The Plett Tourism Association, which has served Plettenberg Bay and the greater Bitou area for almost 15 years, has announced that it will not participate in Bitou municipality’s re-advertised tourism tender.
The association has played a significant role in promoting tourism in the area through its website and social media platforms, marketing Plettenberg Bay’s scenic attractions and luxury establishments.
It has also served as a trusted tourism guide, allowing visitors to verify establishments and conduct reference checks before booking accommodation or other services.
In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, Plett Tourism said its three-year service level agreement (SLA) with Bitou municipality ended on June 30 2026.
According to the association, it submitted a bid for the municipality’s new tourism tender on June 19, together with other applicants.
The municipality had indicated that the successful bidder would be announced on July 1 2026.
However, about six weeks later, the municipality informed applicants that the tender had been cancelled and that a new tender would be issued, with submissions due by September 2.
“After very careful consideration of the new tender requirements and the options available, it has become clear that the parameters and timelines of the new bid make it impossible for Plett Tourism to participate,” Plett Tourism acting CEO Cindy Wilson-Trollip said.
Wilson-Trollip said the association could no longer operate in the manner it historically had without a mandate, funding or certainty about its future.
She explained that Plett Tourism was a not-for-profit voluntary association that was intentionally established in that form in consultation with the municipality in 2013.
This structure allowed the association to qualify for grants outside the municipal tender process.
According to Wilson-Trollip, the arrangement was intended to provide continuity while supporting the ongoing growth and development of tourism in the area — elements she described as essential to the long-term tourism strategy that has contributed to Bitou’s prosperity over the past decade.
She said that during the contractual periods, the municipality had clean audits, with no deviations required.
However, the tendering of tourism services became mandatory three years ago, which she said had substantially hampered the association’s operational and progressive work.
Wilson-Trollip said another factor behind the association’s decision not to participate in the new tender was the lack of an explanation for the cancellation of the original procurement process.
Plett Tourism had submitted its original bid on June 19, with the contract intended to commence on July 1.
Wilson-Trollip said the association had not received an explanation as to why the tender was cancelled after the bids had been opened and considered.
She said the lack of clarity had made it difficult for Plett Tourism to assess the circumstances under which it would now be expected to enter another procurement process.
“The original tender would have allowed us to continue operating,” she said.
Wilson-Trollip said that if Plett Tourism had been awarded the original tender on July 1, the association would have been able to continue using its available financial resources to fulfil its tourism mandate, though certain reservations would have had to be addressed and negotiated during the SLA process.
“Instead, the delay has fundamentally changed our financial position,” she said.
Bitou executive mayor Jessica Kamkam said she was aware of Plett Tourism’s announcement and had noted the association’s decision not to participate in the re-advertised tourism tender.
“The municipality appreciates Plett Tourism’s significant contribution to tourism in Bitou over the past 15 years and regrets the impact this may have on its staff and their families,” Kamkam said.
She added that, because the procurement process was currently under way, she was limited in what further comment she could provide.
Meanwhile, the manager for corporate communications, intergovernmental relations, and public participation at the Bitou municipality, Andile Namntu, issued a statement seeking to clarify the legislative framework governing municipal procurement.
Namntu said the municipality was committed to ensuring that all procurement processes were conducted in accordance with the principles of fairness, transparency, competitiveness, accountability and value for money, as required by SA legislation.
“As the municipality is currently implementing procurement processes, inter alia, the appointment of a service provider to manage the destination marketing function, it is important to clarify that every procurement process is governed by the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the municipal supply chain management regulations, the preferential procurement regulations and the municipality’s approved supply chain management policy, as well as National Treasury MFMA circulars,” Namntu said.
These requirements, he added, ensured that municipal procurement processes were aligned with council-approved priorities and approved budgets before any procurement process began.
However, the municipality’s statement did not explain the circumstances surrounding the cancellation and subsequent re-advertisement of the tourism tender.
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