Impact of surf therapy on South African youth’s mental health

AT SUNRISE, the waves at Muizenberg Beach roll in with familiar rhythm, but for a group of children gathered at the shoreline, each wave carries something far more meaningful than the thrill of surfing.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

SURF Therapy is a proven mental health approach that mixes surfing with group activities to help improve mental, physical, and social well-being. | Supplied

(Supplied)

It carries hope. In a country where nine out of ten young people lack access to mental health support, according to the Children’s Institute at UCT, that hope can be the difference between breaking cycles of trauma or being consumed by them.

Across South Africa’s townships, toxic stress, violence and poverty have become everyday realities, and for many young people, safe spaces to talk, heal or even just breathe are rare. That's where Waves for Change (W4C) comes in.

Waves for Change began in 2009 with a simple idea: if the ocean brings peace, maybe it can also help people heal. Now the group runs surf therapy sessions along South Africa’s coast, reaching over 12000 young people from stressful communities.