Sustainability

Treading lightly is a non-negotiable when you’re located in one of South Africa’s oldest fishing villages along the West Coast. Taking notes from his Swedish roots, Jonas Sandström created Paternoster’s first-ever sustainable guest house and self-catering properties with strict eco-conscious practices, allowing for a guilt-free South African holiday.

OUR PRACTICES - NATURE FIRST 

We know what the power of ecotourism and sustainable living can bring. That's why we have the following practices in place, ensuring that you have a wonderful stay while mother nature flourishes: 

  • All stocked beauty products are not animal tested, paraben-free and support local producers.
  • Solar electricity heats the saltwater pool and runs both properties.  
  • No bleaches or harmful chemicals are used in our cleaning products. 
  • Only local food products and organic cheeses are used for the breakfasts at our Guesthouse.  
  • We refill aluminum bottles with shower gel.  
  • We adhere to strict recycling.  
  • All grey water is used twice through a sophisticated piping and tank system.
  • All water harvested from showers, basins, dishwashers, and washing machine water is used for irrigation.  
  • All washing is done in-house to save water and reduce our carbon footprint.  
  • All roofs have rain-harvesting gutters. 
  • Our garden and rehabilitated green belt around the Guesthouse have been planted with indigenous plants.  
  • We only employ locals at Gonana. 
  • We promote local small producers of gin, beers, and wine.  
  • Our bread and marmalade are lovingly produced in-house. 
  • Every year we run a sustainability report and inventory to identify how and where we can improve to be even kinder to the environment.

Should you have any eco-friendly practices or ideas, please do get in touch with our team as being kinder to the environment is a group effort.