Coastal and marine tourism development: a conceptual framework for place-based marine spatial planning in the Wild Coast, Port St Johns
- Authors: Nkalitshana, Malwande
- Date: 2025-04
- Subjects: Tourism -- Environmental aspects , Coastal zone management -- Environmental aspects , Environmental management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/73345 , vital:79421
- Description: The launch of Operation Phakisa: Ocean Economy in 2014 by the South African Government heightened the focus and interest in the ocean as a catalyst to contribute towards South Africa’s lagging economic growth to reduce the pressing challenges of unemployment, poverty, and unequal participation in South Africa’s mainstream economy, particularly, those from previously disadvantaged groups (Odeku, 2021). Operation Phakisa identified six focus areas: marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture, small harbour development, ocean governance and protection services, and coastal and marine tourism (Loureiro, Du Plessis, & Findlay, 2022). Each of these focus areas is attached to lead departments. Coastal and marine tourism is attached to the National Department of Tourism. After the oil and gas sector, coastal and marine tourism was identified as one of the fastest-growing ocean economy subsectors. With its potential to create much-needed jobs, promote small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) participation, and contribute to the broader economy by implementing its nodal strategic approach, the Department of Tourism identified nodal zones to which coastal and marine tourism development projects would be intensely implemented. Port St Johns is one of the nodal zones that the department identified. With its unique, high biodiversity, which is attractive to tourists, Port St Johns has been marred with enormous challenges of unemployment, under-development, and high poverty rates. In addition, it has suffered from challenges of competing interests between development and environmental conservation groups enabled by the Transkein Environmental Conservation Decree 9 of 1992, which prohibits development projects within a one-kilometre radius from high water mark. This has resulted in conflicting views, leading to the demise of development, and further perpetuating socio-economic hardships and disparities. Due to similar challenges and with more actors venturing into the ocean economy space, the South African Government has followed the international practice of introducing a marine spatial planning approach to manage the distribution and allocation of spaces for human activities within and around marine and coastal environments. Marine spatial planning has been praised and promoted as the most suitable instrument to manage dynamic, diverse, and fragile environments such as marine and coastal environments. However, although marine spatial planning is touted as an instrument that promotes a participatory and democratic process, it has the potential to fall into the trap of other planning systems, which are top-down, negating the power imbalances amongst the stakeholders. Additionally, such planning regimes fail to recognise the local-centric and diverse interests, including local communities’ use of the marine and coastal resources in these areas. Thus, the current study developed a proposed conceptual framework to guide the development of place-based marine spatial plans to enhance coastal and marine tourism in Port St Johns. The proposed conceptual framework contains critical elements for marine spatial planning (MSP) planners to consider when developing marine spatial plans. The overarching theoretical approach that guides the framework is ecosystem services. This study employed a qualitative research approach, and interviews were used to obtain study participants’ perspectives. Participants were drawn from the Port St Johns Municipality, civil society organisations, development agencies, tourism forums, traditional leaders, councillors, communal property associations, and environmental agencies. Bringing together the perspectives of this diverse group helped to broaden the researcher’s perspective on Port St Johns’ dynamics regarding its challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, these perspectives enabled the development of the proposed conceptual framework for place-based MSP. Recommendations are made to test the proposed conceptual frameworks in developing place-based MSP in coastal cities such as Port St Johns to identify areas of concern for improvement where necessary. , Thesis (D.Phil) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04
- Authors: Nkalitshana, Malwande
- Date: 2025-04
- Subjects: Tourism -- Environmental aspects , Coastal zone management -- Environmental aspects , Environmental management -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/73345 , vital:79421
- Description: The launch of Operation Phakisa: Ocean Economy in 2014 by the South African Government heightened the focus and interest in the ocean as a catalyst to contribute towards South Africa’s lagging economic growth to reduce the pressing challenges of unemployment, poverty, and unequal participation in South Africa’s mainstream economy, particularly, those from previously disadvantaged groups (Odeku, 2021). Operation Phakisa identified six focus areas: marine transport and manufacturing, offshore oil and gas exploration, aquaculture, small harbour development, ocean governance and protection services, and coastal and marine tourism (Loureiro, Du Plessis, & Findlay, 2022). Each of these focus areas is attached to lead departments. Coastal and marine tourism is attached to the National Department of Tourism. After the oil and gas sector, coastal and marine tourism was identified as one of the fastest-growing ocean economy subsectors. With its potential to create much-needed jobs, promote small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) participation, and contribute to the broader economy by implementing its nodal strategic approach, the Department of Tourism identified nodal zones to which coastal and marine tourism development projects would be intensely implemented. Port St Johns is one of the nodal zones that the department identified. With its unique, high biodiversity, which is attractive to tourists, Port St Johns has been marred with enormous challenges of unemployment, under-development, and high poverty rates. In addition, it has suffered from challenges of competing interests between development and environmental conservation groups enabled by the Transkein Environmental Conservation Decree 9 of 1992, which prohibits development projects within a one-kilometre radius from high water mark. This has resulted in conflicting views, leading to the demise of development, and further perpetuating socio-economic hardships and disparities. Due to similar challenges and with more actors venturing into the ocean economy space, the South African Government has followed the international practice of introducing a marine spatial planning approach to manage the distribution and allocation of spaces for human activities within and around marine and coastal environments. Marine spatial planning has been praised and promoted as the most suitable instrument to manage dynamic, diverse, and fragile environments such as marine and coastal environments. However, although marine spatial planning is touted as an instrument that promotes a participatory and democratic process, it has the potential to fall into the trap of other planning systems, which are top-down, negating the power imbalances amongst the stakeholders. Additionally, such planning regimes fail to recognise the local-centric and diverse interests, including local communities’ use of the marine and coastal resources in these areas. Thus, the current study developed a proposed conceptual framework to guide the development of place-based marine spatial plans to enhance coastal and marine tourism in Port St Johns. The proposed conceptual framework contains critical elements for marine spatial planning (MSP) planners to consider when developing marine spatial plans. The overarching theoretical approach that guides the framework is ecosystem services. This study employed a qualitative research approach, and interviews were used to obtain study participants’ perspectives. Participants were drawn from the Port St Johns Municipality, civil society organisations, development agencies, tourism forums, traditional leaders, councillors, communal property associations, and environmental agencies. Bringing together the perspectives of this diverse group helped to broaden the researcher’s perspective on Port St Johns’ dynamics regarding its challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, these perspectives enabled the development of the proposed conceptual framework for place-based MSP. Recommendations are made to test the proposed conceptual frameworks in developing place-based MSP in coastal cities such as Port St Johns to identify areas of concern for improvement where necessary. , Thesis (D.Phil) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, School of Economics, Development and Tourism, 2025
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04
Green ship recycling as an alternative maritime industry for South Africa
- Authors: Nkalitshana, Malwande
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Ships -- Recycling -- Environmental aspects , Ships -- Recycling -- South Africa Ships -- Scrapping
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/41852 , vital:36603
- Description: Ship recycling is a process of partially or completely dismantling of a vessel for various reasons with an intention of recovering some or all the material of it, for re-use and reprocessing. During economic recession, ship owners sell or send their old vessels for scraping to the ship recycling facilities to get some money out of its materials. Vessels are also dismantled normally when they reach a certain age where their usefulness at sea has deteriorated. Ship recycling offers socio-economic and environmental benefits and can assist with developing the port infrastructure, shipping building and repairs. Green Ship recycling can also create employment and business opportunities. Furthermore, ships are made up of almost 90% of recyclable material and with that, recycling of ships can contribute on the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources. In terms of global participation in the ship recycling sector, Asian countries are dominating, and they account for more than 80%. The remaining 20% is accounted by other countries excluding those within the African continent, South Africa in particular. Despite the long-term benefits associated with this sector, South Africa’s participation is very minimal nor absent at all, though it has its triple challenges that could be minimized by this sector. In mitigating the health, safety and health issues that associated with this industry, South African has legal instruments which protect the safety and health conditions of workers, and furthermore it is a signatory into international organizations that regulates ship recycling industry. For it to participate in this sector, a collaborative and partnership between government institutions, academic and research institutions and private sector needs to be established. Through these collaborations and innovative research on green ship recycling, South Africa stands an increasing chance of realization of the objectives of its economic policy; National Development Plan. In addition to these collaborations, South Africa should rectify Hong Kong convention and domesticate it through formulating pieces of legislations that would regulate green ship recycling practices. Transnet as state owned company responsible for ports in South Africa, upon these collaborations and deliberations, should allocate a site for this industry within the port environment. Furthermore, through ship recycling, South Africa could attain its Objectives of growing the economy and increased job creation as envisaged in Operation Phakisa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Nkalitshana, Malwande
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Ships -- Recycling -- Environmental aspects , Ships -- Recycling -- South Africa Ships -- Scrapping
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/41852 , vital:36603
- Description: Ship recycling is a process of partially or completely dismantling of a vessel for various reasons with an intention of recovering some or all the material of it, for re-use and reprocessing. During economic recession, ship owners sell or send their old vessels for scraping to the ship recycling facilities to get some money out of its materials. Vessels are also dismantled normally when they reach a certain age where their usefulness at sea has deteriorated. Ship recycling offers socio-economic and environmental benefits and can assist with developing the port infrastructure, shipping building and repairs. Green Ship recycling can also create employment and business opportunities. Furthermore, ships are made up of almost 90% of recyclable material and with that, recycling of ships can contribute on the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources. In terms of global participation in the ship recycling sector, Asian countries are dominating, and they account for more than 80%. The remaining 20% is accounted by other countries excluding those within the African continent, South Africa in particular. Despite the long-term benefits associated with this sector, South Africa’s participation is very minimal nor absent at all, though it has its triple challenges that could be minimized by this sector. In mitigating the health, safety and health issues that associated with this industry, South African has legal instruments which protect the safety and health conditions of workers, and furthermore it is a signatory into international organizations that regulates ship recycling industry. For it to participate in this sector, a collaborative and partnership between government institutions, academic and research institutions and private sector needs to be established. Through these collaborations and innovative research on green ship recycling, South Africa stands an increasing chance of realization of the objectives of its economic policy; National Development Plan. In addition to these collaborations, South Africa should rectify Hong Kong convention and domesticate it through formulating pieces of legislations that would regulate green ship recycling practices. Transnet as state owned company responsible for ports in South Africa, upon these collaborations and deliberations, should allocate a site for this industry within the port environment. Furthermore, through ship recycling, South Africa could attain its Objectives of growing the economy and increased job creation as envisaged in Operation Phakisa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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