GVI: Internships in South Africa

As an intern on Karongwe, you get the wonderful experience of being in the middle of the bush. Nothing can beat it. The staff is amazing and always willing to answer questions and help out no matter what. As an intern, you learn how to service and look through camera traps, how to use telemetry equipment, how to be a leader for projects on base, and get to immerse yourself in a new culture. No day out in South Africa is the same. There are always wonders awaiting you. Every day brings magical experiences, one day you may see the Cheetah boys drinking at a dam, or they suddenly walk in front of the car while on a Bird Survey. Another day might have you experience and see the elephants walk in front of the car to munch on the newly green leaves rain has brought.

I am a thirty-something from Pennsylvania who ventured to GVI Limpopo South Africa. I decided to take a break from my current career and get involved with the wildlife conservation internship. I was there for a total of 5 weeks. I loved the experience so much I extended a week while on base. I would recommend this program to anyone who is a nature enthusiast and especially big 5 animal lover. You will get the most out of this experience if you stay 6-8weeks. Being self-directed is an important skill to be fully invested in the impact you are making. Get used to little sleep, cold showers, bad coffee, fluctuating temperatures and hand washed laundry, it is part of the experience. If you can go with the flow and don’t mind a minimal, communal living you will love this adventure. Every morning you watch the sunrise and every evening the sunset. I am a learner for life, so the internship program was a great way to stretch my “book brain” since it has been sometime since formal in-school education. You will learn everything from animal behavior, bird identification and calls, invertebrate and soil surveys, trees and invasive species, reserve work and more. The most amazing take away is all the friendships you will acquire for a lifetime. Go, Enjoy and don’t forget your camera!!!

I've been interning with GVI in Limpopo, South Africa for a little over a month now and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I have always wanted to do conservation work in Africa and GVI made that dream possible. Interns work 6 days a week with Sundays off. We go on two game drives, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. We all have different responsibilities on drives whether its entering data, using the telemetry or preparing snacks for mid drive. Every day you can see something different. My favorite sighting so far was when we witnessed a leopard chase down an impala. Or it might be when a herd of elephants walked right passed the cruiser. I don't really know there are just too many moments! If you intern with GVI in South Africa you will definitely experience moments like this as well. It is a lot of work here but it is rewarding. You meet new people who have the same interests and goals as you and they can turn into lifelong friends. I recommend doing an internship with GVI.

My experience with GVI has been absolutely incredible. The staff team from the very beginning were extremely helpful from the planning of the trip, to continuous support throughout my time in South Africa. The programme itself was more than I could have hoped for. I was able to assist with everything from research drives taking data on the big 5 and focus species, to surveys for birds and invertebrates, community teaching, and reserve work. The internship itself is very well organised and working towards the Biological Survey Techniques qualification over 12 weeks provides continuous new opportunities and ensures you feel like you are always learning! Every day is exciting and you never know what’s going to be behind the next bush! Highly recommend to anyone with an interest in wildlife, science and conservation 😊

I started this adventure to make a career switch because I'm passionate about wildlife and especially the big mammals. I wanted to switch careers between working with humans to working with animals. Beside some volunteerwork, I didn't have a lot of experience with the bush or the safari life. Spending my time at the Limpopo base has been absolutely wonderful for me. The programs focus isn't only on mammals, they got me interested in bird watching, trees, invertebraes and reptiles. At every occasion I now grab my binoculars to watch some amazing birds here! I feel like I learned so much and I'm very excited to share this knowledge to my friends and family back at home. Life at base feels like one big family. In just a short amount of time you get so close to everyone. Especially because everyone here is very passionate and like-minded. I would highly recommand this program for people searching a career in conservation, it is a first step in the right direction.

In 2017 I completed a 2 week Volunteer trip with GVI at the Karongwe Big 5 Game Reserve. The experience I had then blew my mind and I simple had to get myself back out to South Africa and immerse myself fully into the experience. In 2019 I found myself re-entering the gates of the reserve about to partake on a 6 week long wildlife conservation internship. It was simply amazing being back, with base feeling instantly like home to me. When you share your living and study space with others of the same mentality, drive and ambition the interactions and conversations never fail to disappoint. From testing each other on our bird knowledge, having drum lessons under the light of a full moon to sharing stories of the days drives around the heat of the brie pit...unbeatable!!
The reserve has a metapopulation of Cheetah as do most across Southern Africa, the focus was KCF the newly transferred young female. We would spend our drives tracking her movements and interactions with the male coalition KZN (Kwa, Zulu & Netal) as well as the other predators on the reserve. It was fascinating plotting GIS maps which pinpointed her home ranges as well as close encounters with the Lion pride, Sub Zero at their helm.
We would inevitably encounter all the big 5 during our general reserve drives and log additional data for Birds of Prey, Kills, Rhino IDs, hyena dens etc. Being so close to such monumental animals was within itself mind blowing although when submerged by so much beauty from the land beneath us to the ever changing sky above us I found myself being taken aback by such small seemingly overlooked things. From the first break of morning sun across the mountain tops to the scurrying sounds of dung beetles battling over the mounds of dirt covering the path in front of us. Reserve work drives were always an entertaining experience too; heading out to the bush working on tree management, invasive species control, bush clearance, tree planting and land rejuvenation. When the sun began to set behind the mountains we'd make tracks back to base with sweat soaked shirts, grubby skin and achy limbs but we'd all feel an over powering sense of accomplishment and pride that we'd actively made a positive impact to the running of the reserve and the protection of all the wonderful curiosities held within.
There is something utterly simplistic that touches my heart in a place like this, being cut off from the outside world to bask in the greatness of mother nature. Watching how everything is so expertly entwined together and being a part of protecting something so special and significant to our own existence it's something I urge all of us to do and feel at some point in life.
Life on base is enough to rave about in itself but we're surrounded by an untold amount of places to adventure and experience. I made the most of my Sunday's and mini weekends to explore places like the epic Kruger National Park, took a drive through the Panoramic Route, visited Jessica the Hippo and spent an afternoon at HESC were I saw the King Cheetah for the first time...out of this world!!
Becoming part of the GVI family has expanded my mind and heart in so many ways, I was filled with so much new knowledge during both my stays at Karongwe and I am left thirsty for this journey to continue. I have signed up to complete my full 6 month internship back on the same base...it just goes to show how much of a lasting impression the place, people and wildlife had on my soul.
GVI has given me the confidence to push myself in ways I didn't think I ever could, I have found the courage to leave my job of 8 years in Central London to chase my dreams of working in wildlife conservation full time. My glass is already filled with so much priceless hands on experience and with my continued path into this field with GVI I believe my opportunities will be endless whether abroad or home in England. I am excited to see where this next year takes me and will forever be thankful to the GVI team in the UK and South Africa for being a part of it and turning my dreams into reality!!

After finishing uni and graduating with a zoology degree, I decided to apply for the wildlife conservation internship in Limpopo. Living and working in the bushveld for 6 weeks was one of the most inspiring and unforgettable experiences of my life! It has always been a lifelong goal of mine to work alongside African wildlife and visit the beautiful country that is South Africa so this project was a dream come true!

From the moment I stepped off the plane at Hoedspruit airport, the staff were super helpful, friendly and accommodating. I knew living conditions would be basic and day to day life different from what I was used to, but all worries were immediately put to rest. Life in the bush was fun, educational and eye opening. Every staff member and volunteer that I met were lovely and although we all had come from different backgrounds we all shared a similar passion for wildlife and conservation. I would definitely recommend staying for longer than 2 weeks if you can!

What is particularly great about GVI is that it is so accommodating to volunteers no matter their experience. Useful training is provided during the first week to ensure everyone makes the most of each research drive. No matter your background every person leaves having gained or learnt something new. A typical day will include two research drives, tracking the lion and cheetah and recording data for other species along the way. You will never be short of incredible sightings; from elephants walking right up beside the vehicle to the more elusive leopards in the trees. I was lucky enough to even see a brown hyena!

I highly recommend booking a project with GVI. I learnt a huge amount during my time there and now have an even greater appreciation for wildlife conservation. It has opened up new ideas and opportunities for me and given me confidence in my future career path. I have made the most amazing friends who I still keep in contact with and hold the most special memories. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

This was an incredibly beneficial internship, which have me the opportunity to develop myself professionally whilst also working alongside likeminded people and meeting inspiring figures from within the local community. The role involved tackling various challenges that arose when starting up new enterprises in a developing country and has given me a great grounding in a variety of aspects of business, from marketing to supply chain and pricing.

At the same time, it gave me a chance to explore a beautiful part of the world and immerse myself in a new culture.

It’s also helped massively in terms of helping my career propects, giving my CV a massive boost and also playing a big part in enabling my to secure a graduate role.

The internship is at times daunting and is not without its challenges but is without doubt one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and I would 100% recommend it to people of any age or experience.