Oudtshoorn, 12 May 2021 – The Oudtshoorn Municipal Council is in a process to source potential investors for a commercial partnership for development of the two Municipal owned resorts, the Cango Mountain Resort and the Bridgton Resort that are currently running at a loss.
This move emanated from a report tabled to Council by the Deputy Mayor, Gavin Juthe on behalf of the Strategic Services during a Council meeting on 29 April 2021. The report paints a bleak picture showing a deterioration and demise of the two Municipal resorts.
“Bridgeton Resort has from 2017 to 2020, made a net loss of R1.4 million,” said Cllr. Juthe. “The resort’s infrastructure is currently in a very bad state and is not functional with a fixed operating cost amounting to R1.8 million per annum. The same scenario is happening with the Cango Mountain Resort, leading to the closure of the resort.”
“The two resorts have a great potential to contribute to the bolstering of tourism and the economic development of the Klein Karoo following a huge knock by the COVID19 pandemic,” said the Executive Mayor, Chris Macpherson.
These assets will remain in the ownership of the Municipality and the people of the Greater Oudtshoorn . Part of the process will be seek inputs from the community that will be advertised soon. And we want to encourage our community to participate in this process.”
“We also want emphasize that no-one who is currently employed at our resorts will lose their job. The employees at these resort would either be taken by the company may possibly run the resorts or they could still work for the Municipality in other departments,” Macpherson said.
“We are determined to intensify our efforts to utilise all municipal assets such as resorts, land around resorts, waterfall and the catchment area in and around the Cango Caves to create a new entertainment hub within the municipal precinct.”
Even though the Municipality is seeking investors for the development of the tourist attraction resorts, the Municipal Community Services Department will remain responsible for the day-to-day running of these resorts and all operational matters. A consultation process with relevant internal stakeholders would be undertaken.
Council has also rescinded its decision taken in November 2019 to put the De Kombuys Farm out on tender for development of a tourism hub.
“The protection of this catchment area (De Kombuys Farm), is of utmost importance to Council and the Greater Oudtshoorn community; we are exploring opportunities on how to fully utilise this asset to add value to any development of the area,” Macpherson added.