PORT ALFRED: Jané Botha, a volunteer Sea Rescue crew member at Port Alfred, will swim in the sea for 12 hours on Saturday, 14 November 2026. She is raising funds for her sea rescue station and wants to make people in the Port Alfred area more aware of drowning prevention.
Jané will enter the water at East Beach at 06h00 and swim until 18h00. She will cross the river mouth to Kelly’s Beach and then swim back and forth behind the backline between the two beaches. She is asking individuals, businesses and the Port Alfred community to sponsor her by donating through her GivenGain page.
HOW TO SUPPORT JANÉ
- Donate: https://www.givengain.
com/project/jane-raising- funds-for-nsri-national-sea- rescue-institute-131923 - Share: Pass the GivenGain link on to friends, family and colleagues.
Every rand Jané raises goes to NSRI Port Alfred’s JetRIB fund. The station’s volunteer crew are on call around the clock and respond to emergencies along this stretch of the Eastern Cape coast.
Four years of service
Jané joined the NSRI in 2022, when she was 16, at Station 23 Wilderness. She qualified as rescue crew and has served her community for three years. In 2025 she moved to Port Alfred to study disaster management at Stenden University and joined the volunteer crew at Port Alfred.
This is her second fundraising swim. Her first, in 2023, was a great success, and this year she decided to take on the harder challenge of the open sea.
“I wanted to do something more challenging this time,” Jané said. “I’m swimming to raise funds for Station 11 and to get people in Port Alfred thinking about ocean safety and drowning prevention.”
To get ready she has been training hard, with open water swims, gym sessions, running, and strength and endurance work.
“A pleasure to have around”
Gerrit Cloete, NSRI Port Alfred station commander, said Jané’s attitude stands out at the station.
“Jané is one of those people whose positive attitude and enthusiasm make her a pleasure to have around. She always has a smile on her face and a kind word for those around her,” Gerrit said.
He said her determination showed early, when she qualified as operational crew at Wilderness as a teenager. “When she sets her mind to something, she gives it her all.”
“Jané is a valued member of our Station 11 family. Her willingness to take on such a demanding personal challenge to raise funds for the station is a reflection of her generous spirit and selfless nature. We are incredibly proud of her and fully behind her in this remarkable endeavour.”
A swim in memory of her grandfather
Jané is dedicating the swim to her late grandfather, Kiggie Botha, who died earlier this year.
“He taught me about resilience,” she said. “That’s what I’ll be thinking about out there.”
Safety on the day
Jané will have a support boat with her at all times. She will swim with a Pink Rescue Buoy, the NSRI’s symbol of drowning prevention, to help spread the water safety message.
