As thousands of holidaymakers prepare to descend on KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline, new municipal water-quality test results show that at least 15 Durban beaches have recorded poor bacterial levels, with some exceeding safe limits by massive margins.

The latest figures, released by eThekwini Municipality from tests conducted between 12 and 26 November, show E. coli and Enterococcus levels far above international standards, raising red flags about faecal contamination during the peak tourism season.