27.12.2025
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Safety praised as festive crowds flock to DBN’s beaches

6 mins



  • [FILE IMAGE]: People on holiday at a South African Beach.

Durban’s beaches transformed into a vibrant vibe as hundreds of beachgoers celebrated the Day of Goodwill, basking in the ocean sun with their families.

At Durban’s Beach Front families and tourists enjoyed the warm weather and festive atmosphere. Beachgoers praised the presence of law enforcement officers at Durban’s beaches, this year.

“The beaches are clean and the water is beautiful. It’s been fantastic and the surf has been great. My kids are surfing and they are having a wonderful time because the waves just roll off. My kids love it here. It is excellent I cannot recommend it enough. I love the warm water better than Cape Town,” says a beachgoer.

“I am from Bloemfontein . I came here around the Reconciliation Day on the 16th and everything has been wonderful. I can tell you that the beachfront has been safe. The visibility of police and the Durban Metro has been on point, this year. If I can give advice I’d say come early and enjoy as the water is also awesome to take a dip,” says another beachgoer.

RELATED VIDEO | Day of Goodwill | Fun at the beach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8RhB0UFQOI

Pietermaritzburg resident, Bongani Mdawu chose the Durban beach because it’s close to home and he feels it is safe.

“It is relaxed here and the water is good. It is close to home so I can come and go the same day. It is safe and you can let your guard down and enjoy,” says Mdawu.

Visiting Durban during the festive holidays has become a norm for Munira Chakhals and her family, where they can enjoy the warm water and sea breeze.

“We chose Durban Beach, especially North Beach, because I’ve been coming here since I was  two-years-old with my family. So every year we come here, it’s sort of a family tradition now that I’ve started my own family and have my own kids. We’ve also chosen Durban for the vibes and the weather. The weather is lovely during this time. Today is our fourth day. The weather hasn’t been too lovely. I think the second day was really nice, but atleast the water is warm,” says Chakhals.

Lifeguards will remain on high alert at the beaches to prevent incidents of drowning, says Troye Brown from Lifesaving KZN

“In terms of safety so far this year, we’ve had a few drownings, all of which have been on non-patrolled beaches and I can proudly say at this point in time there has not been one drowning recorded on a patrolled beach within KZN. The expectation for holidaymakers is very simple. They should swim between the red and yellow flags, obey the lifeguards and don’t swim if you’ve been consuming alcohol. Those are the three main things and everybody will go home safely. I must just commend all our lifeguards that’ve been on this beachfront. On the 16th of December, there was an estimated 201,000 people on the KZN beachfront and we did not have even 1 incident nor one drowning. I think that’s quite exceptional,” says Brown.

This while 22 of the city’s 23 beaches are open to the public, with Laguna Beach temporarily closed due to damaged infrastructure that has led to contamination.

RELATED VIDEO | Celebrations of the Day of Goodwill in Durban
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-CNjDsVV7Y

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