The refurbishment of the iconic beach huts in Muizenberg has been completed ahead of an expected booming high tourism season at Cape Town’s most popular beach.

Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis visited the completed huts yesterday (December 12), together with Patricia van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health.

“It was wonderful to see the completed restoration of the Muizenberg Huts today, just in time for what will be a record festive tourism season. I must especially thank the Friends of the Muizenberg Huts for their partnership to preserve this proud Cape Town tourism icon. As Capetonians, let’s take good care of this special heritage symbol when using the huts. When we take pride in our tourism offering, our city reaps the economic and job creation benefits,” said Hill-Lewis.

The final phase entailed the refurbishment of 26 double huts and ten single huts. Construction work started on September 18 and was completed on schedule before the start of the holidays.

The scope of work included:

• Replacement of the ground-floor joists, timber bearers, and roof rafters with treated timber.
• Replacement of the sidewall panels and roof covering with Nutec cladding.
• Reconstruction of the timber staircase and the installation of concrete bases for the staircase posts.
• Reconstruction of timber seating benches inside the beach huts.
• Replacement of the timber floor boards and timber doors.
• Replacement of all steel bolted connections with hot-dipped galvanised bolts and plates.
• Wood treatment of all timber members, repainting the side cladding and roof covering.

“We are pleased to have completed this second phase of the beach huts refurbishment on the Muizenberg East Beach Side to the value of R5.9 million (€286 903), with Surfers Corner Beach Side completed in the previous phase. The City appreciates the partnership with Friends of the Muizenberg Huts, which is based on a cooperative agreement on the maintenance and management of the huts,” said Van der Ross.

According to Cape Town Tourism, the beach huts are “a perfect setting for safe swimming, family outings, learning to surf, sun-bathing and ice-cream eating”.