By Bev Mortimer: Gondolas on St Francis canals and an upgraded, beautified canal area with Venetian gondolas and luxury barges are on the cards for St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape.
Some affluent Italian businessmen who own several properties along the St Francis Bay canals are behind a big new private project that could transform the waterways into one of South Africa’s most exclusive waterfront destinations.
In an interview, members of the Italian consortium spoke to St Francis Chronicle about their plans which are being finalised at their new Cape Town-based company called Aqua Pristina. They plan to pump in R620-million of their own money to add some elegant, low-key luxury touches to the canals. They’ll be running the local development from a new office right at the Small Boat Harbour, and will be liaising constantly with Aqua Pristina.
Through their investments they aim to run premium-priced luxury barge and gondola tours, host high-end private local events, and of course, have long-term increase in the values of their own properties. “We’re all canal property owners ourselves,” says Marco Rossi, the consortium’s spokesperson and a Gauteng-based Italian entrepreneur. “We fell in love with the special charm of St Francis Bay and we want to bring a bit of refined Italian style to it, without spoiling what’s already here.”
Their plans include several eye-catching but sensitive upgrades Rossi elaborated. For instance, small, luxury barges, roughly the same size as the current local boats will be built with shallow drafts so they can safely navigate the canals and avoid those hidden sandbanks on the Kromme River. These will be fully climate-controlled, nice and warm with heated decks in winter, and cool, with gentle misters in summer and run silent, electric power.
Local boat owners will get first preference to work as trained operators for the new barges and allowed to keep running their own boats for smaller private groups and personalised trips.
Two experienced Italian gondoliers, Giovanni Moretti and Marco Conti, are actually planning to move out to St Francis Bay. They’ll train local operators in proper Venetian techniques and head up the gondola side of things.
“A few genuine Venetian gondolas will be shipped over from Italy and adapted for local St Francis conditions, which should add a lovely romantic touch to the canals, Moretti says. Normal canal cruises are planned for most of the time, with only short, announced closures on certain sections as needed.
On the aesthetics side, the pair spoke to St Francis Chronicle about soft underwater LED lighting that will “create a gentle shimmering glow on the water at night, plus delicate overhead festoon lights hanging from specially made wrought-iron poles, shaped like herons and old sailing masts, plus small floating wooden pavilions, teak gazebos at the bends, and tasteful bronze sculptures of dolphins, kingfishers and chokka squid.”
Big Time Taverna is also being brought into the project and the restaurant will get some really nice upgrades — including extra floating, seating platforms next to the terrace, a private jetty for the barges and the gondolas, plus expanded outdoor lounges, owner, Melena Tsiotsiopoulos said. “The idea is to create special sunset and twilight cruise-and-dine packages that feed straight into the Taverna. There will also be a ‘Canal Homeowners Club’ which will offer discounts for the Club’s private events and parties’.
In lieu of increased tourist numbers to the canals the consortium will assist to fund repairs to the canals’ roads, to keep this pristine area upmarket, and will also provide funding for new water pipes to curb the current, frequent ‘no water spells‘.
The Italian firm Veneta Waterfront Srl that specialises in upmarket waterfront developments is kicking off the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process with the Eastern Cape authorities. Since this project will enhance the canals’ area and make it it even more stunningly beautiful, it will be a tourism-boosting project rather than heavy industry. So the Italians are confident they will get the required EIA.
“All existing boat operators, businesses and residents should benefit from this,” another consortium member, Francesco Bianchi, who is a Cape Town investor with several properties on the canals, said. “We want to make the waterways even more special while keeping the real soul of St Francis Bay intact.”
The whole project is being privately funded and has been put together with input from local stakeholders.
Work is expected to roll out in phases of roughly 22 months, starting later this year, and finishing on 1 April – a year from today – ‘April Fool’s Day’.
St Francis Chronicle 