It is with great pride and joy that I, Cllr Babalwa Lobishe, the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, announce the resounding success of our festive season celebrations. This period has been marked by a series of well-organised events, increased tourism, and a significant boost to our local economy.
Our community came together to celebrate in a spirit of unity and joy, showcasing the vibrant culture and warm hospitality that Nelson Mandela Bay is renowned for. The festive season saw a remarkable increase in visitor numbers, with our hotels and guesthouses reporting near-full occupancy rates. Local businesses, from restaurants to retail stores, experienced a surge in patronage, contributing to the economic upliftment of our municipality.
Nelson Mandela Bay is experiencing a surge in tourists and visitors, making it a bumper season as the city continues to be one of the destinations of choice with compelling product offerings such as blue flag beaches, the Big 7 (including dolphins and whales), and rich heritage and culture. Our strategic location in terms of logistics and trade provides excellent access and connectivity to other destinations.
NMBM continues to host strategic events, including international and national sports (Afcon, Cosafa, Home of Legends, Stormers and RC Toulon Rugby match), conferences, and music festivals, all of which have major tourism and economic spin-offs. To date, these events have delivered over R200 million into the city’s economy through ticket sales, retail, transport and logistics, and hospitality. NMBM continues to bid for international and national events and has recently won a bid to host five events of the G20 summits.
Based on a projected 2% increase, the total number of bed nights in Nelson Mandela Bay is estimated to be around 566,831 for the month of December alone. Using bed nights figures and the average stay of visitors, it can be inferred that there were approximately 111,143 overnight visitors in the region. The period between Christmas and New Year’s remains the busiest time for the city, with nearly all accommodation being booked out.
While there is still some availability for late bookers, New Year’s Eve is the single busiest night of the year. Current pacing shows a 2% increase in occupancy, alongside a 10% increase in room nights sold due to greater supply. Final performance indicators, which will provide more accurate data, are expected by January 18. Based on the occupancy increase, we can estimate a proportional rise in overnight visitors.
The spending figures associated with these benights highlight the economic impact of tourism in Nelson Mandela Bay:
- Foreign Spend: R41,941,593.16
- Domestic Spend: R431,085,788.67
- Total Overnight Visitor Spend: R473,027,381.83
These figures exclude the contribution of day visitors, which remains a significant factor in the local economy. NMBM is also experiencing an increase in the number of cruise liners docking in the city. We have already received 13 cruise line ships from the 46 expected for the season, with approximately 50,000 tourists equating to over R95 million economic injections into Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality over the 2024/2025 financial year.
Safety and security are paramount in Nelson Mandela Bay, and we have been concerned about police visibility. NMBM’s safety and security department partnered with SAPS and launched the 2024/25 summer season program, which includes the deployment of more resources (personnel, vehicles, and mobile units) across the city, especially in crime hotspots.
Sincere condolences are conveyed to all families that were hit by tragedy, with Nelson Mandela Bay recording four drownings in three of our beaches during the festive season including one at the Swartkops river.
Nelson Mandela Bay is also reeling with shock after the untimely brutal killing of constable Andrews. We applaud the swift arrest of the alleged perpetrators by SAPS. Sincere condolences are conveyed to his family and loved ones.
Dedicated units were also deployed in tourist hotspots and precincts, including the cruise line route, beachfront, and other areas linked with tourism. NMBM has partnered with the Tourism Business Council, business chambers, and MBDA to secure the CBD, beachfront cluster, and other 11 business clusters of the city with state-of-the-art cameras, vehicles, and personnel to ensure visibility, detection, prevention, and response.
Specific operations have been conducted, and arrests have been made against criminals in roadblocks and raids, including the monitoring of non-compliant spaza shops. NMBM safety and security also partners with private security businesses and community forums to coordinate crime prevention efforts in the city. NMBM’s economic development directorate has deployed over 60 tourism monitors to assist with tourism safety in strategic areas of the city in collaboration with the national department of tourism. All these efforts are yielding positive results, which can be seen in the surge of tourists flocking into the city for leisure, sports, and business tourism.
“The success of this festive season is a testament to the strength and unity of our community. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to building on this momentum in the coming year.” – Cllr Babalwa Lobishe, Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Let us carry this spirit of togetherness and positivity into the new year as we continue to strive for the betterment of our beloved municipality.
NMB Communications
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