Join our natural off-grid community on the Wild Coast, South Africa

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  It is a 180-hectare off-grid eco-community situated on South Africa's Eastern Cape Wild Coast. The land is home to abundant food forests, natural buildings, and a small community of long-term resident "Homesteaders" living closely connected to the land. Our central hub, known as The Hill, serves as a retreat and event centre and has hosted guests from around the world for over two decades.
  
  We want to be completely transparent with anyone considering visiting us. Our formal volunteer programme is currently on pause while we search for the right person to facilitate it properly. In the meantime, we are open to experimenting with a hybrid model for people who feel genuinely drawn to the space.
  
  The exchange involves approximately four hours of work per day in return for accommodation and a basic food staples package. Volunteers prepare their own meals and source anything they need beyond the staples provided at their own expense. Seasonal vegetables are often available for purchase from our resident market gardener, Previous.
  
  Volunteers stay in our dedicated farmhouse - a three-bedroom space with a library, fully functional kitchen, and donkey boiler shower. It is comfortable and practical, though like much of the space right now, it is quiet and in need of some loving energy to make it feel fully alive and homely again.
  
  There is currently no on-site manager or host to delegate tasks or oversee your days. You will be given a clear list of what needs doing and will be trusted to manage yourself with genuine autonomy. Members of the community will check in regularly to make sure you are comfortable and to answer any questions, but day-to-day you are largely your own boss. This works beautifully for the right person - and can feel unsettling for someone who needs more structure or supervision.
  
  Full Disclaimer: This is not a polished eco-resort or a busy social and learning programme. It is a raw, authentic experience of what off-grid community living actually looks and feels like - rough edges included. If you can sit comfortably with simplicity, find your own rhythm, and shape your experience through genuine engagement with the land and its people rather than waiting for a programme to carry you, you will likely find something deeply worthwhile here.
  
  If you need structure, guaranteed comfort, or a packed social calendar to feel settled, we would honestly encourage you to look elsewhere. We would rather host fewer people who are truly aligned than disappoint someone whose needs we cannot meet.

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Kunstprojekte

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Leichte Gartenarbeit

  Kreative Heimwerkerprojekte

  Mithilfe auf einem Bauernhof

  Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie

  Leichte Instandhaltungsarbeiten

  Hilfe mit Computer /Internet
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  UNO-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung, die dieser Gastgeber verfolgt

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  Was ist das?
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  The place offers something that is increasingly hard to find - a genuine, unfiltered experience of intentional off-grid living, in one of the most beautiful natural settings in southern Africa. The Wild Coast is raw, bio diverse, and largely untouched. The land itself - its food forests, gardens, birdlife, and open skies - has a way of slowing people down and reconnecting them with something they did not know they had lost.
  
  By living alongside long-term residents and participating in daily farm life, visitors gain real insight into regenerative agriculture, land stewardship, natural building, composting, water systems, and community living. Learning arises through doing rather than through a formal curriculum, so open and realistic expectations serve you well here.
  
  Beyond practical skills, what many people take away is less tangible but often more lasting - time to think, space to breathe, meaningful conversations, and a clearer sense of what a slower and more grounded life can feel like.

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  Arbeit

  Much of the work revolves around caring for and tending the land and its structures/infrastructure. Depending on the season and current priorities this may include maintaining the food forests, assisting in the market garden, clearing invasive vegetation, planting trees, and keeping communal spaces clean and functional.
  
  We are in an active period of renewal and particularly welcome volunteers with building, maintenance, or permaculture skills. Creative people with an eye for making spaces feel more beautiful and lived-in are equally valued - there is meaningful work here for hands that are willing and a sensibility that notices what a space needs.

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  Gesprochene Sprachen

  Englisch: Fließend
  Xhosa: Fließend

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  Unterkunft

  Volunteers are housed in our dedicated farmhouse - a conventional three-bedroom building with a fully functional kitchen, library, and donkey shower for hot water. It is practical and comfortable in its simplicity. Bedding is provided - please bring your own towel.
  For those seeking something more private, intimate, or connected to the natural environment, there are also rooms available in our retreat space - hand-built earthen and thatch structures that offer a quieter, more elemental experience. These are simple and beautiful, and suit people who are drawn to that kind of dwelling.
  Sanitation throughout is via compost toilets. Basic WiFi is available on site, though connectivity can be intermittent as with most off-grid settings. Water and electricity supply occasionally experience disruptions too - this is part of the everyday texture of life here rather than an exception to it.
  Our communal kitchen is vegetarian. Out of respect for all residents and guests, we ask that meat not be brought onto the farm.
  We are in a remote area and shops are not easily accessible. Please arrive well prepared with any personal items or specialty foods you may need.

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  Was noch ...

  The 180-hectare farm is yours to explore in your time off. Walking paths wind through the property where you are likely to encounter a rich variety of birdlife and wildlife. There is also a beautiful dam to relax around and swim in on warm days.
  Haga Haga beach - pristine and quiet - is approximately 8km away, walkable or accessible by tagging along with community members heading to the coast.
  We encourage personal practice and creative expression during free time. Yoga, meditation, music, painting, journalling, crafting - whatever you feel moved to bring. The space responds well to people who arrive with inner resources and use the quiet to go deeper rather than waiting to be entertained.
  The place is not for everyone - and that is exactly the point. It is for the rare kind of person who finds freedom in simplicity, meaning in honest work, and who understands that the most nourishing experiences are rarely the most comfortable ones.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen

  We have a shared office space with internet where nomads can enjoy bird watching while getting things done!

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  Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans

  You are welcome to bring your campervan of any size, but please keep in mind that our roads are somewhat bumpy and muddy and can be very slippery when wet, so you will need high clearance and good wheels. We have outdoor showers and toilets for you to use.

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  Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

  Yes, we LOVE well-behaved pets!

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  mehr als zwei

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  Meine Tiere/Haustiere

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