Upgrading of the run-down local spa with its famous hot mineral springs is set to start soon - with the vision of restoring it to its former glory as a major tourist attraction.

The 1960s-style spa, which at one stage was listed third on South Africa's tourist destination list after Durban and Cape Town, used to attract more than 100000 visitors a year.

In recent years the spa has managed to pull a mere fraction of that figure, but this is soon set to change, according to operations manager Retsilisitsoe Khamali.

"With the exciting renovations and construction works starting soon, we will definitely see more people visiting the spa again," he said.

Starting mid-July the spa will undergo a major facelift after receiving R5 million from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

The spa's biggest attraction, an indoor pool, built over the main eye of the spring, will benefit most from the funding. The steel roof is badly rusted and covered with green mould in some areas, but this will be replaced.

Khamali said the long-overdue facelift had been in the pipeline after plans for the resort to be partially privatised over the past few years came to a standstill due to the introduction in July last year of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

Khamali said the project had been listed with the provincial Treasury department and a project implementer had been assigned in May to oversee the renovations. The spa is still 100 percent owned by the Maletswai municipality and runs on a R2,5m yearly budget.

Thirty-two million litres of mineral-rich water with a temperature of 32°C are pumped into the pool daily. This flows into a slightly cooler Olympic-sized outdoor pool as well as a kiddies' pool.

Many believe the pools, especially the indoor pool, hold great medicinal value.

Yesterday a 78-year-old German tourist, identifying himself only as Benjamin, paddled away "just for good health".

"I enjoy being in this water ... there is just something about it that makes you feel revived," he said, not wanting to elaborate.

Michelle Groenewald, 18, underwent major muscle surgery in April this year and she too visits the spa every second day.

She jokes that this is not for medicinal reasons, "even though the water is warm and relaxes me".

The spa is a place where she does water therapy exercises to strengthen her muscles.

"I'm very excited about the renovations. You can't let a place like this go unused and wasted; it would be a sin," Groenewald said.