About us

Who We Work With 


Shumbashaba was founded in 1992 originally as a riding program for the disabled. Over, the program has evolved over the years to become, in 2013, a nonprofit organisation focused on having a longterm impact in its community. 

Shumbashaba develops people to realise their unique worth and personal power. This fosters hope in homes and communities allowing people to build meaningful and purposeful futures. We incorporate nature and animals as a way of helping vulnerable children and adults develop self-worth, gain life skills, and the sense of empowerment needed to help them build a hopeful future.

We work alongside children and adults to develop self-worth, gain life skills and the sense of empowerment needed to build a hopeful future. The impact of Shumbashaba’s award winning public benefit services is felt in both privileged and under-resourced communities, with particular focus on the Diepsloot community. Diepsloot, a township of some 250,000 residents, is a township characterized by a majority population of youth who experience high levels of unemployment, poverty, crime, substance abuse, as well as child abuse and gender based violence on a daily basis.

Whilst we fully believe that formal education and skills training are essential to lift people out of poverty, none of this is possible if they do not have a positive sense of self. The focus of the Shumbashaba Community Trust is to support people to reach their full potential as physical, spiritual and emotional beings. We help people develop this potential through our therapy, learning, and sports and recreation programs.

Meet the team

SHARON BOYCE - FOUNDER OF SHUMBASHABA

I am passionate about the power of horses to help people in a myriad of ways and have made it my life's work to facilitate opportunities for people to come together with horses in therpeutic contexts.

I have had extensive interactions with horses ranging from competing at international lelvel in carriage driving and at national level in eventing to breeding South African sport horses to enjoying their presence in my backyard. However, my true passion is in Mental Health. As a registered psychologist, I believe that my calling is to bring together the power of the horses to help people and psychological theory and rigour together to help empower people.