Sustainable Coastal Tourism in the Mthunzini Area, South Africa: Challenges, Lessons, and Strategic Interventions

Sustainable coastal tourism in the Mthunzini area of South Africa holds immense potential to stimulate local economic growth, preserve marine biodiversity, and strengthen community livelihoods. However, several interlinked challenges have constrained this potential. Key barriers include inadequate infrastructure development. The overreliance on seasonal tourism, the lack of inclusive participation by local communities, and the insufficient marketing of Mthunzini’s unique ecological and cultural assets further intensify the problem. Moreover, fragmented institutional coordination among government departments, weak tourism planning frameworks, and the absence of sustainable investment models have hindered the long-term viability of the sector. This study was grounded in the understanding that economic development cannot be divorced from environmental sustainability. This study employed the Ecological Economics theoretical lenses of natural capital, ecological governance and economic scale to argue for a case of sustainable coastal tourism at Mthunzini Coast. The paper addressed the following study objectives: (i) to investigate the challenges that hinder the potential for nurturing sustainable coastal tourism within the Mthunzini area, and (ii) to propose possible interventions that can inform sustainable coastal tourism in the Mthunzini area. A qualitative research approach was utilized, with data collected through semi-structured interviews involving sixteen (n=16) participants. The collected data were then analysed using thematic and content analysis techniques. Findings revealed significant funding constraints, limited use of innovative financing models such as BOT and PPPs, weak inter-institutional collaboration, and underutilised CSI opportunities. Inadequate feasibility studies, limited community tourism education, and poor marketing of ecological and cultural assets further undermined Mthunzini's competitiveness as a coastal tourism destination despite its strategic regional location. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on sustainable coastal tourism by demonstrating how natural capital, ecological governance, and economic scale can be integrated to support sustainable development outcomes. The study recommends strengthened stakeholder collaboration, ecosystem conservation initiatives, sustainable financing mechanisms, and inclusive tourism planning to enhance the long-term sustainability of coastal tourism in Mthunzini. Mthunzini's potential as a sustainable coastal destination requires strategic interventions, including collaborative investment, ecosystem conservation, structured marketing, and inclusive community participation.