Please tell me it’s not true. I heard today via the grapevine (if you’ll pardon the expression) that the Cape-Namibia Route  has finally got its road signage – five years after the route was opened.

Is that the case? Hardly surprising if it is – I’ve got too many clients who’ve torn their hair out over the question of road signage. So much so, in fact, that you have to wonder if there isn’t a conspiracy going that involves the signage people, the hair replacement clinics, and a shady underworld character or two.

Now I understand that there has to be control, and I understand that the wheels of government roll slowly, but there are just too many complaints going around these days. One source – who preferred not to be named – told me that applicants can expect to wait up to two years. If they’re lucky.

So I did what I always do – I Googled it. “Road Signage Cape Province.” And sure enough, came up with a page in the Cape Gateway – The ‘Road Signage Framework’ (here).

Now this is a useful resource (other than the fact that you have to download each chapter individually – a major sweat in my give-it-to-me-and-give-it-to-me-now world).

In its summary, the site says: “The Department has spent considerable time with industry and local government in a province-wide consultative process resulting in the preparation of a Provincial Tourist Facility Audit, and a Framework for the Signing of Individual Facilities and the Establishment and Signing of Tourist Areas and Routes in the Western Cape. The guidelines will lead to a major improvement in the quality of tourist and services signing throughout the Province and will provide an added contribution to the success and promotion of the tourism industry.”

So my question to you is – have they? Have the guidelines “lead to a major improvement in the quality of tourist and services signing”?

Personally, I don’t think they have. I haven’t noticed any particular change over the last few years – have you?

I’d love to hear your comments on the subject – and also to know what your experience has been if you live in one of the other provinces.

To get the conversation going, please copy and paste your comments into the space below.

I think this is gonna be a good one.