by SFT | Feb 12, 2025 | St Francis
With the festive season behind us, we can be thankful for a relatively incident-free season. The KJRC River patrol officers, in collaboration with Kouga Law Enforcement and SAMSA, worked together at times to ensure all vessels using the Kromme River were legally compliant. This included the checking of skippers’ licences as well as all the safety equipment on board.
River users would have noticed far more channel-marking buoys placed in the River this past season. This ensured a safer navigable channel for holidaymakers and craft using the River for the first time.
Swimming Area
The swimming area cordoned off near the Pump House became a welcome attraction. It provided a safe area for swimmers and children to enjoy that part of the River and the adjacent beach area.
As no dredging is allowed until the Spit and Beach Project commences, the navigable channel under the bridge over the River remains very narrow. River users are requested to exercise extreme caution when navigating through there.
Very little illegal fishing (gill netting) etc. was reported. The abalone poachers seem to not use the River when there is so much activity.
The constantly changing conditions at the River Mouth made it particularly challenging to mark the safest boat passage from the River and/or Ski Canal to the sea. For that reason, the KJRC had three patrol officers on duty all the time, one of which was stationed at the River Mouth full time. The latter played a significant role in ensuring that jetskis adhered to the rules and regulations in this area.
Increased temperatures
Due to the increased seawater temperature, there has been a huge nutrient spike in the River over the last six weeks. This has caused an alarming growth of algae (Ulva algae) in the lower approximately 800 metres of the River. The algae will get trapped by the resident marine flora and eventually die off as the nutrient levels and the water temperature normalise. Unfortunately, the dead algaes change from green to white. It then resembles wet toilet paper, often leading to false reports of raw sewerage.
The school holidays in March are already approaching. During this period and over the Easter weekend in April, the KJRC will ensure that at least two River Police will be on duty to monitor and manage activity on the River.
Safe boating till next time.
Kromme Joint River Committee
web: https://krommejrc.co.za/
Read also: You The Reader – Notes From The Editor
by SFT | Feb 12, 2025 | St Francis
Kouga – The local economy of Kouga Local Municipality received a significant boost as training certificates were awarded to nine Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). They successfully completed the Global Market Access Training programme last year.
This initiative is part of the Local Economic Development and Tourism section’s strategic approach to fostering inclusive economic growth. By prioritising sustainable development, this effort aims to alleviate existing poverty and inequality, while reinforcing a long-term commitment to economic expansion through ongoing implementation programmes.
The Fishing Co-ops
The beneficiaries, including Uniko Raw Honey, Pabala Pure Honey, Gamtoos Valley Agriculture, Be Original, Clarkson Heuningbos, Sibanye Knitters, Sarah Baartman Primary Fishing Co-op, Elinye Fishing Co-op, and Siyaphambili Fishing Primary Co-op, were awarded their certificates at a special event last week.
In addition to the SMMEs, ten residents also benefited from basic firefighting, first-aid, and occupational health and safety courses.
Bernadette Swartz, owner of Be Original, expressed her gratitude for the professional and holistic approach of the course. “The facilitator was very knowledgeable, and we were able to ask questions and have them answered. Mentoring was a significant part of the training, providing feedback on product quality and improvement systems,” she said.
Practical Components
Swartz emphasised the importance of practical components and suggested partnerships with experienced businesses in exports and global trading.
Donovan Perils, speaking on behalf of other training beneficiaries, appreciated the knowledge gained in dealing with life-threatening situations. “Although it was called a basic course, we learned a lot. Thank you to the LED office for this opportunity,” he said.
Linda Lubengu from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) highlighted their goal of creating a conducive environment for SMMEs to thrive locally and internationally. She explained that the Global Market Access Training aims to make SMMEs competitive on an international scale.
“The training is two-fold: developing companies to be competitive and preparing them for international trade,” Lubengu said.
She stressed the importance of e-commerce and social media for attracting international customers.
Increased Production
Lubengu also noted that trading internationally requires additional resources and capacity. “Once you get an international order, you must be able to service it and increase production. The training prepares companies to be export-ready,” she added. Lubengu emphasised the community benefits of increased production, including job creation and poverty alleviation.
Noxolo Adams from the Sarah Baartman District Municipality congratulated the training beneficiaries and the municipality’s Local Economic Development team. She outlined the district municipality’s role in supporting local economic development and funding viable businesses, particularly in the oceans economy, construction, and tourism sectors.
Training Certificates Were Awarded
Adams mentioned an ongoing initiative with the NEF to fund SMMEs needing R1 million and above, encouraging business plan submissions.
In her keynote statement, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Local Economic Development, Lorraine Maree, praised the training beneficiaries for their bravery in starting businesses. “Having the training certificate serves as a stepping stone,” she said.
This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering local businesses and fostering economic growth in Kouga Municipality.
Read more: Municipality implements credit control measures to address overdue debt
by SFT | Feb 12, 2025 | Surfing Today
Focus Shifts to UAE for Stop No. 2 of the 2025 Championship Tour
JBay local Matt McGillivray and JBay resident Jordy Smith are in the mix
Event Wildcards and Injury Replacements Announced: Macy Callaghan, Kauli Vaast, Bronson Meydi, and Mateus Herdy To Compete in Surf Abu Dhabi Pro
More Available at WorldSurfLeague.com
HUDAYRIYAT ISLAND, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Monday, February 10, 2025) — The world’s best surfers are en route to the United Arab Emirates for Stop No. 2 on the 2025 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, which will run February 14-16, 2025. A historic week is set to unfold in Abu Dhabi, as this marks the first CT event to be held in the Middle East. Competitors will turn their focus from the heavy, shifting peaks of Pipeline to the long, perfect waves of Surf Abu Dhabi.
Fresh from the famed North Shore of O’ahu, Hawai’i, where Barron Mamiya(HAW) and Tyler Wright (AUS) claimed heralded victories to start the season sitting on top of the rankings, the consistency of the waves in this event will deliver a totally new challenge to the world’s best. Surf Abu Dhabi, which features the world-leading wave technology from the Kelly Slater Wave Company (KSWC), offers competitors perfect 500-meter-long lefts and rights. It will test not only their technical prowess, but also their ability to perform under pressure and on demand.
Mastering the Pressure: The Unique Challenge of Surf Abu Dhabi

Photo by Tommy Pierucki/World Surf League
The length and pace of the wave, along with the buoyancy of the featured salt water, make Surf Abu Dhabi a truly unique venue, as does its location on Hudayriyat Island, where it is nestled between the desert and the sea. Across four previous CT events held in the KSWC technology in Lemoore, Calif., a handful of surfers have mastered the skills necessary to repeatedly rise to the top. With the added elements lending to increased high-performance surfing, it is yet to be determined if those same precious few retain their control of the contest.
Previous winners in the technology, Lakey Peterson (USA), Filipe Toledo(BRA), Johanne Defay (FRA), and Griffin Colapinto (USA), have each appeared in the final rounds multiple times, as has Olympic Gold Medalist Caroline Marks (USA), who placed runner-up in the event the same year she won her World Title. A strong selection of the current leaders in progressive surfing has also showcased moments of brilliance on their way to big results, including Italo Ferreira (BRA), Caitlin Simmers (USA), Ethan Ewing (AUS), and Yago Dora (BRA).
Nearly one-third of the combined men’s and women’s fields are yet to compete on a man-made wave at the elite CT level. It remains to be seen if the clinical precision of Rookie Erin Brooks (CAN), the mind-blowing speed of 2024 Challenger Series winner Samuel Pupo (BRA), the aggressive attack of 2024 Rookie of the Year Sawyer Lindblad (USA), or the wild unpredictability of Rookie Marco Mignot (FRA) will challenge the status quo.
Event Wildcards and Injury Replacements Announced: Macy Callaghan, Kauli Vaast, Bronson Meydi, and Mateus Herdy To Compete in Surf Abu Dhabi Pro
The 2025 Surf Abu Dhabi Pro will welcome three event wildcards to the UAE, Bronson Meydi (INA), Kauli Vaast (FRA), and Macy Callaghan (AUS).
Kauli Vaast (FRA) won the Gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games with an incredible performance at his home break of Teahupo’o in Tahiti. Vaast has proven himself at the CT level, with his runner-up finish at the Tahiti Pro as a wildcard in 2022. The man-made waves of Surf Abu Dhabi will provide a new challenge for Vaast, who hopes to qualify for a full-time spot on the CT through the Challenger Series.
“This wildcard spot means a lot to me,” Vaast said. “My aim with the Challenger Series this year, more than ever, is to qualify for the CT. It’s where I want to be, and this will taste good. I’ve unfortunately never surfed there before, but I can’t wait to get there and experience it. This technology will be used a lot for contests in the future, and I want to get more experience surfing these waves. I’m so excited for the opportunity.”
KSWC Tech
Former CT competitor Macy Callaghan (AUS) has had plenty of experience at the elite level and has competed in two events at the Surf Ranch, using KSWC technology. After finishing 2024 strong, with a win at the Corona Saquarema Pro Challenger Series event, Callaghan finished the year just outside of qualification and was the highest-ranked surfer in the APAC region on the Challenger Series.
“I’m super excited to be heading to Abu Dhabi and getting this wildcard opportunity,” Callaghan said. “It will be so fun to catch up with a lot of people I haven’t seen for so long, as well as traveling somewhere new and getting such a unique experience. I have competed at Surf Ranch several times, and it is a different experience and way to compete. There is a lot of pressure, so it will be cool to feel those feelings again. I haven’t competed since I won in Brazil last October, so it will be good to get back in the jersey.”
World Juniors
Less than a month ago, Bronson Meydi (INA) made history, winning Indonesia’s first world surfing title at the WSL World Junior Championships in the Philippines. Meydi’s super fast and exciting brand of surfing is an ideal match for the perfect waves of Surf Abu Dhabi. He will be one to watch when the competition gets underway later this week.
“Getting this wildcard means so much to me,” Meydi said. “This will be my first CT event, so coming up against the world’s best at the wave pool is going to be crazy. I’m excited to see my surfing up against everyone and see if it belongs on the CT. I have surfed in this facility a few times, so I feel like I’ve had some good experiences here and know the wave well. I’m stoked to be going back there. Since this is my first CT event, I’m looking forward to learning a lot, seeing how everyone at that level goes about it, and getting as much experience as I can.”
Replacement Surfers
Two replacement surfers, Ian Gentil (HAW) and Mateus Herdy (BRA), will also make their way to the UAE to fill in for Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Crosby Colapinto (USA), respectively. Medina remains sidelined after surgery for a pectoral injury. The three-time World Champion will reassess his status after Stop No. 3, the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, where the 2025 WSL Replacement Surfer, Gentil, will also take his place.
An elbow injury sustained while training for Stop No. 1 at Pipeline continues to keep Colapinto out of action for Stop No. 2, opening the door for Herdy’s first CT wildcard opportunity since 2022. Herdy, who posted a Perfect 10-point ride during the final event of the 2024 Challenger season, received the spot as the highest-ranked surfer on the Challenger Series not yet in competition and enters Abu Dhabi as a serious threat. Having previously featured as a wildcard four times on the CT, including in the KSWC technology in 2019, the 24-year-old Brazilian has made the Finals Day of his two most recent appearances, peaking with a Semifinal finish in the 2021 Corona Open Mexico.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Surf Abu Dhabi Pro Women’s Qualifying Round Matchups:
1: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) vs. Lakey Peterson (USA) vs. Bella Kenworthy (USA)
2: Caroline Marks (USA) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS) vs. Luana Silva (BRA)
3: Caitlin Simmers (USA) vs. Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) vs. Macy Callaghan (AUS)
4: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Vahine Fierro (FRA)
5: Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) vs. Gabriela Bryan (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
6: Tyler Wright (AUS) vs. Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Erin Brooks (CAN)
Surf Abu Dhabi Pro Men’s Qualifying Round Matchups:
1: Jake Marshall (USA) vs. Connor O’Leary (JPN) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA)
2: Barron Mamiya (HAW) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Jackson Bunch (HAW)
3: Jack Robinson (AUS) vs. George Pittar (AUS) vs. Ian Gentil (HAW)
4: Ethan Ewing (AUS) vs. Matthew McGillivray (RSA) vs. Mateus Herdy (BRA)
5: Griffin Colapinto (USA) vs. Imaikalani deVault (HAW) vs. Kauli Vaast (BRA)
6: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Joel Vaughan (AUS) vs. Bronson Meydi (INA)
7: Yago Dora (BRA) vs. Cole Houshmand (USA) vs. Samuel Pupo (BRA)
8: Jordy Smith (RSA) vs. Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Deivid Silva (BRA)
9: Rio Waida (INA) vs. Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Ian Gouveia (BRA) vs. Marco Mignot (FRA)
11: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Alan Cleland (MEX)
12: Joao Chianca (BRA) vs. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Liam O’Brien (AUS)
Watch LIVE
The Surf Abu Dhabi Pro holds a competition window February 14 -16, 2025. The event will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com,
by SFT | Feb 12, 2025 | Notes From The Editor
I’m not going to lie, but I know certain things about you the reader, that my software allows me to see. Fully controlled by the compliance of the Popia Act, I can see who opens my newsletters, which pages you read, how long you stay on the page, and when you unsubscribe. That would mean you’re not reading this right now, and that’s fine. Unsubscribing can mean several things, none too sinister, and we don’t have time to dwell.
Wildly Sporadic
About 1,500 readers open the newsletter every single time we publish it, of which the publishing schedule is wildly sporadic, to say the least. This equates to about 20,000 page views monthly when we publish three weekly newsletters.
South Africa is the top reader country, followed by the USA and the UK. Germany is sixth, and Sweden is ninth.
The most significant referrals come from Facebook (St Francis Today), followed by Yahoo Search UK. ChatGPT is in third, followed by Instagram (St Francis Today).
The most popular stories are local stories. Consistently rated highly are the Client Care financial newsletters, What’s On At Supersper, Calibre Crime stats reports, Kouga Municipality announcements that affect St Francis Bay, and the Notes from the Editor series, especially the restaurant revues. In the same breath, the St Francis Property Owners newsletters and updates are some of the most-read articles on St Francis Today.
Sharks and Zuma but no Trump
In general news, articles about sharks usually jump the stats, as does anything related to the municipality wanting to charge for domestic solar systems or having some control or licensing system on domestic solar set-ups. People still like to read about Zuma, although Trump’s articles are not overly popular. Underneath it all, however, the most popular page is the Puzzle page, with the jigsaw the most popular sub-hit.
The most popular day is Tuesday, but this is because we don’t post on Monday. However, content-rich days often beat Tuesdays for page views. 58% of people currently access the page via mobile, with 38% on laptops and the rest on tablets.
After a recent surge in popularity last week, we noticed that 76% of readers were new. This number is fluid, but in the previous 30 days, there has been a weird surge of popularity that might or might not be attributed to the global recalibration of Apple MPP policies (Mail Privacy Protection).
Sales Pitch
Interestingly, community-based newsletters are trending and striving globally as they cut away the noise of social media ad pushing, offer valid local content, and tend to gather readers’ loyalty.
What is good for St Francis Today is that studies consistently show that email marketing still way outperforms social media accounts, according to Forbes. It is estimated by Forbes that, in 2024, 81% of US companies were using or engaging with external newsletters as part of their marketing strategy.
To advertise – craig@truthcollective.co.za
So, thanks to all of you who read the St Francis Today newsletter so regularly.
Feel free to comment.
The Editor
Further reading: Shark Sightings, Shark Warnings, Shark Dramas – Notes From The Editor
Clearly Round The Bend – Notes From The Editor
I said what about breakfast at Nevermind? – Notes From The Editor
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