Operating as Sophakama with our base at the Pearston Club, Sophakama is the community development arm of the Plains of Camdeboo Private Nature Reserve in the Karoo Plains of Pearston, Eastern Cape. We support where people are already doing something and create opportunities – we go where the energy is. So far, this has led us to the projects you can read about below. All of this is made possible by the generous funding of the Mai Family Foundation, to whom we are grateful beyond words! Please visit our Donate page if you would like to contribute.

Bushman’s Pillow is a land restoration site where, together with local youth and visitors, we learn and practice methods of environmental and human restoration. The space is also open for accommodation, camps and events. So far this project is privately funded, receiving a % income from hiring/renting of the space. Please visit our Donate page if you would like to contribute.

Living and working in small, remote towns in South Africa can sometimes feel isolating with people having to work extra hard to find inspiration and stay motivated. Through our peer learning exchange programme, part of the Eco Youth Circles, we bring together youth from Pearston and Tsitsikamma to connect and learn from each other and from nature, returning home with motivation and new perspectives.