About 100 years ago, a dam wall known as the Vaal Barrage was almost completed on the Vaal River just west of Vanderbijlpark. This Barrage was constructed in order to provide much needed water to the rapidly expanding mining belt known as the Witwatersrand. The Vaal River Barrage resulted in a reservoir stretching about 60 kilometres from just East of today’s Lethabo Power Station to the Barrage dam wall about 15km West of the Vanderbijlpark town centre. This reservoir pretty much ‘accounts’ for the rapid and extensive industrialisation of South Africa and the development of the country’s largest industrial, manufacturing and agricultural hubs, as well as the biggest metropolitan human settlements.
This beautiful stretch of water has been largely inaccessible to South Africans, navigated ever since it’s origin by the select few who have been privileged to own properties along the riverbank, or who have owned a boat that they could launch at a few isolated locations.
The jewel of the Vaal Region has been virtually hidden from the eyes of our nation.
Most residents of our country, province and even locals staying within one kilometre of the river have never even seen it, let alone enjoyed a sightseeing trip along its winding course. How many locals have explored the large Loch Vaal lagoon just above the Barrage dam wall? Not to mention the fact that the potential of the Vaal River has never been unlocked as a unique destination for international tourists visiting our country and the region, in particular. This will soon be a thing of the past.
During a nationwide project to unlock the riches of South Africa’s untapped Oceans or Blue Economy, it was decided that our country’s inland waterways also had huge potential for unlocking growth and uplifting communities through strategic and integrated management. Thus, the Vaal Riverway Agency (VRWA), a Non-Profit Organisation, was founded in 2020 by Commander Tsietsi Mokhele and Dr Tielman JC Slabbert to promote and manage the strategic development of the newly named Vaal Riverway.
At the official launch of the Agency, which is just around the corner, the first of many exciting projects will be unveiled, including, the first-of-its-kind Vaal Riverway water taxi service; the water taxis will connect the hospitality, leisure, recreational, heritage and retail establishments and ferry visitors along the coastline of Vaal River. For almost 100 years, those running hospitality establishments along the Vaal River, such as the Riviera Hotel, Riverside Sun, Emerald Resort and Casino, Stonehaven on Vaal, Waterfront Lodge and others, have had to bring their guests through the “back door” – the back streets of the industrial towns of the Vaal Region – sometimes tarred, sometimes gravel and sometimes potholed, and, let’s be honest, never really pretty. This is not the way to treat an honored guest! Even worse, the visitors could not be moved by boat between different places of interest.
Take the example of an international guest visiting our region for business. They book their stay at the Riviera Hotel in Vereeniging. To get there, they need to travel through dirty, industrial parts of town, poorly maintained roads and with garbage littered all over the place. Next, they enter the parking area of the Hotel and only when they have passed through the reception and lobby, they can finally get a view of the spectacular gardens and the Vaal River winding beyond. If only we had known that there had always been a better way of bringing our guests to the real “front door” of our establishments – along the River itself! No potholes as you cruise to your destination along the River, with beautifully manicured gardens, plush mansions and natural beauty on both sides of the “highway”.
Maybe you think the Vaal Region doesn’t need any “snobbish” tourists who don’t want to see the “real” state of the Vaal, but what you might not realise is it has been proven scientifically that the tourism sector has the highest employment creation multiplier of all economic sectors and is the sector best suited to alleviate poverty in the Vaal. If the Vaal Region cannot attract visitors to spend their money here, there is little hope of turning things around. This research was already done 20 years ago by Dr Slabbert, when compiling a Local Economic Development Plan for Emfuleni Municipality. Dr. Slabbert with his experience in Local Economic Development and poverty alleviation, together with the expertise of Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, ex-CEO of SAMSA (South African Maritime Safety Authority in marine operations, harbour development and the development of the Blue (water) Economy; combined with the expertise of other Agency board members, the Agency will now drive the process forward to bring revival and life to the Vaal economy through huge injections of investments into the tourism and entertainment sectors.
With the imminent launch of the Vaal Riverway taxi service, the Vaal Riverway Agency is gearing up to take multitudes of tourists every year to the new “front doors” of our current riverfront establishments along the Riverway, and in the years to come take residents of the planned Vaal River Cities to any destination of their choice along the Riverway!
Many South Africans and international guests will get to experience these 60 kilometres stretch of river for the first time. For the first time, they will be able to take a taxi on this natural resource that powers the economic engine of Southern Africa and provides drinking water to millions of our people. No longer will you have to own a property along the river or your own boat to be able to experience the sights and sounds of river life.
In addition, the rich, and largely untold history of the Vaal River Barrage, and the importance thereof for the development of Johannesburg, Gauteng and South Africa as a whole will be presented to tourists through a unique set of experiences. The 100 years’ celebration of the opening of the Vaal River Barrage will be celebrated in 2023, and the Vaal Riverway Agency, in collaboration with Rand Water and other stakeholders, will make sure that this important history will be told and shown to tourists in a very interesting way.