Volunteer in South Africa

Volunteer and gap year placements in South Africa

Few countries have changed politically as much as South Africa in recent years.  It is a diverse and beautiful country, from the Kruger National Park to the stunning Kalahari Desert.  Volunteers generally work in private or state schools and their roles involve improving education levels of students with varying aptitudes and needs, or working in the outdoors leading adventurous activities.

Placement locations

Placement locations range from the industrialised cities of Johannesburg and Cape Town to smaller provincial towns and rural areas.

Is it for me?

Placements on offer range from assisting students with special needs in the classroom or leading group activities in outdoor camps through to teaching entire classes in remote rural areas blighted by AIDS. These placements will suit open minded, resilient, self-starters who are culturally sensitive and mature in attitude.

Roles explained

Schools Assistant placements vary considerably from private boarding and day schools, to state high schools.  Volunteer tasks may include such things as boarding house duties, after-hours supervision of students, sports coaching, tutoring of small groups in English, maths or IT and assisting with school administration.

Teaching placements are generally in schools in rural areas where facilities are very basic.  These are challenging placements where volunteers take responsibility for their own classroom and teach students in a range of subjects with limited aids and resources. Given the nature of these placements volunteers must be imaginative, determined and motivated. If you are looking to make a real difference these placements are truly rewarding and will change your life.

Outdoor Activities placements have an emphasis on skills building and teamwork.  They often involve working with children in the stunning wilderness of South Africa  At times these placements can be physically demanding.

Community placements are undertaken in orphanages and schools for either mentally or physically disabled children.  Volunteers assist with a full range of recreational activities.

School Assistant and Rowing Coach: Fantastic opportunity to work at a boarding school in South Africa. As a School Assistant you will assist the Rowing Coach with numerous rowing teams and one to one lessons. The volunteer will be responsible for helping to teach young students with very limited experience on the water and aiding the older more experienced teams in their preparation for races and regattas. Volunteers may also be given other responsibilities such as helping with school administration and boarding duties.

Accommodation and food

Accommodation is mostly in hostels or rooms attached to the host institution, where a system of self-catering has been established for volunteers. There are some placements however where volunteers will have meals provided for them. Food and accommodation is provided by hosts at all placements. However, some volunteers may wish to further supplement their diet. Depending on volunteer needs and the placement this may cost between £0-£20 a week

Need to know

Pre departure briefing – all volunteers are invited to a group briefing prior to departure On arrival – all volunteers will attend a three-day orientation and teaching skills course (for those who require it) on arrival in South Africa

Travel

Volunteers have the opportunity to travel before and after their placement.  For anyone seeking adventure, South Africa will deliver. From safaris to cage diving with crocodiles, hot air balloon flights over National Parks to shopping for designer goods, South Africa offers an inexhaustible range of experiences.  Don’t miss Cape Town and the Kruger National Park.  Make time to visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum to understand how much South Africa has changed in recent years.

Costs

• Lattitude Global Volunteering fee: £1,990

That works out at just £91 a week!

What’s included?

• In depth matching process to align your skills and interests with a placement that really suits you
• Assigned Volunteer Coordinator to help with all pre-departure support and offer guidance
• Pre-departure briefing
• Airport Pickup
• Accommodation & food (provided by host, volunteers may wish to supplement their diet)
• In-country orientation
• In-country support
• 24/7 support

Please note this fee does not include the cost of getting to South Africa or extras such as insurance or any inoculations you may need. For an estimated break down of all costs you may have to budget for please click here

Fundraising

As a charity we always recommend our volunteers fundraise to help meet the costs involved in volunteering overseas. In many ways it is part of the whole experience. For more information and fundraising ideas please click here

Planning your trip

Please note that the deadline is the last possible time allowed to get an application form in that allows us enough time to match volunteers and begin sorting out visas.

We always recommend applying as early as possible in order to secure your place. We are currently accepting applications for departures up until 2014.

Apply now>>