Sagole Spa Resort, Current and Potential Uses

Abstract

South African geothermal spring resources are either undeveloped or developed as family tourism facilities. Some of these are successful, while others are in a state of decay. A case in point is that of the Sagole spa in South Africa.
Sagole Spa is located at Tshipise Tsha Sagole, within the Mutale Local Municipality of the Limpopo Province in South Africa. The spa resort flourished during the 1980s as a tourism and recreational centre. Conference halls, chalets, the kitchen, sleeping accommodation and swimming pools were built. Currently the maintenance and infrastructure has declined. The swimming pools, the pavilion and the lawns have deteriorated.
The aim of the study is to investigate the diverse uses of thermal springs in order to determine the optimum use for the Sagole thermal spring. The literature study is used to identify potential uses while a checklist is used to compare the characteristics of Sagole with respect to those required for each potential use. Once the optimum use is identified, the development projects that can create jobs for the local community will be initiated.
This paper examines the potential of Sagole’s geothermal thermal resource in terms of tourism, bottling water for commercial purpose, aquaculture in general, and specifically for fish farming and the cultivation of Spirulina.