Nelson Mandela Bay’s flagship beachfront left to rot through neglect, vandalism and poor security

Nelson Mandela Bay’s once-vibrant beachfront – a key tourism hub known for its family-friendly amenities and world-class sporting events – is falling into disrepair. Crime, vandalism and looting are taking hold, driven by a lack of adequate security.

A recent visit to the Kings Beach precinct revealed stripped infrastructure, broken facilities and poorly maintained public spaces. This comes at a time when the City’s Safety and Security department, which has spent just 8% of its budget this financial year, still has more than 100 funded vacancies, including multiple positions for security personnel.

With the 2026 DHL Lifesaving South Africa Championships scheduled for 26 March to 1 April, and the Isuzu Ironman 70.3 Nelson Mandela Bay also expected in the area, the decay raises urgent questions about the City’s readiness to host thousands of visitors.

Instead of being a welcoming area for tourists and locals alike, the Kings Beach precinct has become an eyesore. Vandalised electrical boxes expose live wiring, and large sections of lighting are not working.

There is virtually no visible security: municipal patrols are absent, and CCTV cameras have either been tampered with or are broken. South African Police Service (SAPS) officers were, however, spotted in the area.

Many ablution facilities are damaged, locked or occupied by squatters, while children’s pools remain closed, filled with murky water and surrounded by overgrown vegetation.

The precinct’s pond is empty, covered in dried sediment and trash because there are no visible or empty rubbish bins. The wooden walkways are cracked, some appearing unstable, and there are signs that people are sleeping under them.

In the past, the Kings Beach parking area has repeatedly suffered from severe sewage leaks.

The nearby area of Happy Valley – the formerly family-friendly recreational park next to Humewood Beach and stretching all the way up to the defunct Telkom Park – has also been overtaken by neglect. It is now turning into a wild, overgrown woodland. Vagrants have built makeshift shelters deep in the bushes, while the once-beloved Disney installations and magical evening lights have been stripped.

The walkways winding along the beach are in a serious state of disrepair, with several sections broken or dangerously uneven for pedestrians.

Beachfront sector an eyesore for tourism

Clifford Hanks, owner of the Beachwalk Bed and Breakfast, said the “whole area has just degenerated” to the point where it is actively deterring tourism.

“The vandalism […] is a major thing. It really affects tourism because [vandals] are systematically destroying the beachfront,” Hanks said.

The decay of the beachfront, according to Ian Millar, chair of the Summerstrand Neighbourhood Watch, is because the people responsible for the City “are not at work”.

Millar said: “We are not living up to our full potential. We’re a long way from it. We’ve got to raise the bar. This city is beautiful. It has a great climate, great beaches, friendly people, shops – it has everything going for it. But unfortunately, our city fathers are not at work. They are missing.”

Hanks added that guests often comment on the contrast between world-class accommodation in the area and the surrounding environment.

“People put reviews up saying, ‘Love the guest house, but really, no point in walking along the beachfront because it’s destroyed’.”

According to Hanks, Nelson Mandela Bay is increasingly being treated as a transit stop rather than a destination, with visitors heading directly to nearby attractions such as the Garden Route or Addo Elephant National Park.

“For us, to get people who stay more than a night is difficult. Who wants to live on a beachfront where the benches are broken, the electric wires stick out, the railings are broken down and you cannot walk to Happy Valley [because of safety concerns]?” he said.

He warned that continued neglect could have broader economic consequences for the City.

“Tourism is the biggest or second biggest provider of employment in the metro together with the motor industry.

“The motor industry is taking strain, so tourism is the way to go to provide employment. And if you destroy tourism, you are going to destroy employment,” Hanks said.

Lack of municipal security at beachfront to blame

Ward 2 councillor Sean Tappan said the wave of vandalism along the beachfront is largely the result of an inadequate and poorly visible security presence.

“The main fundamental problem with that whole area is the lack of security. At the moment, there is no security,” Tappan said.

He said a municipal decision taken roughly two and a half years ago to internalise security services had not translated into adequate on-the-ground deployment.

“There are not enough of these security [personnel] to ensure the protection of municipal assets, and that is why infrastructure is being vandalised,” he said.

Tappan said the impact is visible across the Kings Beach precinct citing the lack of functioning electricity between the skateboard park and McArthur Pool, and widespread damage to ablution facilities.

“Out of nine or 10 toilets, only three are operational. The rest are either closed or vandalised,” he said.

The lack of basic amenities creates further challenges for visitors, particularly after hours.

“When it’s 5pm and the toilets are locked, where do people go?” he asked.

Beachfront visitors relieve themselves in the overgrown shrubs or the ocean, or go to the nearby Boardwalk Mall to use the restrooms there, Tappan said.

Tappan also raised concerns about municipal spending, questioning why unspent budget allocations are not redirected towards urgent infrastructure repairs and security.

“We’re losing millions of rands worth of infrastructure where you could have spent a fraction of that on metro police personnel and protected the assets,” he said.

Millar stressed that while the metro police are doing what they can, they are under-resourced. He said that the City needs to increase its resources allocated to the metro police.

He said: “The metro police cannot be visible enough and cannot be everywhere for everybody. We respect them a lot for what they do with the resources they have. But this City needs to increase its resource pool in the metro police – that is vehicles and feet on the ground.”

Routine cleaning and maintenance

Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the City carries out routine cleaning and maintenance programmes across the beachfront, including the Kings Beach precinct.

“These efforts form part of ongoing service delivery interventions aimed at maintaining a clean and welcoming environment for residents and visitors who utilise the beachfront precinct,” Soyaya said.

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On safety, Soyaya said the municipality’s Safety and Security department works alongside the SAPS to conduct regular joint patrols and operational activities along the beachfront and surrounding areas.

Soyaya said these operations are aimed at increasing law enforcement visibility, improving public safety and ensuring that communal spaces remain accessible and secure.

He added the metro continues to assess infrastructure needs across public amenities, including the potential installation of additional surveillance systems, as part of longer-term planning to enhance monitoring and safety in key areas.

Soyaya added that various municipal departments – including Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Electricity and Energy, Infrastructure and Engineering, Parks and Public Health – continue to provide routine maintenance at Kings Beach.

“The municipality remains committed to enhancing the beachfront environment over time, working with development partners and relevant stakeholders, and doing so within the framework of available municipal resources,” Soyaya said. DM