Knysna is renowned for its natural beauty and landmarks like the famous Knysna Heads and Featherbed Nature Reserve on the list of Top 10 things to do along the Garden Route.
The area also has an asset that often goes unnoticed: it is a living, breathing community of people, stories and traditions that make the town extraordinary. It isn’t just a destination. It’s the people, the stories, the traditions and the spirit that shape it.
This Tourism Month, Visit Knysna celebrates these stories and individuals by launching a people-centred digital campaign. Lungiswa Goya, Manager: Local Economic Development at Knysna Municipality, says it will introduce some of the individuals who help shape the visitor experience, the “guardians of the forest, storytellers in mosaic, market icons and everyday locals”.
Nature’s guardians
Knysna’s natural beauty has many guardians – from honorary rangers and passionate researchers like Mark Dixon and his mother, Judie Dixon, to the Estuary Research Foundation, SANParks, the Goukamma Nature Reserve Rangers and the Knysna Honorary Rangers. “Devoted environmentalists, they have dedicated their lives to fostering awareness of the environment and protecting it along the magnificent coastline of the Greater Knysna area but also in the estuaries and lagoons along the coastline. As we look to the future, these environmental ‘faces’ are a reminder of our responsibilities. They remind us that protecting our seahorses, forests and estuary is more than conservation; it’s a community. They remind us that protecting your home isn’t just science – it’s love passed from one generation to the next,” says Goya.
Art installations
Art has always been a part of Knysna. Goya says it has regained its rightful place in the community. “Magnificent mosaics, murals and sculptures have been added to the landscape. Every mosaic is a story. Every colour a memory. Knysna’s artists have transformed everyday spaces into living artworks, reflecting the spirit of a town where creativity runs deep. Using paint, mosaics and upcycling, they transform the environment. We will showcase some of the artists and their passion that inspires and entertains us.”
The Knysna Forest
What gives Knysna its aura of such great mystery? “Two words: Knysna forests,” says Goya. SANParks and the Knysna Honorary Rangers are the guardians of the forests but the lens of photographer Paul Bruins captures the magic and the mystery time after time. His lens finds the ancient stillness, the light filtering through the trees and the quiet power of one of South Africa’s last indigenous forests.
An iconic farmers market in Sedgefield
At 16 years and counting... Rose Brettel and Sue Garner, the friendly faces behind the Sedgefield Farmers Market, started a market on an insignificant piece of land with hardly any infrastructure. “Today, it is an award-winning landmark and considered to be one of the best farmers markets in the country. From farm-fresh produce to homemade crafts, the market became part of the town’s Saturday rhythm. This isn’t just a market. It’s where Greater Knysna comes together,” says Goya.
“These are just some of the individuals you’ll meet and we invite you to come with us on this journey. It is more than a campaign. It’s a celebration of the people that make a destination.”
