Kouga Local Municipality has completed its first comprehensive heritage audit, identifying close to 70 sites across the region.
The week-long project covered all nine towns in the Kouga municipal area. It focused on places linked to the region’s historical, cultural and built heritage.
The municipality’s Economic Development and Tourism Section led the project. University students also supported the municipal team during the fieldwork and helped document the sites.
Creating a Digital Heritage Record
The team developed an online programme to record detailed information about each location. This includes photographs, historical background, contextual information and the exact location of each site.
As a result, Kouga now has a structured digital database of its known heritage resources. The municipality can expand and update this database as it identifies additional sites.
Information gathered during the audit will now form part of a comprehensive heritage document. This resource will assist the municipality and other organisations with future planning, research and preservation work.
Supporting Tourism and Local Development
Kouga Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman described the audit as an important milestone for the municipality.
“Kouga has a remarkable and diverse heritage, but we cannot protect, promote or develop what we have not properly identified and documented,” he said.
Bornman added that the audit provides the municipality with its first consolidated picture of heritage resources across Kouga.
Furthermore, the project could support tourism and local economic development. Heritage sites may eventually form part of tourism routes, educational programmes and investment initiatives. However, their historical importance will remain central to any future development.
Protecting Kouga’s Stories
The completed document will help identify sites that require further research, protection, restoration or tourism development. It could also become a practical tool for education and heritage management.
Bornman thanked the municipal team and the participating students, including students from Germany, for their contribution.
The audit marks the start of a longer process to record and preserve the places, landmarks and stories that have shaped Kouga’s identity.
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