Wade Naude connects the youth with the ocean. Through education and movement, he bridges communities that colonialism disconnected from nature. He’s just made his community back home proud after presenting at Sharks International.
Cape Town, South Africa (29 May 2026) – Wade Naude is the founder of local NPO, Strandlopers, and the inspiring Community Programme Coordinator at the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Education Centre (SOSF SEC) in Kalk Bay, as well as a language accessibility advocate.
Naude is riding a massive wave of community pride after presenting at Sharks International, the largest and most prestigious shark conference in the world, which was held in Sri Lanka this year.
“We are incredibly proud of the way Wade represented not only his research, but also the SOSF Shark Education Centre and his community on such a global stage…” shares the SOSF SEC, a local NGO that connects the public to the ocean through education programmes focused on sharks.
Wade’s journey to becoming an advocate for our oceans is incredibly inspiring. In his story shared by the SOSF SEC, Wade speaks about growing up in the under-resourced community of Magnolia Flats in Paarl. Wade only visited the ocean once or twice a year as a child.
Raised by his grandmother while his self-employed mother worked tirelessly as a hairdresser, he faced the challenges common to many young people growing up in the ghettos, where positive role models were scarce.
Determined to forge a different path, Wade chose a positive circle of friends who shared a love for dance. Together they brought joy to their neighbourhood, setting up Bluetooth speakers on street corners and organising community showcases, known as ‘Park Jams’, to give local kids a safe, creative outlet.
It was during this time that Wade fell in love with KRUMP, a highly expressive, high-energy style of dance born in Los Angeles as a peaceful outlet for youth dealing with surrounding violence.
He realised that movement could express complex emotions without needing words. It was a universal language.
Alongside his rhythm, a curiosity for science began to brew. In 2018, Wade took a leap of faith and enrolled in a Marine Science diploma at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. It changed everything. He found that no matter how far inland someone lives, everyone is inherently connected to the sea.
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Cape Town Kayakers Rescue Starving African Penguin Far Out to SeaIn 2020, he started doing clean-ups along the Berg River, which connects to the Atlantic Ocean. This clean-up initiative later grew to a community-driven non-profit organisation now known as Strandlopers. The organisation aims to connect inland communities to the ocean through educational programmes, awareness campaigns, and clean-up initiatives.
Throughout his journey, he noticed a profound disconnection between under-resourced communities and nature.
Naude saw that historic injustices like colonisation and apartheid forced Indigenous descendants – the Khoi and San, who were the original custodians of the land and sea – into environments focused purely on day-to-day modern survival.
“It makes it hard to appreciate nature if you have to worry about what you will eat tonight,” Wade explains.
Wade’s approach to ocean literacy has been turning heads. Last year, he took home the Best Speaker award at the 8th Southern Africa Shark and Ray Symposium for his presentation on ‘Decolonising the Terminology and Language in Marine Education.
Through his experiences and knowledge, Wade is able to connect with and educate children who visit the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Education Centre from under-resourced communities – like the one he grew up in. His daily mission is to break down deep-seated misperceptions and fears about the ocean by fostering positive connections instead.
“The issue is deeper than telling people in under-resourced communities to start recycling and conserving nature. We must find ways to reconnect them with nature by meeting them halfway.”
“Presenting alongside leading shark scientists, conservationists, educators and researchers from around the world is an incredible achievement, and a true reflection of his hard work, passion, and dedication.” shares SOSF SEC in celebration of Wade.
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