In today’s South Africa, the historic issues of apartheid linger on and serve as an appropriate foundation for volunteer activity in the country. Whether you intend to undertake volunteering solely or combine it with gap year travel, South Africa has many volunteer opportunities. Whether your interest is in children, conservation or recreation the country has something for you.
In St. Francis and Port Elizabeth, volunteers can interact with under-privileged children and teach them soccer or others sports. Due to economic disparity and the effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, there is a significant of poor residing in slums in many cities in South Africa. If these issues interest you, there are projects in many cities that target improvement of living conditions for slum dwellers. Typical activities in these projects include purchasing materials, preparation of sites and construction or alternative housing.
In Cape Town and St. Francis Bay, there are volunteer projects that allow you to learn surfing while attending to some need in an under-privileged child’s life. In addition to this, there are also programs run by churches that allow volunteers to provide food to under-privileged in South Africa. Lastly, in light of the abundant wildlife and conservation activities, volunteers can pick from a number of sanctuaries that offer volunteer opportunities in South Africa.
If you are interested in volunteering in South Africa you can make the choice to apply directly to an organisation or use agencies to facilitate the volunteer experience.
