Scottburgh Beach Now Has an Amphibious Wheelchair Thanks to Sue!

Photo Credit: Renishaw Hills - Scottburgh

Thanks to Sue Martin, Scottburgh Main Beach is now more accessible to all, with the addition of a new amphibious wheelchair!

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (08 July 2026) – One woman’s incredible positivity and determination have made Scottburgh Main Beach on KZN’s Mid South Coast more welcoming to everyone.

Local resident Sue Martin has spent the past few months rallying her community behind getting an amphibious wheelchair onto the shore at Scottburgh, so that people living with disabilities can finally enjoy the sea and sand alongside their families.

Sue, who is 62-years-old, does not let anything stand between her and the outdoors. Even after a freak mountain bike accident in 2015 left her paralysed from the chest down, she’s taken every opportunity to live life to the fullest. Since the accident, she’s taken on paragliding, bungee jumping, shark diving, para-surfing, and even competed in a para-cycling event for charity.

It was that same spirit that led Sue to rally her community to get a beach wheelchair for the local Scottburgh Beach. She partnered with the Quadriplegic Association of South Africa and launched an online crowdfunding campaign, aiming to raise R60 000 for the amphibious wheelchair.

“Many individuals living with disabilities still face significant barriers when accessing public beaches – spaces that should be open and welcoming to all. The beach wheelchair is a simple yet powerful way to promote inclusivity, dignity and equal access.” she wrote in the online crowdfunding campaign.

Over three months, the community rallied together and raised R60,035!

The amphibious wheelchair has now been purchased, and fittingly, Sue was among the very first to test it out on Scottburgh’s sand.

For mobility-challenged members of the public who have never had the chance to feel sand beneath them or ride the waves at Scottburgh, the new wheelchair will bring a sense of joy that was previously out of reach!