There’s an explosion of colour in the Namaqualand, Northern Cape, as the daisies made their annual appearance. Four cold fronts last month, with some good rains, have made for a spectacular display.
A good flower season means jobs and thriving businesses in the region.
Although the annual display of wildflowers was no less spectacular this year, because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no international tourists to witness the spectacle.
This is normally the time to cash in, as many local people get jobs and businesses, including the tourism industry.
But this year, things have been very different. Businesses are struggling and hope the ease of intra-provincial will allow them to have a cash-injection.
A4: Also: the Namaqualand wildflowers in bloom, @TheBigHoleSA and the Augrabies Falls National Park. Plus the shipwreck route, the rugged Richtersveld, the stark landscapes of the Karoo, plus plus plus… #TravelChatSA #VirtualTravelSA #VirtualTravelNorthernCape pic.twitter.com/n85wJ7uhs5
— Northern Cape (@NorthernCapeSA) May 27, 2020
A tour guide, Ricardo Simon, says the lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 have affected the tourism industry badly. “Hotel owners are one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 restrictions,” says Simon.
An Okiep hotel owner, Malcolm Mosterd, says as business people they hope the flower season will help them to keep their heads above water.
“The hospitality industry has taken a very big knock, especially in this region because we are heavily dependant on people visiting. Namaqualand is in season. There’s flower season now and I think it’s gonna be one of the best in a long while.”
Local residents, who have the opportunity to watch the daisies as they bloom, say the best is yet to come – as the flowers will look even more beautiful by the end of the month.
Namaqualand is renowned for its annual mass display of wildflowers in spring and a rich diversity of succulent plants, with an estimated 3 500 species, more than a 1000 endemic to the area: https://t.co/NHD4NpixbG #LiveYourWild #DontCancelPostpone #SAWillTravelAgain pic.twitter.com/khzWDM9aLw
— SANParks (@SANParks) April 14, 2020
