Surfers Not Street Children

What Surfers Not Street Children does

Surfers Not Street Children is a registered non-profit organization founded in 1998 (originally as Durban Street Team, renamed in 2012) and headquartered at 62 Florence Nzama Street, Durban, South Africa. It operates a portfolio of community programs — the Surf Club (drop-in centre on Durban's New Pier beachfront), the Surf House (HQ and emergency girls' safe house with computer lab and nutrition program), Girls Surf Too (female-led mentorship for at-risk girls in Durban's Point Area), the Independent Living Program (halfway house for young adults transitioning out of care), and the Tofo Surf Club in Inhambane, Mozambique (launched 2018) — all built on a model that fuses surfing instruction, professional social work, mentorship, and life-skills training for street-connected and at-risk children. The organization has 11-50 employees, is registered as a charity in South Africa (PBO-930-051-298), Mozambique (101119769), and the UK (1176572), and has been led since founding by Tom Hewitt MBE.

The organization's revenue is generated primarily through charitable donations (monthly recurring and one-off, routed via Donorbox for US tax-deductible giving, CAF Donate for UK/global donors, and direct bank transfer), supplemented by an e-commerce merchandise store (headwear, hoodies, surf gear, t-shirts) hosted on Squarespace and brand sponsorship, principally a core partnership with surf brand O'Neill. A second strategic partnership with Scholas Occurrentes (founded by Pope Francis) underpins the Mozambique operation. The go-to-market is community-led: beneficiaries are identified through street outreach and referrals in Durban and Tofo, while supporters are acquired organically via Instagram, a Mailchimp newsletter, the website, and surf industry earned media. The technology stack is intentionally lean and standard for a small NGO — no proprietary software, no AI systems, no mobile app — with program delivery dependent on in-person human service rather than digital platforms.

Name

Surfers Not Street Children

Legal name

Surfers Not Street Children

Website

https://surfnotstreets.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Surfers Not Street Children is a South Africa-headquartered non-profit, founded 1998, that runs surf-based mentorship and social-work programs for street-connected and at-risk children in Durban and Tofo, Mozambique, funded by donations, merchandise sales, and brand partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Social Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ)

Keywords

• Youth social services
• At-risk youth support
• Surfing mentorship programs
• Community outreach services
• Charitable nonprofit programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies heavily on donations from individuals, including monthly recurring donors and one-off contributions. It accepts donations via Donorbox (US-based donors needing 501c3), CAF Donate (UK and rest of world), and direct bank transfer.
2. E-commerce Merchandise Sales: The organization operates an online shop selling branded merchandise including headwear, hoodies, surf gear, and t-shirts. The shop is hosted by Squarespace.
3. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue: Surfers Not Street Children receives support from branded partnerships, such as its partnership with O'Neill (legendary surf brand), which contributes film and photo content and likely provides financial or in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Surfers Not Street Children fuses surfing instruction with professional social work, mentorship, education support, and residential care for street-connected children and children at risk in South Africa and Mozambique. It runs drop-in centres, a safe house, and targeted programs for girls and for older youth transitioning to independent living, and sells branded merchandise to support fundraising.

Product overview

Surfers Not Street Children operates as a charitable organisation (not a software product) offering a suite of community programs unified by a model that fuses surfing, mentorship and care for street children and children at risk. The core programs include: the Surf Club (drop-in centre on Durban beachfront), the Surf House (Durban HQ with computer lab and nutrition program), the Tofo Surf Club (Mozambique program launched 2018), the Girls Surf Too female mentorship program, and the Independent Living Program for young adults transitioning to self-sufficiency. Supporting these programs is an e-commerce shop selling branded merchandise. All programs share a common approach of using surfing as a vehicle for mentorship, life-skills development, and reintegration into society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surf Club: Drop-in centre at the New Pier on Durban beachfront offering surfing, mentorship and life-skills programs
• Surf House
• Girls Surf Too
• Independent Living
• Tofo Surf Club

Products and services

• Surf Club

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scholas OccurrentescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2018Scholas Occurrentes is an international organization started by Pope Francis. The partnership made possible the creation of Tofo Surf Club in Mozambique in 2018. During the launch in May 2018, children participated in a live link with the Pope, who blessed the project with enthusiastic support and later met with the children during a visit to Mozambique.
• O'NeillcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSurfers Not Street Children is proudly partnered with legendary surf brand O'Neill. O'Neill contributes film and photo content to the organization and provides brand visibility support. The partnership is a key element of the organization's marketing and brand credibility in the surf industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skateistan: Established international sport-for-development nonprofit using skateboarding (and education) to empower at-risk youth in low-income communities. Larger scope and broader sport portfolio, but same sport-as-engagement-mechanism thesis.
• Right To Play: Global sport-for-development leader running programs in 20+ countries, using sport and play to improve outcomes for vulnerable children. Same segment (at-risk youth) and sport-based methodology at much greater scale.
• SOS Children's Villages: Major global nonprofit providing family-based care, education and youth transition support for orphaned and abandoned children. Comparable Independent Living Program cohort, but much larger and broader.

Direct peers

• SurfAid International: International nonprofit that uses surfing as a fundraising and engagement vehicle to deliver health and community-development outcomes for vulnerable populations (initially in Indonesia). Same surf-charity DNA, multi-country footprint and donor-driven model.
• Waves for Change: South African nonprofit that uses surfing combined with psychosocial support to help at-risk youth in Cape Town communities. Operates with a similar surf-plus-social-work model in Southern Africa and is the closest program-level peer.
• Stoked Mentoring: US nonprofit pairing at-risk youth with surf mentors, using surfing and skateboarding to drive youth development outcomes. Same surf + mentorship + life-skills combination targeting vulnerable teenagers.
• Street Child United: International charity using sport (football and surfing) and the voices of street-connected children to advocate for their rights and protection globally. Directly comparable mission to SNSC's street-children focus.
• Waves of Wellness: Australian-founded nonprofit running surf-therapy programs for at-risk youth and trauma-affected populations, including in Southern Africa. Closely comparable participant model — surfing as the therapeutic anchor paired with professional support.

Regional players

• Ubuntu Education Fund: South African nonprofit delivering holistic health, education and social services to vulnerable children and families in Port Elizabeth. Same Southern Africa geography and beneficiary cohort but does not use surfing.
• Lalela Project: South African nonprofit providing arts and education to at-risk youth in Cape Town townships. Same region and beneficiary profile, but uses arts instead of sport as the engagement mechanism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/surfersnotstreetchildren
• Xx.com/surfnotstreets

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surfers Not Street Children