Because every child’s safety comes first, EcoActive and Lifesaving South Africa joined forces to deliver vital drowning prevention education to Cape Town schools this World Drowning Prevention Day, giving hundreds of kids the lifesaving gift of water confidence.
Cape Town, South Africa (28 July 2026) – Every child deserves to feel safe around water, and the power to protect them starts with education.
To put water safety first, local NGO EcoActive Africa joined forces with Lifesaving South Africa to deliver vital drowning prevention education to primary school learners across Cape Town, starting as early as Grade R.
The initiative reached a major milestone on Friday, 24 July, when around 900 learners at iThemba Primary School rallied together for “Blue Day” in honour of United Nations World Drowning Prevention Day. Packed with enthusiasm, the kids learned lifesaving skills to keep themselves and their friends safe.
That same morning, the organisation also conducted talks at six other Cape Town primary schools. Learners took part in drowning-awareness workshops and created posters promoting water safety and drowning prevention. The classes whose posters were selected as the winners were rewarded with pizzas and doughnuts, sponsored by Trellidor. The day was filled with gees and Ubuntu!
Also present were former lifeguards Chazz Jurd and Greta Wilson, who were involved in the rescue of a swimmer in distress at St James tidal pool last month. Wilson effected the rescue, while Jurd was among those who helped stabilise the swimmer before the arrival of an ambulance.
“Drowning prevention education is most powerful when it starts early. By giving children the knowledge and confidence to recognise dangers around water, we are helping to build safer communities and potentially save lives,” said Belinda Minter, Director of EcoActive Africa.
“Every year, we reach not just learners, but their parents and the wider community too, teaching the do’s and don’ts of water safety,” she notes.
Minter added that World Drowning Prevention Day was established by the United Nations to raise awareness of the tragic and profound impact drowning has on families and communities.
“In Muizenberg and the wider Cape Flats, we see that impact first-hand, and we know that swim skills, supervision, and education save lives,” she says.
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He added that the success of the day was a true testament to the power of collaboration across civil society, business, education, and media, and that World Drowning Prevention Day provides an important opportunity to remind communities that drowning is preventable.
“Engaging learners through fun, interactive activities such as Blue Day helps make water safety memorable and encourages children to share these important messages with their families and communities,” Sewduth said.
EcoActive Africa has been running drowning-prevention awareness programmes in selected primary schools for the past 12 years. To date, 20,000 individuals have been reached through their water safety education programme.
The organisation offers free swimming lessons to Grade 4 learners at six Cape Town primary schools: Floreat Primary School, Prince George Drive Primary School, Hillwood Primary School, Levana Primary School, Zerilda Park Primary School and Capricorn Primary School.
Through its ongoing school-based programmes, EcoActive Africa aims to equip children with essential water-safety knowledge and help build a culture of drowning prevention from an early age.
For more information, visit www.ecoactive.org.za and www.lifesaving.co.za
Sources: EcoActive Africa | Lifesaving South Africa
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