Ed’s Notes : Food and Fun Series 2

Welcome to the next chapter of the magic that we’re building together on the South Coast, a Digital Magazine that isn’t just about Food and Fun, but about community, connection, and remembering who we are as a coastline.

This issue was created with intention, to bridge a gap that exists physically right now with the Umzimkhulu Bridge repairs, effecting the South Coast community as a whole, but also to bridge the gap where locals and holiday-makers have a single space where it’s easier to be fully immersive in the South Coast experience. 

Finally Locals and holidaymakers are able to see what is worth exploring…

Spoiler: it’s all worth exploring.

This coastline is bigger than one bridge, it’s bigger than a detour, and it’s definitely bigger than the challenges we’re facing.

Local First began during a time when local support was at its lowest, when lockdowns left our small businesses vulnerable and our community scattered. A simple idea emerged, if we could make it easier for people to find local options, and easier for local businesses to be found, maybe we could rebuild from the inside out. What started as a nudge to “look local first” became a movement of people choosing people, and a platform built to shine a light on every corner of our coast, also known as #thelocalfirstchallenge. 

Behind this magazine is that same movement today, a reminder that we can shape our own local economy, tell our own stories, and celebrate the places that deserve to be packed, supported, and seen. The directory, the events, the content, the challenges, they all exist for one reason, to keep our money, our attention, and our energy flowing into the hands of the people who live here, work here, and make this place special.

This issue is about remembering that the South Coast is still one of the most beautiful, resilient, wildly underrated parts of South Africa.

And we’re not waiting for anyone to come rescue us.

We’re doing what locals do best.
We’re building our own momentum.

Inside these pages, you’ll find the best of both sides of the coast, the cafés that feel like home, the restaurants with flavours worth driving for, the tidal pools, adventures, markets, and small businesses we love enough to shout about.

Enjoy every page, every bite, every stop.
And thank you for being part of a community that refuses to shrink when things get tough. We rise. Together.

Happy holidays,
Kirsty Hooper
hello@localfirst.africa