By Pieter du Plessis, Founder & Director of SA for HOPE NPC

Everybody has a story, they say. Well, here’s mine. It’s not always pretty, but it’s honest.

I was born in Gauteng, but my roots stretch deep into the dust of Ellisras, where I spent my childhood on the family farm whenever possible. That’s where I first learned the value of hard work, the strength of community, and the quiet pride that comes from helping your neighbour without expecting anything in return.

In 1996, I moved to George, and like so many others, I came looking for a new start. What I found was something more – a place that embraced me. Once the Outeniqua Mountains wrap around you, you don’t leave the same person. George becomes a part of your identity, your rhythm, your purpose. This place – its people, its nature, its hidden history – captured me completely.

But life doesn’t follow a straight road.

At a point in my life, I lost everything. No home. No car. No income. I was broken in every sense. It’s a frightening thing to wake up with no direction, no purpose, and no certainty of tomorrow. But in that place – rock bottom – I found two things: the unshakable love of family, and a calling. Before you can help others, you have to know how it feels to be knocked down. Only then can you reach out to someone with empathy, not charity.

Before you can help others, you have to know how it feels to be knocked down.

From that place of rebuilding, First I was involved with another organization, but then I helped co-found SA for HOPE NPC, a local George-based non-profit organisation that has been serving rural and farming communities. With two co-directors and a growing network of volunteers, our work began with drought relief, delivering water, food, and livestock feed to areas where the land had turned to dust.
But we quickly saw the need was far greater.

Today, SA for HOPE supports:

• Farmers and their farm worker
• Farm schools – supplying stationery, food, and uniforms
• Old age homes – delivering hygiene products, adult nappies, and emotional support
• Struggling families – with monthly food parcels and essentials
• Emergency aid – in response to natural disasters, fires, or job losses
• Community upliftment – where we can, how we can

We go where others often don’t – to small towns and farm towns that don’t make the news. Because that’s where some of the strongest, kindest people are quietly surviving, needing just a little help to hold on.

But my commitment to George didn’t stop there.

I also launched The Market @ Transnet Transport Museum in George – not just as a way to generate income and support local entrepreneurs, but to create job opportunities, upskill individuals, and build a better economy, even if it starts small. We believe every sale, every stall, and every customer makes a difference.

And this market serves another mission – to showcase the Transport Museum, a place rich with both South African and local George history. Surprisingly, many locals haven’t even stepped inside. That needs to change. Because heritage matters. Preserving the stories of where we come from helps anchor us in where we’re going. If we can get more families, children, and visitors to walk through those museum doors, we’re not just running a market – we’re helping look after our heritage.

Through all of this, I’ve come to believe one thing deeply:
It is always better to give than to receive.
When you give, you heal something inside yourself. You rise with the people you help. You become part of something bigger.
So, if you’re reading this – from your home in George, or one of the farming towns we serve – remember that you have something to offer. A story. A skill. A helping hand. And if you’ve got your own story to tell, please tell it. Let your children hear it. Let your community remember it.
Because our stories matter.
Because where there’s hope, there’s always a way forward.

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About SA for HOPE NPC
SA for HOPE NPC is a George-based humanitarian organisation co-founded by Pieter du Plessis. For over 12 years, it has focused on drought relief, community upliftment, and emergency aid in small, rural, and often forgotten communities across South Africa. Their work restores dignity, one act of kindness at a time.

About The Market @ Transnet Transport Museum, George
Started by Pieter du Plessis, this growing local market creates job opportunities, supports small businesses, and brings renewed attention to the historic Transport Museum – a cornerstone of George’s legacy.

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E-Mail: info@saforhope.co.za 
Contact: +27 76 844 6435