Updates from the Umdoni Road bridge in Amanzimtoti. The space is looking much brighter and happier already!
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (23 February 2026) – A joint initiative between Sapphire Coast Tourism, Tidy Towns Amanzimtoti and local artist Christine Andrews is coming along well.
After weeks of rolling up sleeves, scrubbing walls and dipping paintbrushes, a touch of colour and character has been brought back to the bridge near Kingsway High School and the Amanzimtoti Bird Park.
The artwork was first painted in 2021, adding to one of the many murals Christine has painted across town.
Over time, these murals have started to weather. Touch-ups are required every five years to keep things looking neat and tidy.
Beyond the combined manpower of the fire department and Tidy Towns, a local hardware store has joined in to supply ladders, cones and transport to get the necessary maintenance off the ground.
“This is a great initiative for people to come together and clean our town, tidy up and renew.” says Christine.
By next week, the upgrades should finally be complete.
In the grand scheme of things, a few walls getting a little TLC might not seem like much, but for community members who pass through these spaces every day, efforts like this don’t go unnoticed. We all find joy in our surroundings.
‘It cheers up a lot of people, this specific bridge many school children pass through daily and seeing a bright colorful picture is much better than what it looked like before dark black sludge walls.’ says Christine, in a recent update on the initiative’s progress.
In Amanzimtoti, there may still be many more walls that need attention, and much more support needed to get there, but little glimmers like this one show that it’s possible.
Locals rolled up their sleeves, tourism stepped in to fund, firefighters helped prep, local shops showed up with supplies, and an artist committed her time and talent. What resulted is a space that everyone feels proud to share. That’s a recipe for good things. It’s easy to complain about what’s broken. It’s harder, and braver, to fix it.
“This project is a true reflection of what happens when the right people come together for our town.” shares Tidy Towns Amanzimtoti.
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