Location
  • South Africa
    • Cape Town
Length
1 to 24 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Housing
Hostel

Pricing

Starting Price
250
Price Details
Fully hosted experience from only $250 for 1 week - this includes airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support.
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Jan 05, 2023
Mar 01, 2023
101 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Trusted by 124,000+ volunteers, IVHQ offers the world's most popular volunteer programs in South Africa and 50+ other destinations around the world.

Choose from 10 meaningful and life-enriching projects, ranging from Teaching and Sports Development in Cape Town to Wildlife Conservation in the renowned Kruger National Park.

Your fully-hosted experience includes airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support. You’ll be accommodated in a volunteer house with other like-minded, impact-focused travelers from around the world.

IVHQ offers a multi-layered support network, so even before you depart, you’ll receive outstanding service from your IVHQ Program Manager and gain exclusive access to volunteer training and preparation tools.

Are you ready to immerse yourself in a new culture while making a difference? Join our community of travelers who have spent over 7 million hours supporting local communities.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • IVHQ’s South Africa program is available year-round, starting on the first and third Monday of every month (some projects start every Monday!)
  • Fully hosted volunteer experiences from $25/day - IVHQ provides the most affordable and top-rated programs
  • You'll be joining a global network of 124,000+ volunteers backed by the world’s leading team of volunteer travel experts - IVHQ’s outstanding safety systems and track record set them apart as the world’s safest organization
  • Support impact-driven volunteer projects run by locals within your host community
  • Flexible booking and free changes so you can register with confidence

Popular Programs

Childcare Project

As a Childcare Volunteer based in Cape Town, you'll help enrich the lives of children by supporting day-to-day activities at a local childcare center. Tasks include teaching, tutoring and caring for children, organizing games and activities, and helping with general duties to ensure the center runs smoothly and efficiently. This is a unique opportunity to explore the stunning city of Cape Town while giving back to the local community.

Teaching Project

Many primary schools in Cape Town run off low budgets, with few teachers, high workloads and little chance for students to get close attention. As a Teaching Volunteer, you'll be placed in a low-income primary school helping to create better learning environments and education standards for children aged 7-14. You'll support teachers by teaching subjects such as basic Mathematics, English and more.

Sport Development Project

Are you passionate about sports and youth development? As a volunteer on this project, you can share this passion with children who don't typically have access to physical education at school. Based in either Cape Town or Table View, you'll have a chance to explore South Africa's beauty while helping local children develop their physical and social skills.

Surf Outreach Project

Regardless if you're a pro surfer or just a beginner, you can join IVHQ's Surf Outreach Project and help provide structure, learning and new skills to children from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Divided into two parts, you'll first work independently with a surf instructor to develop your own surfing skills, and then work with children from the community to help improve both their surfing abilities and general life skills.

Wildlife Conservation Volunteering in South Africa - Kruger

Love animals, the outdoors and want to be a Wildlife Conservation volunteer ? This is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to assist at Kruger - a reserve home diverse wildlife and scores of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalo. Volunteers will gain conservation experience and knowledge while being immersed in life on the reserve, enjoying the spectacular natural environment and making a meaningful contribution to its long-term sustainability and success.

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating
based on 73 reviews
  • 5 rating 95.89%
  • 4 rating 2.74%
  • 3 rating 1.37%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.75
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.8
  • Value 4.9
  • Safety 4.55
Showing 1 - 8 of 73 reviews
Default avatar
Rafael
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best experience of my life

I went there to teach PE classes for a month and it was the best experience of my life, I learned so much, met so many amazing people and was able to help a little bit. I would do it all over again. The country is so beautiful as well as the people, there is so much to do and so little time that you are constantly wishing for more time to do all things you’d like. The stuff are super supportive, the food is good but maybe it could be more nutritious. Overall is an experience everyone should live at least once.

Pros
  • Amazing place
  • Amazing experience
  • Amazing people
Cons
  • The country is not the safest
Default avatar
Joseph
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Outreach 2 Enrich

From start to finish everything was great. The booking process was easy. The team in South Africa contacted me to arrange pick up at the airport and they were there to meet me. Settling in was easy as the hosts and volunteers welcomed me. I am retired and most of the volunteers were younger people but they included me and the other older volunteers in everything. The accommodation was clean and tidy and the food was superb, prepared by a lovely cook.

Travel to the place of the programme each day was arranged and always on time. At the Sports Development programme I was welcomed by the leader, a lovely local gentleman who was thoroughly respected by all the children. Working with him and the children was a dream, as well as educating the children we had great fun and I learned a lot about the local cultures and myself. Things I will remember and friendships I will keep for the rest of my life.

We had plenty of free time to do social activities. Group activities like walk up Table Mountain and Muizenberg Mountain as well as things like quad biking, shark cage diving, whale watching, to watching lovely sunsets. I also did my own individual activities, swimming and cycling

I would recommend the Cape Town programmes to everyone. You will have a superb time. Renae and her team will really look after you. I am arranging to go again in the near future.

Pros
  • Meeting people from various parts of the world
  • Insight into local cultures
12 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

2 weeks wildlife conservation volunteering

I spent 2 weeks doing my volunteering because it was a very last minute opportunity for me, if I had more time to plan it I would have Definatly done longer! The experience I had here was incredible. IVHQ were so much help, with it being so last minute I was worried about getting everything done quickly and they helped with everything, and followed up with me during my stay. Everything about this adventure made it a once in a lifetime experience, from the scenery to the people you meet! I can’t wait to start planning my next one.

21 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Andrew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sports Development

Amazing experience, from the airport pickup to my 3 weeks in the volunteer house. Met some amazing people from all over the world that I will be staying in contact with, and managed to make a difference to a local community. Fell in love with the children at the school! I would suggest going for longer than you think, my time went so fast and wish I had went for longer. 100% recommend for anyone who wants to travel but also gain experience/make a difference to society. Such a rewarding experience that I will hold close to my heart forever!

Pros
  • Support
  • Friends
  • Travel
Cons
  • House food
24 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Axel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Live, learn, help in Kruger

Living in the reserve and being there 24/7 is something else. You never stop learning about nature even if you´re just relaxing in the camp. Having the opportunity to learn from locals and just be surrounded by nature teaches you things you would never be able to learn anywhere else.

Not only do you get to help nature develop safely, but you also get to know people from all over the world that shares the same values as you. Even though 2 weeks or 1 month of being with the same people might not seem that much time, living, working, eating, sharing spaces with them, enable to build strong relations with each other.

Im sure not only I got to grow as a person, but I also got to make some amazing friendships.

Pros
  • Learn about interactions between nature you would not be able to learn anywhere else.
  • Help the nature and biodiversity by gathering data.
  • Meet people from all over the world that share your values.
Cons
  • Share spaces with people. Not many chances to be alone.
  • If there are many volunteers, activities might not feel challenging enough.
  • Not many chances to get out of camp on your own.
21 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dr. Jarmese
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Selfless Experience Ever

Thank you IVHQ for an awesome week of serving, teaching, and empowering. We look forward to 19 more years!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well look at our last day of impact at Christian David School. https://www.facebook.com/112967628071286/posts/pfbid02deDikrc3ewmGHc2nnrkYFwJZsYfXDCREoioahnDJXxL8AEjxJdCDZzVaMgwprByYl/

We look forward to serving youth in Puerto Rico in June 2023 and sharing the same thank you message that our Leading & Serving in South Africa Experience did as well: https://youtu.be/BJnwqS_K6uw

Pros
  • Scenery
  • Impact
  • Empowerment
Cons
  • Dress warm in South Africa in July
29 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Natalia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Sports Development in South Africa

IVHQ made the planning process of my trip very simple and straightforward. They connected me with the local team in South Africa (Outreach2Enrich) very early on. The local team was truly the highlight of my stay. They were very open and supportive both before and during my time with them. They helped facilitate plans for activities in and around Cape Town that I probably would not have managed to do on my own. The programs they run are truly commendable and they help make the volunteer house a community of its own. I will never forget the time I spent in the Sports Development program or the amazing people I met along the way. I cannot recommend this experience enough.

Pros
  • Great balance of volunteering and free time
  • Get to meet people from all over the world
  • Working with the local school and staff
Cons
  • Should have planned a longer trip
35 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Regina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering in South Africa

This has definitely been the best experience I’ve had in my life and in this review I will tell you why.
On my first day I was really nervous, because it was my first time traveling all on my own and obviously this scared me a lot, but as the days passed that fear turned into joy, happiness and love. Everything in my time as a volunteer was jut perfect, starting with the accommodation, a perfectly located and really clean house with enough space for everyone. Then, our adviser Renae, who was always kind and willing to help us in every aspect that she could. Moving on to the food, I can say that I enjoyed every single meal from my month in South Africa, I got to try new things and I absolutely loved it. Finally, the kids from the childcare program, I can’t explain with words everything that those kids taught me. From the very first day I walked into the classroom they drowned me with love and kindness and the best part is that every day was the exact same thing, no matter what was the situation at their homes, they always walked into the school with a big smile and willing to transmit all their love to everyone.
I can say that going into this volunteering program was the best decision I have ever made, I learned and lived incredible things and I think that this is an experience that everyone should have, I will definitely recommend this and my time in South Africa will stay in my heart forever.

Pros
  • Self growth
  • Meeting amazing people
  • Learning about other cultures
Cons
  • Saying goodbye is really hard
  • Getting to attached
  • End up missing the place and the people
28 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Georgiy, IVHQ has a fantastic range of options for teen volunteers - whether you are traveling independently or with a parent/guardian. You can check out this page to start exploring your options: www.volunteerhq.org/high-school-volunteer-abroad/ or reach out to our team directly for personalized recommendations: [email protected] :)

Volunteers 18 years or older can participate on an IVHQ program alone. However, children under18 must be participating in a group with with a parent, guardian or family member who is 18 years or over.