Salty Jackal Surf Camp

We opened in July 2017 but this place is a long-term project in that it is to continually grow and improve. Olli and Iris together run the surf hostel and the surf school (which caters to both locals and visitors), as well as a non-profit project aiming at uplifting children from local communities through surfing and a sustainable way of life.

The family is always growing, along with the owners the Day Manager, Stefan and our qualified yoga instructor, Lena work at the hostel on a daily basis. Apart from the day manager and volunteers, who are mainly dedicated to admin and projects, the staff includes Albertina, the housekeeper, Wilhelm, the gardener, Rivaldo, in charge of surfboard repairs and general maintenance and Born, his assistant and one of the participants in our non-profit project.

Having only 14 beds we are a small establishment and are situated in Namibia's tourist hub on the rugged Atlantic Ocean coastline in the town of Swakopmund. We are the only accommodation in Swakopmund geared towards surfers - it's only one hour to the world-famous Skeleton Bay and many other surf spots are nearby.

There are daily routine tasks like setting up the breakfast buffet, reception duties, feeding animals - but helpers can and should also get involved (using their own skills, creativity and initiative) in projects ranging from gardening to decoration to general maintenance to adding new facilities and so forth.

We have at least three volunteers whenever possible and from Monday to Saturday, we have cleaning staff. Volunteers fill the gaps in between and add an international flair while contributing with their unique skills, personalities, and interests. You will not be busy all the time during your shift and good communication and teamwork with other staff ensure that the salty ship sails smoothly. Most of the tasks happen in the mornings, afternoons are quite relaxed so volunteers can explore the area, chill with guests, help on projects or cook for guests to earn some spending money. And of course surf! Other than accommodation and surfing, volunteers can also enjoy our buffet breakfast, that is on offer on a daily basis to all guests. As a volunteer, you are expected to be at the backpackers during your shift to check guests in and out, answer guest questions, answer the phone and doorbell. If we are quiet and if enough helpers are present it can be arranged that you can go on a trip for a few days. As you'll be working on the following projects make sure you have some of these specific skills/interests we are looking for from volunteers: *️️️️️️️️️️️ Cooking - volunteers as well the owners and the day manager, take turns and at least once a week cook a meal, that's how our cooking club works! * Gardening and landscaping - Wilhelm, our gardener, works twice a week so volunteers need to help the rest of the time taking care of the veggie/ herbs garden and greenhouse. * Social media and online marketing - we need volunteers to be involved in all our channels, including Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Youtube by engaging in these channels and adding new content. * Content creation and repurposing for SJ social media and SJ blog, we're always looking for graphic designers, writers or SEO experts. * Photography, videography & video making, editing amazing footage of our hostel life, surfing or camping trips. * Maintenance/ construction and working with tools and power tools to keep the property in top shape or add new facilities - SJ is an ongoing project, in 2022 we'll be busy building an outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, adding a loft bed to one room and an outdoor shower. * Previous experience in hostels/surf camps is a plus but not a must. * Qualified surf instructors - we're also looking for ISA Surf instructors that can help during surf school lessons. * Pilates, fire dancers and yogis are always welcome * Job and entrepreneurial experience - you might be traveling during your gap and looking for a new adventure but if you already have work experience we'd be keen to exchange ideas and bring your unique entrepreneurial background along. *️️️️️️️️️️️ Murals and decoration - artists are also welcome as long as their want to leave a piece of their art in our beautiful place! Helpers should have the following attributes: *️️️️use own initiative, be observant with an attention to detail to keep everything clean, tidy and running smoothly *️️️️️️️️️️️practical/problem solving *️️️️️️️️️️️motivated to get a task done quickly and efficiently *️️️️️️️️️️️creative use of materials and resources *clear & timely communication with the rest of the team *work independently without supervision IMPORTANT: When applying to volunteer with us, please be specific about which skills/interests (from the above) you want to help with most:)