South Africa flies the Blue Flag!
A Blue Flag is an international award given to beaches that meet excellence in the areas of safety, amenities, cleanliness and environmental standards. As South Africa enters its ninth year of running the Blue Flag programme, we can proudly say that we are sustaining excellence in beach management and that our beaches rate among the best in the world.
South Africa is the first country outside Europe to win Blue Flag accreditation for its beaches. Cape Town presently has the most Blue Flag beaches, with a total of eight beaches awarded the full Blue Flag status. All Blue Flag beaches have their water tested every two weeks to ensure that the quality meets international standards.
The Blue Flag beaches for the 2011/2012 summer season are:
Blue Flag criteria
The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches that comply with the following Blue Flag criteria:
- Water quality
- Environmental education and information
- Environmental management
- Safety and services
Cape Town’s Blue Flag season is from 1 December to 31 March each year. For more information on the Blue Flag Programme, visit www.blueflag.org and click here for the City’s Blue Flag e-booklet.