Garden Route water crisis threatens tourism jobs as peak season looms
Water shortages choke Garden Route economy at peak holiday period.
Image: Gift of the Givers
Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers has launched an emergency response to a deepening water crisis across the Garden Route, in the Western Cape, warning that the shortages threaten jobs, businesses and the regional economy during the peak festive season.
Founder and chairperson Imtiaz Sooliman said the timing of the crisis could not be worse for the tourism-dependent region.
“The water crisis in the Garden Route couldn't have come at a more inopportune time when the hospitality industry is dependent on local and international tourists,” he said. “This time round in the festive season it is far more widespread which will impact heavily on business, jobs and the economy.”
Sooliman said Gift of the Givers had stepped in at the request of disaster management authorities after shortages intensified in multiple towns.
“Gerhard Otto, Head of the Garden Route Municipality Disaster Management and Colin Deiner, head of WC Provincial Disaster Management have requested Gift of the Givers support to overcome the water crisis in various towns in the Garden Route,” he said.
Gift of the Givers steps in as water crisis deepens across the Garden Route as festive rush begins.
Image: Gift of the Givers
The organisation has already deployed water tankers to the region, with bottled water earmarked for vulnerable residents and institutions, while borehole specialists assess damaged infrastructure for urgent repairs. Sooliman stressed the importance of collaboration with local authorities.
Beyond urban centres, the drought has triggered a secondary crisis among farmers in Mossel Bay and Die Vlaktes, where livestock are under threat. Sooliman confirmed that relief for affected farms is imminent.
“Gift of the Givers first loads of lucerne for the sheep and food parcels for the farmworkers will arrive on Tuesday, December 16,” he said.
He warned that stabilising the situation would require collective action from municipalities, businesses, residents and tourists, as shortages now extend to areas including Knysna, Brenton-on-Sea, Zoar, Kannaland, Ladismith and Beaufort West.
As part of its emergency response, Gift of the Givers, together with its partner Cavendish Mall, will collect five-litre bottles of water at the mall, where the organisation has established a permanent presence from December 13, to support relief efforts.
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