Surfers Not Street Children opened its Mozambique programme, Tofo Surf Club, in 2018.

Based in Tofo, a small coastal community and popular tourism destination, the programme was created in response to a different set of challenges from those faced in urban Durban. Tourism brings important opportunities to the region, but it can also create social pressures for vulnerable children and young people.

For some children, earning money from tourists by selling bracelets or begging can make dropping out of school seem attractive. Without an education, however, those opportunities quickly disappear as they get older, leaving young people vulnerable to exploitation, drugs and other harmful situations.

Tofo Surf Club exists to interrupt that cycle.

The programme encourages children to stay in school, supports their development through long-term mentorship, and helps them access positive opportunities within Tofo’s surfing, ocean and tourism industries. Young people can progress towards careers including lifeguarding, surf coaching, surf shops, restaurants and the local diving and tourism sectors.

At the heart of the programme is the Surf Club, our drop-in centre near Tofo Market. It provides a safe and supportive space where children can spend time after school and at weekends. From there, the group walks together to the beach for regular surfing sessions led by our team of surf coaches, water-safety staff and mentors.

Our aim is not simply to introduce children to surfing, but to use surfing as a platform for education, stability, mentorship and meaningful, non-exploitative employment.

The programme operates around Tofo’s beaches, in a region internationally known for its waves, including Tofinho. Young surfers who began their journey through the programme have progressed all the way to representing Mozambique at the 2026 ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador.

Tofo Surf Club is led by Mini Cho, Mozambique’s first professional surfer, who has become an important role model for a new generation of Mozambican surfers.

Though smaller and more rural than our Durban programme, the purpose is the same: to give children the support, opportunities and sense of belonging they need to build positive futures.