Still Bay Archaeological and Paleontological Heritage Tourism Route & Interpretation Centre

Blombos Cave is a world-famous archaeological site declared a provincial heritage site in 2015 and it is currently on the tentative serial nomination list of UNESCO world heritage sites. The proposed development of an interpretation/discovery centre which capitalises on archaeological discoveries will unlock tourism in the region and will form part of the Western Cape Heritage Tourism Route, “The Cradle of Human Culture’’ which has been approved by the Western Cape Government and supported by Cabinet.

The region nestles in the shadow of the Langeberg Mountains and in the embrace of the warm Indian Ocean, stretching from the magnificent Breede River in the west to the majestic Gourits River in the east and covers a geographical area of +/-5200km. The land use of this vast area varies from protected natural environments with rich biodiversity to highly intensive agricultural use.

Hessequa Municipality consists of three large towns located on the N2 that passes through the municipal area from east to west and four coastal towns. Riversdale and Still Bay are the two towns with the largest contribution in terms of population and economic activity. There are four smaller communities, varying in size, located in the vast rural area of Hessequa. Each town in Hessequa has its own spatial development proposal in the SDF as well as growth management plans. These strategic planning tools create the foundation for the measurement of all investments in the municipal region.

The Hessequa economy can benefit through new business development that provides goods and services to travellers on the N2 that traverses the area. The N2 is an important transport corridor, for both freight and tourists. The three largest contributors to GDPR in the Hessequa municipal area are finance, insurance, real estate and business services (21.0 per cent), wholesale and retail trade, catering and accommodation (19.1 per cent), and manufacturing (14.1 per cent).

Key focus areas for investment are tourism, economic infrastructure, and agriculture and agro-processing.