KOUGA – Kouga Local Municipality has taken a decisive step to safeguard its water future, with Council approving a revised Drought Mitigation Plan while intensifying water restrictions and conservation measures across the region.
The updated plan responds to ongoing operational challenges and follows the declaration of the current drought as a disaster by the National Disaster Management Centre on 31 January 2026.
It builds on interventions introduced since the 2021 drought plan and is aimed at strengthening water security, improving risk management, and aligning mitigation strategies with the municipality’s current capacity and long-term objectives.
Key interventions outlined in the plan include the development and expansion of groundwater sources, rehabilitation of existing boreholes, upgrades to water treatment works, enhanced leak detection and monitoring, and the implementation of emergency water carting where necessary. Priority areas identified for intervention include Patensie, Hankey, Loerie, Thornhill, Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, and St Francis Bay.
The plan also places strong emphasis on public awareness, water conservation, and demand management to reduce pressure on potable water supplies. Funding requirements for the implementation of these measures are estimated at R36.2 million, primarily directed towards infrastructure upgrades, groundwater development, and securing emergency supply.
Kouga Speaker, Lorraine Maree, said the approval of the revised plan marked an important milestone in the municipality’s response to ongoing drought conditions. “The revised Drought Mitigation Plan is a vital step in ensuring that our communities continue to have access to safe and reliable water, even during challenging conditions. It reflects Council’s commitment to proactive planning, sustainable resource management, and the well-being of every resident in Kouga,” she said.
In parallel with the adoption of the plan, Kouga has intensified water restrictions following directives from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) affecting allocations from the Kouga, Churchill, and Impofu dams. Although these restrictions are still pending publication in the Government Gazette, they have been in effect since 1 November 2025.
The prolonged drought in the Eastern Cape has significantly reduced dam levels, with combined storage currently at 40.11%. To manage the constrained supply, a 10% restriction has been imposed on domestic allocations from the Kouga Dam, while a 25% restriction applies to domestic allocations from the Kromme system, which includes the Churchill and Impofu dams. Should storage levels in the Kromme system fall below 35%, Part C tariffs will be implemented.
The municipality is also rolling out an intensified public awareness campaign to encourage responsible water use. Residents are being urged to adopt water-saving practices and avoid excessive consumption.
Strict monitoring and enforcement of restrictions will continue as the municipality works to protect its limited water resources. Residents are encouraged to play their part in conserving water while Kouga explores additional supply options to mitigate the impact of the ongoing drought.
The Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup has been confirmed as a QS 4,000 event for the men and a QS 2,000 event for the women, significantly increasing the contest’s importance on the South African professional surfing calendar. Positioned as the final event of the Qualifying Series season, the Rip Curl Cup will play a key role in shaping end-of-season rankings and Challenger Series qualification outcomes.
Staged as an anchor event of the Port Alfred Easter Festival, this contest represents the last opportunity for many surfers to secure critical points before the close of the regional QS. With qualification scenarios coming down to final heats, performances in Port Alfred are expected to carry decisive weight.
A Pivotal Event on the Qualifying Series Calendar
As the final stop on the Qualifying Series, the Rip Curl Cup holds particular significance for surfers positioned around qualification cut-off points. The men’s QS 4,000 rating offers a substantial points allocation, while the women’s QS 2,000 rating remains a meaningful opportunity within the regional structure.
The contest operates within the competitive framework of the World Surf League, ensuring results contribute to internationally recognised rankings and career progression. Heat formats, judging criteria, and priority rules align with global standards, providing clarity and consistency for competitors and spectators alike.
With season outcomes on the line, the event is expected to attract a strong field, including surfers managing qualification pressure as well as those aiming to consolidate their positions heading into the Challenger Series.
Part of the Port Alfred Easter Festival Programme
A defining characteristic of the Rip Curl Cup is its lead role in the Port Alfred Easter Festival. The contest runs alongside a wide range of festival activities, creating a bustling, engaged town throughout the event window.
This setting allows spectators to watch high-level competitive surfing up close, while surfers benefit from competing in front of large, knowledgeable crowds. The combination of professional sport and festival atmosphere has become a hallmark of the event.
Supported by title sponsor Royal St Andrews Hotel and Rip Curl, the Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup hallmarks a new start to the festival’s gravitas. The current ratings reflect that progression and underline the event’s role as one of the most consequential contests on the regional calendar.
With final points, rankings and qualification outcomes in play, this year’s Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup is set to be a defining moment in the Qualifying Series season.
Royal St Andrews Hotel Rip Curl Cup Entries here – good luck!
The calendar says it’s spring. The air suggests it’s still winter. October 1st in St Francis Bay is less a clean turning of the season than an awkward shuffle, the kind where nobody is quite sure whether to pack away the jackets or light the fire.
The mornings remain pretty dark, cold, and windy enough to discourage even those few ‘enthusiastic’ joggers. But by midday, people have convinced themselves it’s warm enough for shorts, and the hardware stores report a sudden spike in sales of fertiliser and pool chemicals. Seasonal optimism, St Francis style.
Some residents take no chances: board shorts with a beanie. A practical compromise that says, “Legs are ready for summer, but head doesn’t believe it.” It’s not fashionable, but it’s a uniform of belief, summer is on the way, even if the wind is cutting in sideways.
The beaches begin to fill again. Surfers debate wetsuit thickness like it’s geopolitics: 4/3 or 3/2? Booties or bravado? Nobody wins, except the wetsuit companies.
Everyone claims to be tired of winter, but winter had its perks, didn’t it? Quieter beaches, not full pubs, and traffic that meant waiting behind exactly one bakkie at the stop street. October threatens all of that with its slow trickle of hopeful holidaymakers and the “just down for the weekend” crowd.
And yet, despite the grumbling, there’s no denying that it feels better. The days stretch longer. The ocean looks a shade more welcoming. The sky carries just enough promise that someone, somewhere, is already lighting the first braai of the season at 3:30 p.m. unnecessarily early, but symbolically important.
We have a small window before the holiday makers start arriving, and an even smaller window before every tradesperson in the village becomes too busy to answer their phone. Make the most of it. October is a great month in St Francis Bay
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