Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
25 Jun 2025
Reply rate
56.5 %
Usually responds within 4 days
Feedback
22
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
We are Mark and Tine, a couple in our early 40's with our 7 year old son Adam and have 70 year old parents. We traveled the world together and fell in love with slow travel and giving back to the communities we visited, and so we started our own backpackers that provides that opportunity to others.
Also with us is Pagels, who is in his late 40's and rides to work on his bicycle with his fishing rods from the nearby township. And Paida, who is in her late 20's, from Zimbabwe, and lives on the property too.
Together we've started a small family-run home-stay accommodation (Backpackers Hostel) on the riverfront in a small village on the edge of PE.
We support a community in the nearby Motherwell Township by connecting you to our friends who run projects such as: a soup kitchen, an art gallery, a restaurant, a recycling center and schools. If you have a heart for service, this is definitely a great place for you!
Couples really enjoy this opportunity.
Opportunities to help needed in the following:
Painting and Renovation
Gardening
Social Media
Website Development
Help create a sociable vibe for traveling guests
Reception
Shopping
At our Backpackers, we provide you with a place to stay in one of our dorms, a kitchen (you are in charge of your own meals), and comfortable common areas and a veranda overlooking the river with good Wifi. You can join in on tours to the nearby Addo Elephant Park, go surfing, go sailing, go fishing, and we have paddleboards to use free of charge at the property.
We are creating a sustainable riverfront travel accommodation and a platform for travelers to serve the Redhouse Village and the surrounding communities in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The Redhouse village and surrounding communities are currently involved in various Music Therapy, Art, Permaculture, Conservancy, Education, Internships and Social projects which you can get involved in too.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Teaching
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are located in a quiet village, on the edge of Port Elizabeth, 10km from beach, 45km from Addo Park. We want to attract like-minded musicians, artists, permaculture gardeners, surfers, windsurfers, watersports people, rowers, meditators, music therapists, healers, and yogis. By staying with us, we hope you feel relaxed and revived, can volunteer to give back to the surrounding communities, and can see a bit of life in South Africa.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We encourage responsible travelling and give travelers opportunities to actively support local communities as they travel through the Eastern Cape and South Africa. We mostly need help in our Permaculture Garden, with marketing and social media, and with reception and creating a great atmosphere for our guests.
Languages
Languages spoken
Afrikaans: Fluent
English: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
I love language exchange
Accommodation
Shared dorm for volunteers with common kitchen and bathrooms. Volunteers can use the backpackers facilities and spend time in the front veranda, watching the sunrise over the river.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have WiFi
Space for parking camper vans
We have a '92 VW Campervan
Can possibly accept pets
We have dogs and cats
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Feedback (20)
Since covid they don’t provide food anymore, so you must pay for your own groceries (you are however free to take vegetables from the garden) and we didn’t know this before we came. All in all… read more
Photos
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.6)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(4.7)
Since covid they don’t provide food anymore, so you must pay for your own groceries (you are however free to take vegetables from the garden) and we didn’t know this before we came. All in all… read more
he is a very inspiring person, his family is lovely and I had the opportunity to help so much.
I was running the social media accounts during this time but I also could help him with the community projects in the township.
thanks so much for letting me help… read more
Mark and Tina are involved in some great projects and ventures to give back and uplift… read more
It was an incredible experience shared with Mark & Tine and the work team.
Volunteering over there was perfect. I felt like home.
I learned a lot about permaculture, about South Africa, about communication and working skills, about responsible travelling, about so many things...
Normally, I had planned to move… read more
And during this period everything went very well.
I did not learn about Agriculture and Music Therapy because I was not fluent in English, but I learned about many other administrative things, and of course I… read more
On the one hand the riverfront is beautiful and generally speaking this is a very peaceful place to be. Mark has developped a nice permaculture garden with some very interesting systems like the "greywater system" and the compost warming the water in one cottage. It's been for me a chance to… read more
Nice moments shared during lunch time and was so nice cook with some many herbs from the garden.
The… read more
