{"id":281,"date":"2026-09-18T07:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T07:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281"},"modified":"2026-09-18T07:49:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T07:49:47","slug":"new-beginning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281","title":{"rendered":"New Beginning"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_color=”#242e42″ background_image=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sight-seeing-49.png” background_size=”contain” background_position=”bottom_center” custom_padding=”|||||” custom_padding_tablet=”0px||5vw” custom_padding_phone=”” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”” box_shadow_vertical_phone=”” box_shadow_vertical_last_edited=”on|tablet” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ text_font=”Lato||||||||” text_font_size=”22px” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_font=”PT Serif|700|||||||” header_font_size=”80px” header_line_height=”1.2em” background_layout=”dark” hover_enabled=”0″ text_font_size_tablet=”” text_font_size_phone=”18px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_font_size_tablet=”60px” header_font_size_phone=”36px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

Humble Beginnings<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” background_color=”#FFFFFF” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

\n

This is the story of how\u00a0<\/span>Barberton FarmStay<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>was born. It began with a simple but radical dream: to turn a normal South African home into an international homestay where absolute strangers become family.<\/p>\n

From 2006 until 2019, our doors were wide open. We had the immense privilege of hosting over 450 young people from all corners of the world<\/strong>. Together, we built gardens, shared meals, crossed cultural boundaries, and made a permanent impact on the lives of the youth who stayed with us. We watched young travellers enter as guests and leave as lifelong family members. Then, in 2019, Covid-19 forced us to close our doors. The world paused, and our vibrant global hub went quiet. But while the doors were shut, the dream never died. We never forgot the laughter, the hard work, and the profound transformations we witnessed in the young people who called this farm home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Today, we salute every single one of our 450 volunteers who kept our dream alive in their hearts. Because of you, we are ready to open our doors once again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.15.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.15″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.15-13.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.15 (13)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.15-3.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.15 (3)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.14-11.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.14 (11)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.14-9.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.14 (9)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.14-1.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.14 (1)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.15-7.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.15 (7)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-23-at-18.51.15-9.jpeg” title_text=”WhatsApp Image 2026-05-23 at 18.51.15 (9)” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” background_color=”#FFFFFF” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

\n

Barberton FarmStay<\/strong>\u00a0is rising from its humble beginnings. We are calling on a\u00a0new generation<\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0international volunteers,<\/strong>\u00a0changemakers,<\/strong>\u00a0and travellers who want to make a real difference. If you want to experience the authentic heart of South Africa, mentor young people, and help us rebuild this global sanctuary, your hands and heart belong here.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Come help us write the next chapter<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Humble Beginnings This is the story of how\u00a0Barberton FarmStay\u00a0was born. It began with a simple but radical dream: to turn a normal South African home into an international homestay where absolute strangers become family. From 2006 until 2019, our doors were wide open. We had the immense privilege of hosting over 450 young people from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-281","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/web.facebook.com\/groups\/773105062740510\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-18T07:49:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?page_id=281\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?page_id=281\",\"name\":\"New Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-18T07:24:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-18T07:49:47+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?page_id=281#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?page_id=281\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?page_id=281#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"New Beginning\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/\",\"name\":\"www.exploresa.org.za\",\"description\":\"Volunteering - FarmStay\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Explore SA and Barberton FarmStay\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/New-Barberton-Farmstay-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/New-Barberton-Farmstay-Logo.png\",\"width\":422,\"height\":411,\"caption\":\"Explore SA and Barberton FarmStay\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/exploresa.org.za\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/web.facebook.com\\\/groups\\\/773105062740510\",\"https:\\\/\\\/web.facebook.com\\\/exploresavolunteering\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay","description":"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay","og_description":"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation","og_url":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281","og_site_name":"ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay","article_publisher":"https:\/\/web.facebook.com\/groups\/773105062740510","article_modified_time":"2026-09-18T07:49:47+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281","url":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281","name":"New Beginning - ExploreSA | Barberton FarmStay","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-09-18T07:24:16+00:00","dateModified":"2026-09-18T07:49:47+00:00","description":"Explore SA is a platform that promotes volunteering in Southern Africa. Our homebase is in Barberton, Mpumalanga at Barberton FarmStay and Camping. Your home away from home. #volunteeringsouthafrica #volunteer #barbertonvolunteering #makonjwamountains #mpumalanga #backpackers #budgetaccommodation","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?page_id=281#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"New Beginning"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#website","url":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/","name":"www.exploresa.org.za","description":"Volunteering - FarmStay","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#organization","name":"Explore SA and Barberton FarmStay","url":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/New-Barberton-Farmstay-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/New-Barberton-Farmstay-Logo.png","width":422,"height":411,"caption":"Explore SA and Barberton FarmStay"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/web.facebook.com\/groups\/773105062740510","https:\/\/web.facebook.com\/exploresavolunteering"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=281"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292,"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/281\/revisions\/292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exploresa.org.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}