Spending formative years engaging with communities across South Africa, Dreamcatcher’s vision was to innovate and develop a sustainable solution to break the mould of recurring poverty.

In the early 1990s, with an ethos that ‘actions speak louder than words’, our founder Anthea collaborated with communities and researchers to identify the inhibitors to sustainable social and economic development, and community wellness in South African townships. Key barriers were inadequate education, lack of purposed skills and opportunities, gender inequality, sustained unemployment, and poor environmental quality impacting on public health. An integrated approach to addressing these challenges was lacking. Socio-economic development was not aligned to the growth sectors in South Africa with tourism and its peripheral services, largely underpinned by South Africa’s natural environment, being a key industry. Responsible tourism offered significant employability and enterprise creation opportunities to mobilise and stimulate socio-economic change having a beneficial wider impact on communities.

For over 30 years Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC has been a trailblazer. Following an inclusive human-centred holistic approach, we engage with all ages and demographic groups in communities where we work – with a special focus on women, youth and vulnerable people. Our ethos and expertise lies in innovating challenges into solutions to drive outcomes based projects and sustainable pathways to change. Our pioneering inclusive models empower community-based enterprise, responsible destination -and tourism development, environmental protection with a focus on waste and biodiversity, literacy, training purposed to employability and life skills, developing safe spaces and community-wellness initiatives. 

Our work celebrates the rich diversity and cultural heritage of South Africa – a world in one country. Facilitating geographical spread, we enhance existing travel itineraries through innovating exciting new travel routes and destinations spreading the benefits of tourism to previously excluded communities. Simultaneously we promote the importance of community and sustainable practice. As a leading African Sustainable Development organisation, Dreamcatcher’s award winning impactful models are globally recognised.

At his inauguration as State President in 1994, Nelson Mandela’s plea to all South Africans was: ‘To work together to create a better future for all our people’. Collaborating and working together with us, every visitor, local enterprise and engaged community contributes to realising Mandela’s plea, and the dreams of all South Africans to secure the sustainable future for ‘Our World in One Country’, whilst tangibly contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC consistently has a 100% recognition score for all 5 pillars of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment.

Read about our new home composting project here.