Eight Blue Flag beaches for Cape Town in 2026, with four more on the way
Eight beaches in Cape Town have achieved international recognition as Blue Flag beaches, with four more named as Blue Flag pilots.
The accolades were announced on Friday, 9 October, during the Blue Flag & Green Coast Awards ceremony in Hermanus, Western Cape.
To become a Blue Flag beach, the area must meet several strict requirements regarding environmental sustainability and education.
The requirements include testing water samples from the four previous seasons for the beaches and monitoring environmental initiatives.
The awards are managed and administered by the Wildlife and Environment Society South Africa (WESSA).
“The iconic Blue Flag is awarded annually to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators who comply with stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria,” WESSA said on its website.
“Over the past 20 years, the programme has seen thousands of water quality samples collected. We have carried out hundreds of independent beach control visits and monitored environmental education activities.”
The Blue Flag beach initiative has been active in South Africa since 2001, with several locations gaining the status since then.
“In South Africa, Blue Flag has been operational since 2001,” WESSA said. “18 coastal municipalities around the country have earned the award.”
While WESSA facilitates the Blue Flag initiative in South Africa, the final decision for which beaches earn the accolade is made by an international body.
The process starts with applications being sent to WESSA from municipalities, which are then reviewed by a national jury.
The national jury discusses the application and assesses its suitability for the program, with successful applicants being passed along to an international jury.
“These recommendations are forwarded to Blue Flag International, where the International Jury makes the final decision on whether to award the site,” WESSA explains.
“The final results are communicated back to WESSA, and successful sites are officially recognised at the annual Blue Flag awards ceremony.”
eight beaches for Cape Town
In the 62 beaches given Blue Flag recognition in South Africa for the 2026/27 season, eight were in Cape Town.
This marks the fifth consecutive year where the city has had eight beaches achieve full Blue Flag accreditation.
“The achievement continues Cape Town’s 25-year track record of participation in the international Blue Flag programme and marks the fifth consecutive season in which eight City beaches have achieved full Blue Flag status,” the city said.
The eight Cape Town beaches given Blue Flag status were:
- Bikini Beach
- Camps Bay Beach
- Clifton 4th Beach
- Fish Hoek Beach
- Llandudno Beach
- Melkbosstrand
- Muizenberg Beach
- Silwerstroomstrand
The city also had four beaches announced as Blue Flag Pilots, a step towards full accreditation, which involves the same strict standards.
The four beaches named in this category were:
- Chapman’s Peak ( Hout Bay)
- Big Bay
- Strand
- Strandfontein
Cape Town mayoral committee member for community services and health, Francine Higham, said the accreditation was a positive step for the city.
“Eight full Blue Flags and four pilot sites are significant recognition of the year-round work that goes into maintaining our beaches and preparing them for residents and visitors,” she said.
“Our beaches are an important part of the City’s natural and recreational environment, and we encourage everyone to help us protect them, keep them safe, clean and accessible for all.”
Cape Town is a tourist hotspot in South Africa, with the city drawing significant revenue during the summer season.
In 2025, the city generated approximately R24.5 billion from direct tourism spending, with 19 billion coming from international visitors.
The tourism industry in the city supports approximately 106,000 jobs and adds R23 billion in value to the city’s economy, accounting for approximately 6.3% of its total.
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