Gap Year South Africa

General information

Our Story:

Ubuntu Surf Team is a community outreach program situated in Cape Town, South Africa that exposes children from the under resourced township of Masiphumelele to the recreational and therapeutic benefits of the ocean. Using donated boards and wetsuits, our program has taught twelve boys basic skills in swimming, surfing and water safety.

However, this has become more than just a surf program. We’ve developed a holistic approach that incorporates a variety of life skills, such as interpersonal relationships, confidence, ocean awareness, and respect for others and the environment. At Ubuntu Surf School, we aim to provide our children with not only surfing skills, but the chance to become leaders in their community who empower others too.

Why the Program Is Important:

Living in communities such as Masiphumelele (which means “we will succeed in isiXhosa) means exposure to challenges and trauma on a daily basis for our children. These challenges include, but are not limited to, poor access to basic needs and services such as clean water and sanitation, as well as gang violence, substance abuse, and wide spread poverty. Constant exposure to these elements can have a profound impact on the psychological development and well-being of a child. Our program has used surfing and the ocean as an effective medium in which the children are able to grow as individuals and express themselves freely without concern for the challenges that dictate daily life in the township. Even in the relatively short time we’ve worked with our participants, there have been obvious changes in their behaviour and outlook on life.