THE FOCUS of investment for the Wild Coast Strategic Development Initiative (SDI) is being placed on local promotion. This is in accordance with a European Community programme which focuses on developing and involving the local community in low impact tourism developments within the region, says Wild Coast SDI project manager Mohammed Motala. The Wild Coast SDI stretches eastwards from East London to the border with KwaZulu/Natal, and includes some of South Africa’s finest beaches and bays. "We're moving away from a big, one-off mega-type investment. We've got to demonstrate that development can take place in the Wild Coast and we've got to use our own South African investors first before foreign investors will begin showing interest." Motala says emphasis will be placed on poverty alleviation programmes with tourism investment promotion in the packaging of areas. "We're against the idea of a big hotel that has electricity and water surrounded by abject poverty. Infrastructure development for investors needs to have a component of improving the lives of the people around it."