Cape Town beaches fly the flag of excellence
24 October 2019
Ten Cape Town beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status for the summer season.
The announcement is good news for beachgoers and shows the City of Cape Town’s commitment to providing quality facilities for residents and visitors.
Blue Flag is an international accreditation awarded to beaches that display excellence through meeting 33 criteria covering four categories: environmental education and information, water quality, environmental management, and safety and services.
The Blue Flag beaches are geographically well positioned around the metropole, from Silwerstroomstrand in the north, beaches on the Atlantic Seaboard, to the secluded little Bikini Beach next to the Gordons Bay Harbour in the South.
The following City beaches ticked the boxes and were awarded Blue Flag Status:
- Bikini Beach, Gordons Bay
- Camps Bay
- Clifton 4th
- Fish Hoek
- Llandudno
- Melkbosstrand
- Mnandi
- Muizenberg
- Silwerstroomstrand
- Strandfontein
“The City is honoured to be part of the Blue Flag programme, with 10 of our beaches making the cut. These beaches are visited by thousands of residents and tourists every year and the City is making sure that they are of a high standard,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
General beach safety tips
Do
- Make sure you know how to swim before swimming in the sea.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags, as these areas are patrolled by lifeguards.
- Identify an easy-to-find place where you can meet if anyone gets lost or separated.
- Stay hydrated. Watch out for signs of dehydration such as red, dry skin, rapid/weak pulse and rapid, shallow breathing.
Don’t
- Don’t drink alcohol before you swim as it impairs your judgement.
- Don’t dive into unfamiliar water as there may be rocks or other dangers.
If you get caught in a rip current
- Don’t panic.
- Don’t try to swim straight back to the shore against the current as this will exhaust you.
- Try to tread water or turn on your back and float (rip tides get weaker as they go further out).
- Raise one arm in the air and wave for help to alert people on the beach that you are in trouble.
- Swim parallel to the beach, out of the current, and then use waves to help you get back to the beach.
