Our day starts at around 8:00 am when we drive up to the horse yard. It ends around 5 pm when we return to Nguni House. We usually take an hour-long lunch break, starting at around 12.30 or 1 pm, depending on rides, bookings, and other commitments.

Some days, we may start a little earlier or finish later depending on clients and hosting responsibilities.

Your responsibilities at the yard include assisting with the daily care of the horses. This includes taking temperatures, feeding, and grooming.

Once the horses have been fed, you will assist with other daily duties, such as back-up riding when we take local holidaymakers out, out-rides in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay, schooling the trail horses, riding at the beach, bringing horses back into work through groundwork, in-hand walking, and lunging.

You will also help keep the yard clean and tidy and assist with cleaning tack and other equipment.

You will get the opportunity to join full-day rides into the Transkei as well as the Riding with Touch workshop with Klara.

If you are staying 4 or 9 weeks, we have you scheduled to join a 2-night, 3-day Mini Beach Trail, and if you are staying for 10 to 12 weeks, you get to ride our week-long Wild Coast Horse Trail.

You'll get every Sunday off, giving you a chance to relax, rest, and explore the local area. You are welcome to help out at the yard on your day off if you feel like it, but you're not expected to!

If you need other days off to go shopping, see a health professional, or simply recover from a long day of riding, this can be arranged. Just chat with one of the guides about your needs and we'll accommodate you wherever possible.

Kei is a very safe place to live and walk around; the beach, pubs and cafes are all within easy walking distance. Despite that, we advise walking in pairs or groups if exploring the village at night and request that you lock all doors and close windows that do not have burglar bars on when leaving the house.

Nguni House is your home from home for the duration of your stay. Feel free to relax and unwind while being respectful of those you share the house with.

Please remember that you are sharing Nguni House with others. Please be considerate and keep communal areas tidy, and the kitchen clean. A cleaning lady comes in once a day to clean the house. Please, keep bedrooms tidy, packing your belongings away and keeping the floors clear, so that she can easily sweep and wash the floor.

When you need laundry done, please put it in the laundry bag provided, when it is full the cleaning lady will make sure it's washed for you.

Please note that Nguni House is on grid tided Solar Power.  Please turn off lights, fans and other electrics when not in use.  

Water - please save water and be mindfull of hot water use. 

You have access to free Wi-Fi throughout your stay. It runs on a small power pack if the power is off.

If there is load shedding (power is off for a short time) we will warn you so you can make sure everything you need is fully charged. Each room has a rechargeable light - please make sure it’s plugged in and charged so you won’t be left in the dark!

We live in rural South Africa – occasionally we might have a power outage or no water for a longer period. If this happens, we will ensure that you get the chance to charge phones and other devices and get a hot shower!

If you have any problems at the house – no hot water, not warm enough at night, leaking toilet, light not working etc., please let us know so that we can fix it!

You are staying at Nguni House on a self-catering basis, although following basics are provided:

Tea, Coffee, Sugar, Margarine, Salt, Pepper, Tomato Sauce, Mayonnaise,  Vinegar, Oil, Jam,  Peanut Butter.

Please let us know if there is missing stock that needs replacing.

Please don't throw out empty jars, please ask housekeeping to refill them.

All other groceries can be bought at the local shop which is open from 7:00 until 17:30, except for Sundays when it closes at 14:00. 

You are normally invited to eat out once or twice a week with one of our guides, or you are welcome to support local resturants and eateries at your leasure. 

1 to 3 week stays -  You are welcome to join a confirmed departure if one is booked during your stay.  We offer this to our riders on the Working Riding Holiday at a discounted rate.  

4 to 9 Weeks stay - Your holiday includes one FREE mini trail along the coast.   This is a 2 night 3 day adventure to Wavecrest and back. 

10 to 12 weeks stay - Your holiday includes one FREE trail along the Wild Coast as assistant back up rider and groom.  This is 5 nights 6 days staying at Seagulls, Wavecrest and Kob inn  on the Wild Coast Trail .

1. The ferry crossing over the Kei River

2. Lunches at local pubs and restaurants while out on day rides

3. Social evenings out in the village

4. Drinks, refreshments, and other snacks

5. Gratuities -

It is customary to pay gratuities in South Africa. In restaurants, you should allow for about 10% of your meal, and don't forget the domestic staff who work hard to keep your accommodation clean and do your laundry.

While we understand that this is a working holiday and you are helping our guides, they also work hard to make your stay as fun as possible, so leaving them a little something is a great way of showing your appreciation.

Please put your contributions for the guides and domestic staff in the envelopes provided with your feedback form at the end of your stay.

Kayaking trips, abseiling, Township Tour, Inkwenkwezi game reserve safari- all hosted by localguides and paid directly to them. If you would like to do any of them then please ask a team member formore information.

Haircuts, massages, beauty treatments - there are several spas, hairdressers and other serviceproviders in Kei Mouth and Morgan Bay. Just let us know if you’d like to book a treatment, and we’lladvise you accordingly.

 We get a lot of ticks in the area but they DO NOT carry Lyme Disease. Nevertheless, you can catch tick bite fever from an infected tick. This is easily curable but not very pleasant so, as a precaution, put on insect repellent under your clothes daily.

Use the ointment that is in your welcome pack!  

If you do find a tick attached to you - if you have a very itchy place, it could be tiny “pepper tick” - DO NOT SCRATCH ! Putt some of the ointment on it and it will die and release, then ask someone to help you to remove it with tweezers.

If the bite becomes infected, (red circle with a black centre) it may develop into tick bite fever. Symptoms include aching muscles, headache, lethargy (you may fee a bit “fluey” and swollen glands in armpit or groin. They also tend to get worse as the day goes on.

If you have a tick bite and any of these symptoms please tell someone as soon as possible and we will take you to get the correct medication.

1. Please follow the guides' instructions when handling our horses. They are used to certain routines and procedures and following these keeps them happy and relaxed horses.

2. Remember that each horse has its own personal space and individual personality. They are not riding school plods.

3. Please wait for the guide to assist with mounting. Girths need to be tightened in a specific manner as our saddles are different from English saddles.

4. When riding out, the lead rider will set the pace. Please do not pass the lead horse unless the lead rider instructs you to do so.

5. When walking, please ride your horse on a loose rein. In trot, take up a light contact and when cantering please take a firm contact on the reins and adopt a light seat (stand in the stirrups and lift your bum out of the saddle while allowing your upper body to incline slightly forward).

6. Should anyone fall off, DO NOT PANIC! The guides are qualified first aiders and will assess the situation. Should it be a minor tumble everyone will continue on the ride. Should the fall be more serious, the guides will call for help and advise you on what to do.

7. Please remember our horses are specialist trail horses adapted to the environment they work in. They are lean, long-distance athletes. They are barefoot because it helps them work effectively on Wild Coast terrain. It is normal for barefoot horses to pick their way carefully over rocky sections, just as people do!

Explore the Friendly Village

When you’ve got some free time, feel free to stretch your legs and explore our friendly village. Kei Mouth is a safe place where welcoming locals will be only too willing to offer advice and directions should you need them.

Reaching the Beach

The quickest way to reach the beach is to head back to the main road and then turn left down the hill. As the road bends to the right, you'll see a turn to your left. This road takes you to the infamous car ferry on the Great Kei River. It's also one of the quickest ways to get to the beach where you can dip your toes in the Indian Ocean.

Safety Note: DO NOT SWIM ALONE!  If you're feeling adventurous and plan on submerging more than just your toes, please be careful. The sea can be extremely dangerous, and all our local beaches have fast-moving rip tides that can quickly pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea.

If there are no lifeguards on the beach, please don't venture too far out to sea, staying around knee-deep.

Shops and Supplies

If you need groceries, toiletries, or other supplies, you can pick them up at the SaveMor on the main road just around the corner. Further down the hill, after the stop sign, you'll find the Oystercatcher, which stocks a wide range of local products, frozen meals, fresh bread,souvenirs, keepsakes, and Kei Mouth memorabilia.

Kei Mouth is home to several pubs and restaurants where you can enjoy a drink or two and indulge in delicious local food featuring seafood and traditional South African dishes. They often have great lunch time specials where you can sit in or take away.

The Yardarm Bistro and Bar offers local craft beers, a variety of nibbles, and specialties like slow-cooked pulled pork and a fantastic view of the river mouth!

The Bush Pig pub & grub is at the bottom of the hill and offers pizza, steak, fish & chip and other great seafood.

The Oystercatcher also has a small restaurant specializing in excellent coffee, soft-serve icecream, and home-cooked fare. They also have fresh bread for you to order.

Other options include The Country Club (opposite the horse yard), Beach, Beds, & Beyond, and Fisherman's Corner.

Drinks and Spa

Once you leave the comfort of Nguni House, any extras will be for your own account. This includes drinks at lunch stops and hotels, and any spa treatments and other activities you enjoy during your stay. Credit cards are accepted at all establishments

•  Julie-Anne (Owner) +27 825670972

• Melanie (Operations Manager +27 647429983

• The Yard 

• Bush Pig

• Beach & Beyond

• Oystercatcher

• The country Club

• Fishersmans Corner

• Fish Eagle River Cruise

• Great Kei Adventures 

• Game drives

• Massage & Spa treatments