Location
  • South Africa
    • Cape Town
Length
1 to 52 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
15
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Host Family
Travel Type
Older Travelers

Pricing

Starting Price
2770
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Aug 09, 2023
Dec 28, 2021
15 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Volunteer in South Africa with Projects Abroad in the beautiful city of Cape Town. You’ll support local communities through our ongoing development programs.

There are several different volunteer opportunities in and around Cape Town. You can support early childhood development at disadvantaged care centers in the townships, or work as an intern with grass-roots organizations.

Cape Town is a traveler’s dream! During your free time, you can visit the iconic Table Mountain or go see the Big Five on a weekend away safari!

This is a beautiful country and we're proud of the work we're doing here.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Choose a project you are passionate about that fits your interests
  • Select your own start date and duration
  • Get 24/7 support from the local staff and head office team
  • Make a difference where it is needed most
  • Have fun exploring the country and its culture over the weekends

Popular Programs

Volunteer with Children in South Africa

Do volunteer work with children in South Africa and focus on supporting early childhood development.

Volunteer with Animals in South Africa

Gain practical experience with animals and support staff at a shelter or help rehabilitate seabirds at a rescue center.

Volunteer Teaching IT in South Africa

Teach computer skills to disadvantaged children and adults while experiencing life in vibrant Cape Town.

Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 30 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.85
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.8
  • Value 4.75
  • Safety 4.6
Showing 1 - 8 of 30 reviews
Default avatar
Marion
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Project surfing

This project left in my mind the memory of what I heard during these 2 months passed there, a precious thing for South African native people = The live is wonderful. It's what I understood with this project. It's remind that every moments in life must be full lived, loved, as for you than for me. To help and bring something of new to a disease or disable child or someone else, we have to love them, share and to live with them the full life. Definitely the world will be better when everyone will live like suffers, relax and kind.

What was your funniest moment?
When we tried to stand up on the board and the most of us didn't surf before. And then, the excitingly of children and to see this smiling on their face when they rushed by the sea with their little boards.
73 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Arthur
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Local Surf Lounge Academy

Shuan and everyone else at the academy are very welcoming and very passionate about their work. They have a great group of kids into whom they have instilled a real passion for surfing. Shane’s mentoring also seems to really help them learn how to live healthily and productively.

From a volunteers perspective, you get out of the project what you out in. You aren’t forced to do anything, but even if you aren’t good enough to teach the kids to surf there’s still lots you can do to help according to your strengths.

Through their reggae night (every Thursday, to help raise funds for the project) there’s also the opportunity to meet lots of local surfers who are very nice and generally very happy to go out and have fun with the volunteers.

82 people found this review helpful.
Response from Projects Abroad

Hi Arthur,

Thank you so much for sharing about your experience on the Surf Coaching project in South Africa! We greatly appreciate your help and support to keep these children healthy and out of trouble while learning a fun skill. Your feedback is very useful.

Please feel free to reach out to us in the future, as we would love to have you join us again!

Kind regards,

Courttani
Project Expert

Default avatar
Charlie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Projects Abroad Journalism Internship South Africa

Deciding to go on this internship trip with Projects Abroad was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It provided me with an opportunity to explore the city properly, experiencing true Cape Town life in order to discover article ideas. I could talk to incredible people and uncover hard-hitting topics hopefully making a difference as I did so.
Beyond this, I was able to work with incredible people not just from Cape Town but from around the globe and I have consequently made so many life long friends.
Being able to stay with a hist family also allowed me to properly experience South African culture and I know I will be in contact with my host family forever, they truly made my experience magical.
South Africa is an incredible country, journalism was an incredible choice and Projects Abroad is an incredible company to go with. 5 stars!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Get as involved as possible. You paid for your time there so make it worth every penny. Go out and find the stories, find the truths and make a difference to your life and everyone you meet over there.
78 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hi Charlie,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review of the Journalism project. Your effort was not only appreciated. We look forward to having you on another project or Internship in the near future!

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Default avatar
Milly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life-changing

My experience with Projects Abroad was like no other, I had so much fun working with kids and getting to know the other people on the trip and I’d do it again in a heartbeat! I felt like I was actually making an impact in the children’s lives which is so fulfilling and it made me want to help even more people around the world. The social part of the trip was great as well, they took us all around Cape Town to do loads of different activities including cycling, trampolining, surfing and going out for dinner. We also did a few community projects in the township where we gave out food and helped with a women’s day event, this was an incredible experience as we got to know loads of the people in the township as well as the children. If you want to travel and make even a small difference in the world, I’d 100% recommend projects abroad!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go in with an open mind and be willing to try new things.
94 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hi Milly,
Thank you for your review on our High School Specials, Care & Community Project in South Africa. I’m delighted that you had a positive and rewarding experience. Your involvement with the project is hugely appreciated by Projects Abroad and the local community. We look forward to you volunteering with us again.

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Default avatar
Svea
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

New experiences and new friends

I was in Cape Town for a Human rights and law project. We had a supervisior who always stayed near us, so we never felt insecure. Also our host family was super cool, we felt save and got the best meals everyday. However also the project was great. We met a lot of people, who were so impressive. They showed us, how they live even if most of them had no money. We tried to help them every time we were in the townships with cooking or creating schools. We also had a moot court to see the legal aspect in South Africa, it was an unbelievable experience to work on a case which really happend. To understand the whole topic between black and white people we visited a lot of museums and historical buildings. And next to all the beautiful moments, we met a lot of new people and found friends for life.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Always be open minded, even if people look different or have no money, they can be the nicest people you meet in your whole live.
98 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hi Svea,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this excellent review. Projects Abroad and the local community really appreciated your help on the High School Specials Law & Human Rights project in South Africa. We hope to see you again soon on one of our projects or internships.

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Default avatar
Lara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 week internship in SA

I did this internship because my school required us to do one at 16. I have been interested in human rights and law for a long time and thanks to this experience I know for sure that that is the path I want to pursue. The staff were very helpful before, after and during the trip. They gave me a lot of space to work on my own and with others despite my young age and I was able to get in direct contact with the clients. I felt very respected and felt like what I was doing actually had an impact which definitely makes it worth the expenses. I hope that I can go again and would recommend the trip to anyone who has an interest in law or any other subjects (projects abroad offers so many types of volunteer programs!). I still think about my experience very often and would recommend 100%

What would you improve about this program?
I heard many good stories about the different hosts but I was not completely happy with the one I had.
90 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hello Lara,
Thanks for leaving your review about our Law & Human Rights project in South Africa. It’s warming to hear about your story, what an experience you’ve had – I’m sure you’ll remember it for a lifetime! You are most welcome to volunteer or Intern with us in the future.

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Default avatar
Layla
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Farming in Cape Town

Young Farmers trip to Cape Town, I had the most amazing time learning how to plant fruits trees and vegetables. We made vegetable patches for families in the townships and it was great to feel you were making a difference.
We went to Sozo and helped plant some vegetables and make new patches. We also helped out at woman’s day, which was a really great thing to help out with, it was very inspiring seeing all the women doing their talks, it was great fun with the dancing and singing. We went on the peninsula tour and saw the penguins, which was lovely to see. The food was great and I tried many different foods, such as ostrich and kudu.
Of course coming to South Africa we enjoyed the safari and tourist things, such as skating and shopping. I had the most amazing experience that I will ever forget. Our host was amazing and did us delicious food.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most nerve racking moment was the travelling and meeting the host family but there was no need to be nervous. It was a little nerve racking waking around the main town of Cape Town with the crime of pick picketers etc.
89 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hi Layla,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this excellent review. Projects Abroad and the local community really appreciated your help on the Farming project in South Africa. We hope to see you again soon on one of our projects or internships.

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Default avatar
Bengu
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Human rights and law volunteering SA

I have never experienced anything quite like this in my life! I went to the human rights and law volunteering in summer, 2018 and it's incredible how big of an impact those 2 weeks can have. As someone who had never been to africa before, let alone Cape Town, it was an opportunity to see the different lifestyles and cultures of a new country. What surprised me the most was the religious and cultural diversity in Cape Town. We stayed with a host family for the 2 weeks with around 10 other volunteers and occasionally had our meals together. During our time there, we went to court and witnessed a man on trial for a rape case, went into parliament, were separated into 2 groups and had to solve a real-life murder case which had happened a few years back, met some volunteers from another school and practiced debating with them, amongst many other things. These experiences were incredible and I am so lucky to have been able to practice skills like these which I know will be essential for my future. During our spare time, our supervisors took us to see the cultural sites of Cape Town including the table mountain, the gangster museum, the parliament, robben island, the water front, boulders beach, and muizenburg beach where we were taught how to surf. we also had volunteering days once a week. The first week we went to a primary school where there were about 30 children and cooked for them, painted the outside of the building as it was worn away and played, sang and danced with the kids. The following week was womens day, so we held an event for all women who were previously imprisoned and painted their nails, gave them hand massages, brought food for them . From these 2 weeks, I made friends for life who although I only knew for 2 weeks have become some of my closest friends. I have learnt so much from this experience and done things which could not be possible without this volunteering program and would without any hesitation, recommend this program to everyone, regardless of whether or not you want to study law in the future.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
On our last day, we went to a South African restaurant and ate springbok, ostrich and another kind of meat which I had never tried before but they insisted we try as it was a traditional dish.
95 people found this review helpful.
Response from

Hi Bengu,

I'm so glad to hear you had a rewarding experience on our High School Specials Human Rights project in South Africa. Your effort towards the project is greatly appreciated. We can't wait to have you back again with Projects Abroad.

Harry Kent, Head Office Coordinator for South Africa

Questions & Answers