A multi-million rand infrastructure project at the Wolwekloof Resort has been handed over to CapeNature.
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The R3.7 million project, which aims to revive the site to preserve its historical significance and improve visitor experiences, is funded by the department.
The scope of the work includes:
- Upgrading the existing pools
- Installing a new pool site
- Installing fencing to pools
- Construction of new braai areas
- Construction of walkways
The Wolwekloof Resort is located near Ceres in the Witzenberg Municipality. According to CapeNature, it was one of the few places that people of colour could visit during the apartheid era. Wolwekloof’s first visitors were in 1978.
It was mainly used by Capetonians and more specifically, residents of the Cape Flats and Wolwekloof’s surrounding communities.
However, the facility was closed to the public and used by various government departments and non-profits until a few years ago when CapeNature took over management.
In 1991, the facility was sold to the divisional council, which conducted further development and managed it until February 2002.
After the Cape Winelands District Municipality withdrew from the project, it was used as a Western Cape Provincial Fire Training Centre until March 2017.
Then, an agreement between the Department of Community Safety and the Department of Transport and Public Works was reached to manage the facility until 31 March 2017.
It was officially handed over to CapeNature in June 2019 to be used as a tourism facility.
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The biodiversity conservation authority has been focused on creating facilities and activities with the eco-tourism sector over the past decade, including several developments aimed at generating income for biodiversity conservation and improving growth and economic benefits that contribute to national and provincial tourism strategies.
‘Tourism is a key sector in our economy, injecting billions into the economy each year and providing much-needed jobs for our people,’ says Patricia de Lille, tourism minister.
‘We must therefore continue to work with urgency and work as partners to grow our tourism offering so that we attract more tourists to our beautiful country. The more tourists we welcome, the more investment and jobs the tourism sector can create.’
Dr Razeena Omar, CEO of CapeNature, welcomed the partnership. ‘We welcomed the opportunity to manage Wolwekloof as a tourism facility with enthusiasm and pledged our full commitment to restore the site. The upgrades to the picnic area, walkways and pools offer visitors a lovely nature retreat to relax and enjoy memorable times with family and friends.
‘We appreciate the financial support from the National Department of Tourism (NDT), which hugely contributed to (…) reinstating this resort as a tourism gem. Wolwekloof is one of five tourism projects under the NDT CapeNature partnership. It is collaborations like this that help to boost the Western Cape tourism economy, offering holidaymakers even more travel choices. We are very excited to publicly launch Wolwekloof during 2024.’
The Wolwekloof Resort project forms part of the department’s funded provincial state-owned assets maintenance programme. In 2020, the department entered a partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa to implement and manage several infrastructure projects across the country.
These projects include the maintenance and beautification of provincial state-owned attractions that form part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme.
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Picture: Department of Tourism / Facebook