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Make A Difference

A Conscious Collaboration

The Instinct Surfwear brand, founded by World Champion Shaun Tomson in 1979, relaunched in South Africa in 2023 under a license agreement where for every product sold, Instinct will donate 1% in perpetuity to 9Miles Project.

The relaunch of Instinct was not just a business endeavour but a heartfelt commitment to empower underprivileged students through a variety of social and environmental initiatives – the rest of which will see the two brands releasing a collaborative apparel range that will help generate additional funding for the various community programmes 9Miles Project are involved with.

Make A Difference

How To Order

To get your hands on this quality, locally-made apparel range that will help fund our youth and community programmes, view the full product range below which is now available on a pre-order basis on the Instinct website.

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The Design

Rainbow graphic: The circular pattern, often synonymous with surf graphics particularly symbolising a sunrise, sunset or expansive landscape. In our case it was inspired by the number 9, encapsulating notions of progress, movement, a vibrant rainbow representing hope, and a resonant ripple effect– all of which align seamlessly with the core values of both of our brands.

The infusion of retro fonts and a carefully curated colour palette pays homage to the rich heritage of the Instinct brand, which originated in Durban in 1979. The hues evoke the essence of the ocean and sun, creating a nostalgic yet contemporary aesthetic that embodies the spirit of our collaboration.

Going the Distance: 9Miles tagline becomes a central component of the design as it represents how our two brands come together in a collective mission of embarking on this exciting journey together. It represents Instinct’s long-term commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable children and lays the foundation for future collaborations and projects.

"Relaunching Instinct in my hometown where I started it and incorporating revenue from every sale to empower underprivileged students is a dream come true. Business can solve big social problems but if I can just help with one small problem, the life trajectory of a student, then my mission will be fulfilled."

Shaun Tomson Founder of Instinct

"In the words of Nelson Mandela - May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. 9Miles has gone above and beyond the distance to provide the children in their care with hope and inspiration so that the choices they make are different to the circumstances they currently live in."

Cheryl Cornelissen Old Mutual

"I want to give a shout-out to the 9Miles Project team. My friends and I had a surf lesson on Saturday morning. My friends enjoyed themselves and want to have another lesson because it was so much fun. I was impressed by the professionalism of the team and the affordability. Feel free to reach out to 9Miles Project if you want to join their surf club every second Saturday or you can arrange for you and your friends/family to do it together.
Well done guys for going the distance!"

Sonja Arendse Surf client

"I've worked with many organisations over the years and personally, my experience is that 9Miles Project is one of the most professional, world-class, holistic NGOs that I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with."

Georgie Ravencroft AFMS Group

"I have not encountered a charity that can do so much with so little, and with so much energy, no nonsense, kindness and authenticity"

Kara Combrinck West Coast partner

"Really was amazing to see the respect and the confidence that the Project children exude... I have no doubt that these young lives will grow to be real role models and pillars of strength in their respective communities... Well done 9Miles Project for providing the platform for these young people to rise above their circumstances... And even more well done to the children of the Project for their willingness to become all that they believe themselves to be... Bravo Zulu to you all!"

Mario Fredericks Community member

“Nigel Savel is one of the most inspirational people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He sees the very best in people and is therefore always extremely encouraging and motivating. Every interaction he has with people, regardless of who they are, leaves them inspired and uplifted. It is his absolute gift! I work with Gr 7 learners from under-resourced schools and Nigel has come to speak to them about their purpose. I can see a visible change in the kids after his talks as it hits home to them that they are here for a reason, that they are loved and that they add value. He really gets them to believe that regardless of their circumstance, there is hope.”

Alnerié Turck Executive Director, Life Matters Foundation

"9Miles Project is doing life changing work that is vital to the future of not only the youth involved but also South Africa as a whole. Thank you to the whole team for doing everything that you do."

Shani Judes Wavescape

"Just to know where to give responsibly is a really key thing for me... to know a guy like Nigel is actually doing the work in a community where he lives just down the road...it's just so inspiring for one, but secondly, you know where your donations are going and that for me is key. There's a lot of things happening out in the world and South Africa, and you you don't quite know where your stuff goes...but here you are reassured that 9Miles is giving to the people who really need it most."

Alan van Gysen World Renowned Photographer & Writer
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