On 10 December 2025, the Danabaai coastline gained something special. Representatives from the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR), together with members of the Danabaai Conservancy and local community, gathered at to install two new information plaques.
These plaques proudly highlight that Danabaai is part of a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve, a living landscape recognised globally for its ecological importance. Present on the day were GCBR representative Antonnet Botha, Municipal Councillor Nickey Le Roux, Conservancy committee member Faizel Essack and his daughter Safiya, Dawn Squires, Eric Potgieter, and Danabaai Conservancy Chairperson Erika van der Westhuizen.
Why Danabaai is Part of Something Extraordinary
The Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve was officially declared South Africa’s seventh UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2015. Today, it remains the largest of the country’s ten reserves, spanning more than 3.2 million hectares, from the shores of Witsand, Stilbaai, and Mossel Bay all the way into the Swartberg mountain ranges.
But size isn’t what makes the region remarkable.
The Gouritz Region is the only place on Earth where three internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots converge:
- The Cape Floristic Region
- The Succulent Karoo
- The Maputaland–Pondoland–Albany Thicket
This rare convergence has created a landscape overflowing with life. The region is home to more than indigenous 5 000 plant species, including at least 670 found nowhere else in the world. It is a place where ecosystems overlap, blend, and support an astonishing variety of biodiversity.
Danabaai is part of this global treasure, and the new plaques now help tell that story.
Bringing Biosphere Awareness to the Beachfront
The new plaques are designed to make the concept of a “Biosphere Reserve” tangible to everyday residents and holiday visitors. They share what it means to live in a UNESCO-recognised region and why caring for our natural environment is part of our shared responsibility.
A QR code on each plaque links directly to an informative website, where visitors can learn more about conservation work in the region and discover ways to get involved – whether through donation, conceptualising a Friend’s Project, or spreading the word about the amazing region.
Increasing visibility is important. When people know the value of the place they call home, pride grows. Stewardship follows.
Expanding Awareness Across the Region
These plaques are already displayed in towns across the Gouritz Region, including Still Bay, Oudtshoorn, Riversdale, and Heidelberg. The goal is simple: make it easy for both locals and tourists to understand just how unique this region is – environmentally, culturally, and historically.
Each plaque becomes a small point of connection, a reminder that the landscapes we move through every day are part of something globally significant.
Municipal Councillor Nickey Le Roux (translation provided below) said “Dit is ‘n voorreg om ons vennootskap met die Gouritz Cluster Biosfeerreservaat (GCBR) deur die interaktiewe plaak te vergestalt wat vandeesweek by Danabaai se strande en toegang na die St Blaize wandelroete aangebring is, asook by strande in Grootbrak en Midbrak. Ek wil veral strandgangers nooi om via die QR-kode op die plaak meer te wete te kom oor die GCBR en die onvervangbare plantspesies wat in hierdie biosfeerreservaat voorkom.
Mosselbaai-munisipaliteit plaas besondere klem op ‘n gesonde omgewing en is baie dank verskuldig aan ons onderskeie bewareas wat met onbaatsugtige toewyding werk om ons unieke natuur, soos ons renosterbos, vir ons nageslag te bewaar.
Deur die Bewarings NPC wat deur die raad tot stand gebring is, word verskeie bewaringsinisiatiewe nagestreef en dus is die noue samewerking met die GCBR ‘n noodsaaklike voorreg.”
Translation: “It is a privilege to reflect our partnership with the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) through the interactive plaque that was installed this week at Danabaai’s beaches and at the access point to the St Blaize hiking trail, as well as at beaches in Groot Brak and Midbrak. I would like to especially invite beachgoers to use the QR code on the plaque to learn more about the GCBR and the irreplaceable plant species found within this biosphere reserve.
Mossel Bay Municipality places a strong emphasis on a healthy environment and is deeply grateful to our various conservation areas, whose teams work with selfless dedication to preserve our unique natural heritage — such as our renosterbos — for future generations.
Through the Conservation NPC established by Council, various conservation initiatives are being pursued, and close collaboration with the GCBR is therefore a vital and valued partnership.”
Want to Display a Plaque?
If you own or manage a business that welcomes visitors, whether a guesthouse, restaurant, tour operation, or any space where people gather, you are invited to display one of these plaques.
They are free of charge. All we ask is that you send a photo and location pin once it has been installed so we can share and celebrate your support.
To request a plaque, simply contact friends@gouritz.com
Celebrating Heritage, Nature, and Community
Danabaai’s new plaques are more than information boards, they’re symbols of pride, curiosity, and care. They remind us that this coastline forms part of one of the most ecologically important regions on the planet, and that each of us plays a role in protecting it.
By sharing knowledge, strengthening community involvement, and building awareness one plaque at a time, we help ensure the Gouritz region continues to thrive as a place where nature, people, and culture coexist in harmony.
