by SFT | Sep 28, 2023 | St Francis, Surfing
Seal Point, Cape St Francis – The 5th and final contest in the Rip Curl GromSearch series 2023 will take place this weekend, Friday, 29 September – Sunday, 1 October at Seal Point. We have Junior Surfers In Seals, hard in training.
With over 150 entries in this competition, it boasts one of the biggest entries in a junior surfing contest and is a testament to the popularity of this series in only its second year.
Junior Surfers In Seals
Competitors have been in town for most of the week already, training and preparing for the event, which starts at 07:30 tomorrow (Friday) morning. There have been some great waves around in the whole St Francis area. These groms have been impressing all who have seen them.
After a run of bad weather has been battering the country, the forecast for the weekend in the Eastern Cape looks promising, with offshore winds for most of the tournament.
Rip Curl team rider Kai Stubbs has been training hard for this event © Louis Wulff
Premier division
This year, the series has focused on the Premier U16 division, where the winners will not only claim the coveted Winner’s Trophy but also walk away with a handsome R6,000 cash prize.
Seal Point’s waves have a reputation for being great during this time of the year, making it the perfect venue for the climax of the GromSearch series. It is an ideal canvas for these young talents to showcase their skills and push the boundaries of their abilities. Rip Curl’s unwavering support for the GromSearch series underlines their dedication to fostering the growth of surfing in South Africa.
This tournament is a Surfing South Africa event and will again have U12 boys and girls, U14 boys and girls, U16 boys and girls and U18 boys and girls divisions competing. The competition is a Premier SAST event, with 1,000 points for the winners and prize money per a premier event.
Rip Curl South Africa
More about Rip Curl South Africa here – https://www.ripcurl.co.za/

Cape S Francis Resort
The contest receives invaluable support from The Cape St Francis Resort, a local establishment that recognises the importance of nurturing and promoting young talent in surfing.
Cape St Francis Resort Contact Details
Anita Lennox
T 042 298 0054
C 082 494 3755
F 086 412 3764
E anita@capestfrancisresort.co.za
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TCS Wi-Fi
The contest is also supported by TCS Wi-Fi, which will supply free internet connectivity for competitors and officials.
TCS Wi-Fi was created to assist existing customers struggling with slow and unreliable internet connectivity. Everyone deserves high-speed, reliable internet, and a network should be personally constructed to promote ease of use.
T +27 (0)42 294 1638
E info@tcsstfrancis.co.za


Previously: Entries Closed For Rip Curl GromSearch Seal Point presented by The Cape St Francis Resort

by SFT | Sep 28, 2023 | St Francis
Kouga dam 89.85%
Stuurmanskraal is flowing at 90,000 litres per second. Kouga Dam has spilled 33 times since 1971. It last spilled in 2015.
Kouga Dam has overflowed 33 times since 1971; the last time was in 2015.
The Churchill dam overflowed at 4 a.m. yesterday morning, and water is still moving.
The combined total of the dams in the Kouga area has reached more than 65%, and this is usually the golden number to signify the breaking of a drought.
It looks like we have a few showers this weekend as well.
by SFT | Sep 28, 2023 | Kouga Municipality, St Francis
In celebration of National Arbor Month and Tourism Month, Kouga Municipality launched the unique Kouga Milkwood Trail in Jeffreys Bay on Friday, 22 September 2023. Pictured are (from left) Daniel Benson (Community Services Portfolio Councillor), Hattingh Bornman (Kouga Executive Mayor), Nomvelo Siwela (Kouga Environmental Specialist), and Fanie Heystek (Ward 11 Councillor).
JEFFREYS BAY – In celebration of National Arbor Month and Tourism Month, Kouga Municipality launched the unique Kouga Milkwood Trail in Jeffreys Bay on Friday, 22 September 2023 – honouring the extraordinary Milkwood Tree (Sideroxylon inerme), while keeping the region green.
A year-long dream coming true.
It has been a dream of a group of nature-loving friends – who constructed the labyrinth out of more than 1 000 spekboom on the corner of Noorsekloof Road and Dogwood Road in Jeffreys Bay – to establish an interactive Milkwood Trail in Kouga, and, in doing so, showcasing all the beautiful area has to offer.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said that they could not do it all on their own and asked the municipality, private individuals and businesses to join hands to turn the dream into a reality.
Discussions between the two parties began earlier this year, and research has been done to determine the best areas with easy access to plant additional trees – adding to the existing trees.
Milkwood Trail
“The trail encompasses twelve thoughtfully chosen sites, inviting residents and visitors to delve into the fascinating history, intriguing science, and essential conservation initiatives surrounding this iconic tree species,” said Bornman.
“Additionally, the trail offers and opportunity to explore the natural marvels of Jeffreys Bay.”
The 12 Milkwood Tree locations are:
- Jeffreys Bay Tourism Office
- Elza van Lingen Library
- O.T.H. Park
- Noorsekloof Nature Reserve
- Da Gama Road (opposite Jeffreys Bay SuperSpar)
- Flame Crescent
- Supertubes
- Kabeljauws Street
- Kabeljauws Lagoon
- Poplar Park
- Labyrinth (Noorsekloof Road)
According to Bornman, a comprehensive informational guide has been meticulously crafted to serve as a valuable resource for those wanting to explore the trail, equipping them with a route map and the knowledge to identify these majestic trees.
“The successful execution of this trail would not have been possible without private individual participation and funding,” said Bornman. “It required proper planning, brainstorming, funding, and passion. A heartfelt thank you to each and everyone who contributed towards this worthy project.
“Let us unite in discovering and safeguarding the splendour of our remarkable Milkwood trees.
“Furthermore, as a municipality, we challenge residents to plant indigenous trees as a concrete and symbolic act of sustainable environmental management – and in doing so, also helping to keep Kouga green.”
More information
For more information about the Kouga Milkwood Trail, visit the Kouga Municipality Facebook Page or website at www.kouga.gov.za.
by SFT | Sep 28, 2023 | St Francis
Thanks to the photographer
By the time you read this article, the Kouga Dam will be north of 80% full. It is expected to overflow by the end of the weekend. The recent rains have finally fallen well and truly in the catchment areas and the dams have been getting the lion’s share of the run-off. It has been a long time in coming, but we are now very close to the combined total of 65% amongst all of our Kouga region dames, which will officially indicate the end of the drought.
Kouga dam 79% @ 15h00 on 27 September 2023.
The Horseshoe just past Rooihoek. At the bottom, the Baviaans River flows into the Kouga River.
Die perdeskoen net verby Rooihoek. Aan die onderkant is Baviaans rivier besig om in Kouga Rivier in te loop.
Stuurmanskraal is flowing at 150,000 litres per second. We expect the dam to overflow by Friday. Over the past 5 hours, 5 million cubic meters of water ran into Kouga. That is nearly twice the volume of Loerie Dam.
Stuurmans vloei teen 150 000 liter per sekonde. Ons verwag dat Kouga teen Vrydag sal oorloop. Gedurende die laaste 5 uur het 5 miljoen kubieke meter water in Kouga ingevloei. Dis bykans 2 maal die volume van Loerie dam.
The Churchill Dam is expected to overflow during the course of today if it hasn’t yet. the run-off heads for the Impofu dam
by SFT | Sep 27, 2023 | SPAR, St Francis
This year, the Concours Sur Mesure Tops Wine Tasting will occur on 12 October. The venue is the St Francis College Sports Grounds, and tickets are available at Tops Village Square. For ticket reservations, please call Michaela on 042 294 1664. Tickets are R300 per person, and there are only 300 tickets available.
Wine farms that will be representing at the Wine Tasting include Arbeidsgenot Wines, Jakkelsvei Wines, Eenzaamheid Wines, Migliarina Wines, Chamonix, Bruce Jack, Hermanus Pietersfontein, Groot Phesantekraal, Dewetshof, De Grendel, Diemersdal, Delaire, Tokara, Cederberg Le Petite Ferme, Pongracz, Graham Beck and Grand Provence.

Apart from the wine tasting, car fanatics will also be in for a treat again this year at the main event, the Motor Show and Rugby Fan Park. The Harley Davidson MCC will attend the show, Motor clubs (Vintage, Exotic and Classic) such as Lamborghini, Porsche, Mustang, Maserati, and various Motor Dealerships ranging across all categories and make of vehicles.
The sell-out Uncle Nick’s Dinner & Dance will be hosted on Friday night from 6 pm to midnight, with good food, live entertainment and dancing the night away with DJ Clive.
All the above events happen at St Francis College on their new 2 Hectare sports grounds. The festival organizers are proud to assist in creating new sports fields for St Francis College.
The festival organizers have arranged a daily shuttle service from the Village Square to the venue free of charge. The shuttle service will run from 09:00 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The weekend will be filled with 15 other culinary, music and sporting events as part of The St Francis Bay Concours sur Mesure Festival supported by St Francis Tourism, Kouga Municipality, local businesses, and organizations.
Three Days Of More Savings at TOPS

It’s as good a time as any to stock up on some libations before the next storm hits us! TOPS is running a selection of specials from 29th September until 1 October for SPAR Rewards Card holders. Some examples are Klipdrift for R149, Old Bucj gin for R144, and six cans of Flying Fish for R99. For those on a weekend budget, there are 4th Street wine boxes (5l) for R129.
Win Your Share Of R5 Million In Cash, Instantly

Exclusive to SPAR Rewards Customers. View all the participating products HERE
The campaign runs until 1 October, and it is this simple:
Step 1
Buy any participating product and swipe your SPAR Rewards card.
Step 2
Take the winning slip and till slip to the in-store kiosk to redeem your instant cash!
by SFT | Sep 27, 2023 | St Francis
Owing to the damage and alterations caused to the coastline by the recent storms, we would like to highlight that the last 150m (+/-) of the Two Harbours Walk leading to Bruce’s and Grannies Pool are difficult under foot.
It has been agreed with St Francis Cycling Club that for now, pedestrians / runners should use the last section of the cycling path as an alternative route should you not wish to continue walking across all the rocks and large stones that have now been deposited on the footpath.
Cyclists have been made aware to treat that small section of the cycling path with caution in light of this temporary measure and would request that walkers etc do the same for the time being.
Arrangements will be made to undertake some work in re-positioning the rocks and stones from the footpath once the weather improves and the workforce has been identified.
Many thanks to the Cycling Club for their agreement and to the community for your understanding.
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