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Adventureshop Stellenbosch isn’t just about adventure—it’s about promoting tourism that honors the environment, uplifts the community, and inspires responsible travel. We actively reduce waste, limit emissions, source locally, educate visitors, and continuously evolve through the Cape Winelands’ recognised sustainability framework.
Our expert local guides not only lead unforgettable outdoor experiences—they also share rich insights into the region’s heritage, landscapes, and the vital work being done to preserve them. We support local initiatives such as the Stellenbosch Trail Fund and Idas Valley Community Trails, helping to maintain and grow trail networks while creating jobs and cleaning and clearing our natural area of alien plant species.
We are also committed to ethical tourism. This includes safeguarding children from exploitation within our sphere of influence, whether through guests, communities, or suppliers. Our policy strictly prohibits the purchase or transport of illegal souvenirs, including items made from endangered wildlife, protected plants, or cultural artifacts.
By choosing Adventureshop, you’re not just enjoying the outdoors—you’re investing in the future of adventure in Stellenbosch. Together, we can keep our natural resources thriving for generations to come.
We are serious about keeping our adventures as green as possible. Many of our tours are powered by bicycles and e-bikes, helping to significantly cut down on vehicle use and reduce our carbon footprint.
For the times when we do need vehicles, we always try to use the most efficient vehicle for the job. We also recently purchased our first Hybrid vehicle.
We try and keep our carbon emissions at a minimum and we take responsibility for those emissions we do emit by purchasing carbon credits through Credible Carbon, supporting local environmental initiatives like Stellenbosch Community Recycling.
This project assists local communities and local governments in realising the virtuous cycles between human and ecological well being. They do this by enabling the establishment of local recycling operations, focused on community-based waste collectors or “waste–preneurs” These waste collectors, schools and businesses collect recycling, sells it to CL Waste and Scrap Metal who then further process and trades this recycling material that would otherwise end up in a municipal landfill and water bodies.
By offsetting our carbon emissions, Adventureshop is ensuring that every journey leaves a lighter footprint.
1. Supporting Local Trails Through Sustainable Tourism
At Adventure Shop Stellenbosch, sustainability and responsible tourism are central to everything we do. As part of our commitment to preserving the natural environment, we proudly support the Stellenbosch Trail Fund—a local non-profit organisation dedicated to the care and improvement of our region’s trail network.
The Trail Fund plays a vital role in building and maintaining trails, clearing invasive alien vegetation, planting indigenous trees, and cleaning the Eerste River that flows through the heart of Stellenbosch. Their work not only enhances the environment but also creates local employment, making a meaningful social impact.
To support these efforts, we donate 1% of the income from our Stellenbosch Cycle Tours and Boschendal Rides directly to the Stellenbosch Trail Fund. This helps ensure the trails remain safe, accessible, and ecologically sound for future generations to enjoy.
During the 12 months from March 2023 to March 2024 we have donated R14 747 to STF through the 1% levies of the 2 tours.
2. Supporting the Idas Valley Community Trails
As part of our commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism, Adventure Shop Stellenbosch is proud to support the Idas Valley Community Trails initiative. This community-driven project plays an important role in developing and maintaining trails in the Idas Valley area, while also creating opportunities for local employment and environmental stewardship.
To contribute to their ongoing efforts, we donate R80 for every tour we do through Idas Valley to the Idas Valley Community Trails and we also assited in the donation of 4 bicycles to the Idas Valley kids to develop riding in the community in 2024-2025 season.
By joining these tours, you’re not only enjoying a unique cycling experience through some of the Cape’s most beautiful landscapes—you’re also helping to uplift a local community and support the trails they work hard to maintain.
3. Support of Local initiatives
The Adventureshop takes an active role in the community and help and assists the local Tourism board with transport or training for development of community projects.
Empowering Our Team Through Training and Development
At Adventure Shop Stellenbosch, we believe that sustainability extends beyond the environment—it also means investing in people. As part of our commitment to social responsibility, we actively support the growth and development of our team through ongoing training and upskilling initiatives.
Between March 2023 and March 2024, we trained and employed three new culture guides from our community, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to share the rich heritage and stories of our region with visitors in an engaging and authentic way.
We also focus on upskilling our existing staff across the different tours we offer, enabling team members to take on more diverse roles within the company. This not only creates a more dynamic and flexible working environment but also opens new career pathways for our staff.
To ensure consistent quality and alignment with our values, we host bi-annual staff meetings where we review our Standard Operating Procedures and provide sustainability training. These sessions promote shared learning, open communication, and a deeper understanding of our environmental and community responsibilities.
By investing in our people, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive business that benefits both our team and the wider Stellenbosch community.
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