the place.

Africa!Ignite is proud to have been selected as a Strategic Implementation Partner (SIP) of the Social Employment Fund (SEF) Programme, which is an initiative of The Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES). PES has committed R2.4 billion to the Social Employment Fund thus far, with private sector and donors contributing an additional R67 million.

Working in partnership with Zutari and Wild Coast Foods, Africa!Ignite pursued the opportunity to engage 14 communities located within the chiefdoms of Vellem and Lambasi, in 'work for the common good', the key principle underpinning SEF projects. Referencing the 1996 White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism in South Africa, the team adopted the philosophy that "responsible [or sustainable] tourism is about creating better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit".

With this in mind, Africallgnite selected the PLACEMAKING theme as a focus area, and developed a programme of work that would systematically help improve the pride in place, so that tourism could become a restorative, successful and sustainable industry. The SEF projects built on development work in the area that commenced in 2019 with an in-depth Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) programme commissioned by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) in an attempt to create impact "beyond roads"

Through the PLACEMAKING theme, which commenced in SEF Round 2 and continued through Round 3, the teams have improved signade along previousl unmarked roads s, provided seating to community members at taxi stops and have started adding places of interest to maps using the WHAT3WORDS App. Materials and tools required to do the work were primarily sourced from within the communities, with very little outside intervention required - as is taught by the ABCD approach. This confirmed to the SIP team that ABCD is an invaluable tool for communities to master, as they are able to plan and execute their own development, rather than wait for hand-outs from outsiders.

The initial social value created in communities as a result of the Placemaking activities was enormous and spilled over into various other sub-projects which provided cross-cutting services towards creating a better place to live in.

For example:

• The Green Construction sub-project helped to repair damaged community structures and support homestay owners with minor upgrades and infrastructure improvements;
• The Community and Public Art sub-projects created more than 200 public artworks and 28 large-scale tapestries that add future income opportunities for tour operators taking visitors on art tours and craft experiences;
• The Merchandise sub-project will allow local artists and crafters to collaborate in producing high-end merchandise such as t-shirts, caps, bags, and other crafts to sell to tourists and to markets outside the area.
• The Food Security sub-projects created community food gardens that will not only help feed communities but will also create small markets where visitors can purchase fresh produce rather than having to travel long distances to the nearest towns to do so.
• The Preserve-making sub-project will teach local groups to make preserves from excess produce, further enhancing food security and adding product ranges to be sold to visitors.

Through the SEF programme, the 14 villages are now better prepared to attract and host the growing market of adventure seekers to the area. They have a better understanding of the potential positive and negative impacts that tourism could have on their culture, customs, and natural heritage and they have developed skills and social networks that will help them leverage tourism spend to create circular economies.

By showing them how to tap into their strengths and assets, SEF, AfricalIgnite and their partners have helped the people regain pride in their place and prosper in one of the most pristine locations of South Africa.