Mission & vision - DE

The beginning

Surfpop is a registered non-profit organization, founded by Daniel Botha in 2015. Daniel discovered surfing, fell in love, and the rest is history. As he spent most of his free time on his surfboard in the ocean, closely connected to nature, surfing became a life changing experience for him. As a surf enthusiast, he had a strong desire to share his passion for surfing and the ocean with at-risk children and youth from disadvantaged communities who do not have the same opportunities he had during his childhood.

Children growing up in disadvantaged communities around Cape Town have little hope of escaping their socio-economic environment: poverty, crime, drugs, gangsterism and a lack of good quality education and job opportunities are rife and real battles these children face. Daniel realized that surfing could be a powerful tool to positively impact the lives of these children.

In 2015, Daniel reached out to the primary school and high school in Masiphumelele Township. He started by taking children, who were vulnerable to the challenges in their township, surfing once a week. Soon this grew out to the comprehensive after-school program that Surfpop offers its beneficiaries today.

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Our mission

Surfpop builds a sustainable future for children from disadvantaged communities through a powerful formula of surfing, education and nutrition. Surfing promotes the physical and mental wellbeing of the children, and combined with focused after-school education and nutritious meals, improves their school performance, prepares them for sustainable employment and promotes their role as ambassadors in their communities for living a healthy life, caring for and in touch with nature.

Our vision

Surfpop aims to give children from South African townships the best chance at living life to the fullest: active, healthy and in touch with nature, who can access sustainable employment after school to truly lift themselves out of poverty and positively impact their families, social networks and community.