Nedbank Hands Up for Small Business Winner - Our Beautiful Establishment

Posted by Helga on Wed November 24, 2021.

How delighted were we when Nedbank "Hands Up for Small Business" chose our establishment as one of the winners!

·       Hi, I am Helga du Preez from Ocean Blue Guesthouse.

We offer unique self-catering accommodation with a real home away from home feel. We pay special attention to detail to make sure you have everything that you need to make your stay comfortable, with a beautiful view!

 When the opportunity presented itself in the form of my granny flat, I realised there is A big demand for self-catering accommodation on the Bluff and I decided to use this opportunity to provide something of high standard but also affordable. The need was so great that we eventually added 2 more units.

Because we are a small business COVID and the Unrest had a huge impact on the business.  The forced closure during lock down, and again during the riots, The level restrictions and constant changes (BEACH CLOSURES, LOCAL RESTAURANTS CLOSURE) as well as the COVID Compliancy Regulations puts a very big strain on a small business like ours. The unrest also affected the confidence of travelers and of course that has a direct impact on bookings. And, the other major factor is the lack of disposable income from potential visitors.

To survive, we had to cut down our staff’s hours, remove all special amenities like the little soaps and shower gels and our general day to day maintenance had to be put on hold.

We are very excited and feeling very blessed to be chosen for this opportunity. It is a huge honor and privilege to feel that our business is worthy and deserving of such an opportunity!

This opportunity will definitely assist in the recovery process of our business and help keep our doors open. It will provide the much-needed funds to get the most important maintenance done! The various marketing initiatives and the support from 702 and CapeTalk audience will assist in building our brand and recover the confidence of our guests and travelers to the Bluff and Durban again. We want travelers to know that we are open for business, we offer COVID safe accommodation and the Bluff in Durban is a safe destination to visit.

We just would like to thank Nedbank, 702 and CapeTalk for this wonderful opportunity!