Abstract:
The recordation of the life stories of individuals residing in the community of Ledig, who
have been dependent on the Sun City Resort situated in the Pilanesberg area in the North
West Province of South Africa for their quality of life for more than 20 years, provided the
basis for the evaluation of the environmental and social sustainability of this micro-cosmos
on a multidisciplinary level. This study focused on the hermeneutical arch of narrative
theory within the framework of human geography and sustainability science. The natural
environment was evaluated for the role it plays in the sustainability of the livelihoods of the
Ledig community members as well as the institutional life of the Sun City Resort. The results
of this study suggested that the environmental policy for the Sun City Resort, formalised in
2004, has been guiding the Sun City Resort to contribute positively to the sustainability of the
area. The study also demonstrated that a focus on the next generation of potential employees
and the environmental education of all the communities were crucial to ensure the resilience
of the social and ecological capacity of the area.
