Recycle Swop Shop

Defenders of the Environment

We acknowledge that in the absence of healthy local community development, our business would not be sustainable, let alone responsible. For this reason we devised a business model which uplifts the local Masakhane community situated in Gansbaai. In turn this provides equitable employment and social support at grass roots level.

Swop Shop

Since 2006 our most successful project is the Masakhane White Sharks Projects Swop Shop. The Swop Shop trades on Tuesday afternoon and caters to the needs of children in the surrounding Masakhane community. The children collect recyclables such as plastic tins, bottles which earns them points. The children are then able to exchange these points for vital necessities. These items include soap, stationery, second hand clothing and food basics. Luxury items are also available  if they save their points till they can be afforded. The success of the initiative is evident by the queues of children who excitedly wait outside the shop long before the 2pm opening time and the delight on their faces when they leave with their precious purchases.

Environmental Awareness

Not only does this system provide much needed augmented support for the community, it reduces the scourge of litter and entrenches a habit of caring for the environment at an early age. In this manner, shark conservation is seen in a positive light, which ultimately results in a sense of ownership and commitment to the cause.

RECYCLE SWOP SHOP

Award Winners

White Shark Projects won ‘PETCO Best Recycling Public Education Award’ in 2017.

We have been operating our Recycle Swop Shop since 2006 In the area called Masakhanie based in Gansbaai. It is registered as a non profit organization. Through our dedicated Shark Team and our local children we continue in preventing hundreds of thousands of tons of pollutions been blown Into our Oceans each year.

Get Involved

When you choose to Dive with White Shark Projects you automatically have donated to one of our Recycling Projects based here In Gansbaai. You can make a difference by volunteering or by donating stock for the shop. South African and international volunteers are welcomed. The work is immensely fulfilling and enables you as our guest to make a positive impact on those most vulnerable during your stay in South Africa. So Why Not Join Us?

If you would like to learn more about the Recycle Swop Shop and our volunteer program, please contact us on 076 245 5880.

Keeping our Recycle Swop Shop stocked is an ongoing challenge so donations are always welcome.

The most popular items are:

  • Calculators
  • Soap, Face cloths, toothbrushes and toothpaste
  • School trousers, shorts and skirts
  • Torches, pencil crayons, pens, pencils, notebooks, storybooks, and stuffed toys.

Please contact us if you are able to donate via Email Volunteer@whitesharkprojects.co.za

Food Made With Love

Shared amongst the community

Every day, our loving cooking crew, makes dozens of nutritional toasted sandwiches which we offer to our clients after their diving adventure. Many days we have food left over which never goes to waste. Gansbaai has two very impoverished communities, Blompark and Masakhane. We take these freshly made sandwiches to two different places. These sandwiches are truly appreciated, like manna from heaven. In the community of Masakhane, there lives a very special lady who looks after 7 of her grandchildren. She struggles to feed everyone and most of the time goes without herself. We support her during the week with food and her grandchildren visit the Swop Shop to gather school supplies and clothes.

Blompark

In addition the Blompark community has a safe house for vulnerable children whose parents cannot provide for them in a safe environment. We alternate between these two safe havens when delivery food. We are also aware of other people who have hit on hard times and rotate between the houses to support those most needy.