Make a difference. Make unforgettable memories.

Spier’s Growing for Good initiatives empower our communities to unleash positive social and environmental change. With Time for Good, hotel guests are invited to be a part of the action! Book one of these inspiring activities, and we guarantee your visit to our historical wine farm will be meaningful, moving and memorable. Whether you’re on a family getaway, a romantic escape or travelling as a group, Time for Good activities are an essential, unforgettable add-on to your Spier experience. They take place either on our farm or in the surrounding community.

What will it be? Getting your hands dirty while planting trees or volunteering in our food garden? Harvesting and tasting wine in our organic vineyard? Cooking soup for the community in winter? The choice is yours!

Volunteer in our Food Garden

On a tour of our Food Garden, you’ll learn all about regenerative agriculture and permaculture gardening from our team of friendly, knowledgeable gardeners — and you'll get to meet the pest control patrol: a paddle of runner ducks! From R75 per person, tours are available all year round, take about 30 minutes, and are suitable for groups of 10 – 25 pax.

Fancy getting dirt under your fingernails? Volunteers are welcome in our tranquil garden to help cultivate nutrient-rich and delicious produce without the use of inorganic pesticides or artificial fertilisers. Your time will be well spent, whether weeding and harvesting, or packing seedlings and veggies to donate to local community feeding schemes. From R50 per person, morning sessions are bookable all year round, last up to 4 hours (according to your timing preferences), and are suitable for groups of 4 – 20 pax.

Donate essentials to under-resourced schools and the elderly

Do you have space to spare in your suitcase? Fill it with essential items to donate to some of the Winelands’ most vulnerable residents. As a proud member of the global initiative Pack-for-a-Purpose, we’ll distribute any school stationery, art supplies, children’s books, educational games and sporting goods you bring to under-resourced rural schools. If you’re able to pack adult toiletries, bedding and other household items, we’ll pass these on to Zandvliet Care Facility which looks after the elderly.

Contributions are welcome all year round. Please click here to see what supplies are needed for our projects.

Tackling poverty one seedling at a time

Enjoy an inspiring tour of the Tree-preneurs nursery on our farm, home to 23 000 indigenous plants! Project Manager Lesley Joemat has empowered dozens of “Tree-preneurs” living in impoverished communities to grow indigenous trees and plants. Once the seedlings reach a certain height, Tree-preneurs exchange them for essentials such as food vouchers, clothing, agricultural goods, tools, bicycles and educational support.

A R20 donation per person includes an indigenous, waterwise succulent (planted in a repurposed coffee cup) to take home. 1-hour tours are bookable all year round and are suitable for individuals or groups of up to 15 pax. Can’t make the tour? For just R10 each, you can buy a succulent from Tree-preneurs to help support the vital work they do.

Taste wines in our organic vineyard

There’s no one better than Organic Winemaker Tania Kleintjes to show you around our farm’s organic vineyards. After the tour, unwind between the vines while Tania gives you a taste of our three acclaimed organic Farm House wines. The tour price includes two organic wines to take home. If the tour falls during the annual harvest (typically a several-week period in February and March), you’ll be able to help pick and taste the perfect grapes.

From R750 per person (including a tasting of three Farm House Organic wines and two bottles to take home), the 2-hour tours can be booked on weekdays in February and March from 10:00 – 12:00, and are suitable for groups of 5 – 12 pax.

Volunteer at the Sustainability Institute

A close neighbour and frequent collaborator of Spier, the Sustainability Institute runs a range of activities and programmes to create more equitable and generative futures. When volunteering at the Institute's Permaculture Food Garden, you can plant, harvest and learn about indigenous wild foods. Alternatively, spend time at the Living Soils Community Learning Farm at Spier. Other volunteer opportunities at the Institute include tree-planting, knitting, children’s reading circles and youth sports. Tours can be booked to find out more about the Sustainability Institute’s campus and learn about its educational programmes and the renowned Lynedoch Ecovillage – a groundbreaking experiment in sustainable development and living. A variety of volunteer opportunities are available all year round, and are suitable for individuals or groups of up to 60 pax.

Explore regenerative agriculture and recycling

Our Segway tours aren’t just about having fun in the fresh air, they’re also a great way to learn about Spier’s mission to respect and nurture the planet. Glide past our organic vineyards and get the lowdown on all things green — from recycling to regenerative agriculture. Along the way, you’ll meet free-roaming chickens, visit our eco-friendly wastewater treatment plant (which recycles 100% of the farm’s black and grey water), and stop by our tranquil Food Garden, where delicious produce is cultivated without artificial fertilisers or inorganic pesticides.

From R650 per person, the customised 2-hour tour can be booked all year round for groups of 5, 10, or 15. Not suitable for children under the age of 12.

Venture with raptors into the wild

Walk amidst Cape fynbos while majestic hawks fly overhead. Learn how birds of prey provide natural pest control to keep our farm’s ecosystems healthy. ‘Into the Wild’ sessions begin at Eagle Encounters — the raptor rehabilitation, conservation and education centre at Spier — with an introduction to falconry. Then there’s a leisurely farm hike while Harris hawks keep you company. Prefer to visit Eagle Encounters without booking an Into the Wild session? No problem. Enjoy exhilaratingly close encounters with birds of prey (eagles, owls, kites and buzzards), as well as spectacular interactive flying shows. Meet other critters, including foxes, snakes and lizards.

From R500 per person and for a minimum of 2 pax, Into the Wild sessions are available all year round, take place between 17:00 – 18:00, and can be booked for groups of up to 10 pax. From R100 per person (R75 for children), entrance to Eagle Encounters (including access to the flying shows) are available all year round between 09:30 and 17:00. Suitable for individuals and groups of up to 70 pax.

Become a patron of the arts

The Creative Block project invites artists, both established and emerging, to create work on a small blank block. The blocks are submitted for critique, and the best are purchased and made available for sale to visitors – and showcased across the farm. Creative Block is ideal for the budding art collector. With a modest budget, you're able to establish – or expand – a collection of delightfully diverse artworks. This will ensure you are among the early collectors that help to support artists at the beginning of their careers. We invite you to see how a collection of Creative Blocks displayed together becomes a newly created, composite “artwork” that honestly expresses contemporary South African society. Available in a variety of sizes, blocks are for sale all year round: 18x18cm (R1500 each), 20x30cm (R2000 each), 30x30cm (R3200 each) and 38x30cm (R3600 each).

Curious to learn more about South Africa’s thriving art scene? A walking tour showcasing the highlights of Spier’s art collection (one of the country’s largest) is available upon request.

Connect and craft with local artisans

The vibrant Craft Market at Spier is a sustainable social enterprise that improves local livelihoods, provides eco-friendly shopping and adheres to Fair Trade principles. As you browse the stalls, you can chat with the talented artists and artisans creating striking art and design. Their one-of-kind pieces range from paintings, carvings and jewellery to beadwork, textiles and ceramics. There are also extraordinary items made from recycled and upcycled materials.

Give it a go! Individuals and groups can book a fun Make-it-Yourself session, covering painting, jewellery-making, beadwork or wirework. Our experienced artisans will share their techniques and know-how, encouraging you to unleash your own creativity. From R250 per adult and R195 per child, 1-hour crafting sessions can be booked from September – May for individuals or groups of up to 30 pax. Exclusive crafting sessions for groups are available all year round in a private meeting room at an additional cost, and for a minimum of 10 pax. All materials and making equipment are provided.

Ready to make your stay at Spier Hotel meaningful, moving and memorable? Email your Time for Good booking request to reservations@spier.co.za.

Some activities are only available to Spier Hotel guests and meeting delegates. Published rates are subject to change without prior notice and exclude transfer fees. All activities need to be pre-booked and are subject to availability. Minimum rates apply for some activities. Rates are not commissionable to third parties.