The marvellous Hessequa region has received a lot of visitors during the December holidays, especially so between 19 December 2025 and 04 January 2026. During this time, Hessequa hosted some of its most iconic events which included the Stilbaai Touchies, Stilbaai Anything That Floats, Gouritsmond Trail Run, NSRI 10-KM Run and the Witsand Christmas Market. In addition, live concerts were also very popular.

The iconic 48th Stilbaai Touchies, the 6th leg of the 2025 Hot Summer of Touch, delivered a spectacle for the ages as record crowds, record playing numbers and flawless beach conditions combined to create one of the most memorable editions in the tournament’s proud history. Widely regarded as the biggest beach Touch tournament in South Africa, the 2025 edition drew an estimated 7 500 spectators and
featured 56 registered teams across four divisions, making it the largest Stilbaai Touchies in both participation and attendance for a number of years.

The Stilbaai Anything That Floats, hosted the for the second consecutive year, attracted hundreds of enthusiasts, with hundreds of different floating devices. This event highlighted the holiday-charm Stilbaai is renowned for, and we look forward to the 2026 edition.

The annual Stilbaai NSRI 10-KM Race hosted on 31 December, once again proved that Stilbaai is a top holiday destination. The event attracted more than 1000 runners across the 10-KM Race and 5-KM Fun Run. Mr. Lloyd Bosman was first to cross the finish line in a time of 33:18, closely followed by  Mr. Selwyn Matthews (34:40) and Mr. Bruce Maboza (35:57). In the 5-KM Fun Run, Mr. Akeen Wilson was first to cross the finish line in a time of 19:28.

The Gouritsmond Anything That Float and the Gouritsmond Trail Run were both successfully hosted, and ensured that Gouritsmond enjoyed its fair share of visitors throughout the holidays. The Anything That Floats allowed holidaymakers to float down the Gourits River, which is One of Hessequa’s 7 Natural Marvels.

Hessequa Tourism would like to thank all the holidaymakers for choosing the marvellous Hessequa region for their holidays and look forward to welcoming all back again during 2026.

Stilbaai Touchies Photo Credit: Hot Summer of Touch – Facebook Page

Stilbaai Anything That Floats Photo Credit: Cinematic Travel SA – Facebook Page