Volunteering Projects in South Africa from $46 per day

As its name suggests, South Africa is the most southern country on the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia to the north west, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, and Mozambique to the north east. South Africa is roughly 5 times the size of Britain, and covers 1.2 million sq km. South Africa was isolated politically and economically for a long period of time, as other countries protested against their racial discrimination known as apartheid (apartness). That era ended in 1994 when the ANC (African National Congress) was elected to power, led by Nelson Mandela. Pressure from ANC, other black political organizations, and the international community forced an apartheid government to pass a referendum in 1992, for everyone to vote in free and fair election.

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In South Africa, the seasons are predominately summer and winter. The autumn and spring seasons are very fleeting. Finding itself at South Africa’s northernmost area and bisected by the tropic of Capricorn, visitors to Limpopo can expect sunshine, long summer afternoons, and dry days for most of their stay. Summer (October to March) in the Limpopo province can reach 30°C -35°C during the day. The winter is dry and very pleasant. Although the temperature can fall below 5°C at night, the days can present clear blue skies and temperatures in the low 20s.

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Teaching Assistance/Tutoring in Soweto and Venda: Volunteers with varying skills will be able to help in areas of academic and skill development through mentoring and tutoring activities. Assist with teaching at preschool, primary or secondary level. At primary and secondary levels, volunteer teaching assistants can help teach core subjects, such as English, mathematics, life skills, health and hygiene, and science. The subjects will be relative to each school’s needs, however the greatest need is typically in mathematics and science, particularly at the secondary school level. There will be additional opportunities for tutoring, career development, and organizing extracurricular activities for students. At the preschool level volunteers will teach basic English skills and carry out basic childcare duties. A teaching qualification is not required but volunteers need to be confident in the above subjects and preferably have, or are studying towards a university degree.

Childcare in Venda: Volunteers may work in settings such as day care centres or "places of safety" in the community. The town’s Children’s Home and certain foster home situations are referred to locally as "places of safety". As a volunteer, you can help by working with children ages 2-6, helping with general caretaking like handing out porridge and brushing teeth, teaching English, reading, writing, and pronunciation. In addition, simple mathematics and counting, body hygiene, crafts, and educational games for younger children may be available as well. Volunteers will be able to use this time to display their mentoring experience, and motivate the students toward a positive future.

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Teaching assistants typically work weekdays, approximately 7 hours per day. There is a small variation in hours depending upon the time of year. The hours are generally longer during the school terms. Those volunteers in childcare centres will normally have a busy afternoon schedule as children are done with school for the day, however there are some morning shifts where the children are under school age. Weekends are the normal days off.

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Volunteer placements are in the Orlando West, Soweto area and in the main town of Thohoyandou, Venda and its surrounding villages: Manamani, Dzwerani, Shayandima, and Itsane. This is about 4.5 hours north of Johannesburg within the Vhembe District, situated in Limpopo, the northernmost province of South Africa.

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Some placements will have a stock of toys, but in most cases resources are limited. Classrooms do typically have a blackboard and chalk up front and sometimes even a bulletin board at the back. You may like to take donations of goods with you to distribute or use in the program. If you do choose to fundraise or donate items, please consult the list of suggested items in the Program Guide you will receive later.

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Vegetarians are very welcome. Host families are happy to accommodate this. If you are not a vegetarian, meat is typically served a couple times a week. If you have a particularly restricted diet, you need to indicate this on your application form.

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No. There is an orientation process when you first arrive to help you adjust to your new surroundings, determine a schedule, and answer your questions, supervision and general guidance are provided throughout your placement. Volunteers are however expected to be confident in carrying out their program activities without further training.

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Prices will vary according to your country of origin, time of travel, and time of purchase. However, on average, return tickets to Johannesburg cost between US$800 and US$1,000 from Europe and between US$1,300 and US$2,300 from elsewhere.

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Volunteers simply need to organise their travel arrangements such that they arrive at OR Tambo Airport (in Johannesburg) prior to the official commencement date of the program. Our partner will meet you at the airport and bring you to your first night’s accommodation. For the Soweto volunteers you will be taken to your host family. For the Venda volunteers, you will be taken the next day to the project site. Upon completion of your placement, our partner can help you arrange transport back to the Johannesburg area or the airport, but this will be at your own cost.

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Volunteers in the Soweto project will stay with a local family in Soweto. Accommodation facilities are more western, basic bedding and 3 meals a day are provided. Volunteers in the Venda project will stay with local Venda families in Thohoyandou town area and surrounding villages. The accommodation facilities are basic, typically with electricity, pit toilets, and bucket showers being the norm. Basic bedding and 3 meals per day are provided. Thohoyandou Mall in town has an internet shop approximately $2 per 30 minutes.

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The spaces in the accommodation are reserved for volunteers only. We are unable to accept volunteers’ family members unless they are volunteering as well.

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No, we can take volunteers from all over the world. Participants have come from Australia, the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, and parts of Europe. Everyone is welcome.

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You must be 18 years old and above. There is no upper limit. All that is required is a reasonable level of health and fitness.

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Yes, you need to speak English to volunteer. You may have English as your first or second language. In Venda the main languages are English and Tshivenda.

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The program runs year-round. Volunteers should arrive on the first or third Thursday of each month for the Soweto program and the first or third Friday of each month for the Venda program, preferably in the evenings. Placements run between 2 weeks and 6 months according to your preference and program availability.

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DTP (Diptheria, tetanus and polio): Essential

Yellow Fever: Required if travelling from an infected area

Hepatitis A and B: Recommended

Rabies: Not Required

Malaria is endemic in the lowveld of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and on the Maputaland coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Kruger National Park, a very popular destination, is within a malaria area. We strongly urge you to visit your GP or travel medicine specialist. If you intend traveling beyond South Africa, you must consult additional, reliable sources.

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Absolutely. The project is well positioned for trips to local scenic sites and Kruger National Park less than an hour away. An optional weekend excursion will be organized by our partner organization if there is enough interest. Pilanesberg National Park, Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe), Mozambique, Durban, and Swaziland are other examples of destinations volunteers have visited in the past.

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The in-country fee covers all the necessities - food, accommodation, airport pickup, and so forth. You will need to have additional money for bottled water, internet, extra food, additional traveling, tourist activities, for days off, airport departure tax, and any personal shopping you may do.

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South Africa, particularly Johannesburg, has a high crime rate and a very poor image when it comes to the issue of personal safety. You will be staying in rural South Africa which is quite a close-knit community, volunteers are still asked not to walk around at night. When you are outside the area, we will advise you on where it is safe to travel and stay. Most volunteers will be accommodated in a home stay situation. The host families have all been carefully selected to provide you with a safe family environment and an insight into Venda life. As in many countries, foreigners are perceived as wealthy in South Africa. Although the people are generally warm and friendly towards foreigners, as well as appreciative of the work done by volunteers, not every individual is the same. We work extremely hard to ensure you are placed in safe environments while volunteering and security policies are in place to achieve this. However, as in any situation at home or abroad, there is no way to erase all potential threats.

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Volunteers are encouraged to wear comfortable but tidy attire. It can be very hot at certain times of the year, however covering up is important not only for protection from the sun and insects, but also to show respect to your local co-workers and members of the community. For women this means long pants, skirts, and dresses. For men, this means long pants, or even nice knee-length shorts if necessary. If you are working with very young children, keep in mind that your clothes may get extra dirty as the greatest fun for children is making a mess!

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You can’t count on it. Please ensure that you bring all the medicines you do - and may - require.

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You can bring your own phone and purchase a local SIM card so that it will work in South Africa. The cost of a SIM card is approximately U$10 and you can buy prepaid credit to top up your phone.

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This depends on how many people volunteer at the one time. Numbers can range from 2 to 5 volunteers with a maximum of 14 volunteers.

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Our partner is a South African based organisation aimed at establishing educational, cross-cultural, and service delivery projects in areas of Africa. Through its projects, our partner asserts its active commitment to youth development, improved education opportunities, and skills development for young people. Their education initiatives (volunteer program and career fair) seek to work in partnership with Vhembe District to create an enabling environment and communities which are supportive of youth and present positive role models.

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Each GVN program has different criteria depending on our partner's requirements. Every application is reviewed to ensure that the minimum requirements (as set out on the program page) are met. Next we look to see what skills or experience you have that relate specifically to the program. We are also interested in any previous volunteer experience you may have (either local or international), travel experience, and your particular interest in the program.

After reviewing your application, should we require any further information from you, we will email you to request this.

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You will be granted a 3 month tourist visa on arrival, providing you have a valid passport, and 2 adjacent pages. If you chose to stay in the country longer, either as a result of extending your volunteer placement or electing to travel, it is possible to extend your visa at the Department of Home Affairs. As at 1 April 2004, a tariff of ZAR 425 applies. Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after you intend to return home. You will also be asked to substantiate that (i) you have enough money to support yourself during the remainder of your stay (ie. bank statements) and (ii) you have a return ticket.

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All GVN Volunteers must have insurance. You are free to take out insurance cover through any provider of your choice. However, as some policies do not cover volunteering, we recommend you check you are covered during your volunteer placement.

For your convenience we have arranged a comprehensive package specially designed for volunteering. It includes excellent medical and accident coverage as well as “loss of deposits” cover which covers fees paid to GVN, airlines etc. If you would like to learn more just follow this link: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/insurance/

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Your application fee secures your place on the program (remember this is fully transferable to a later date or different program if you decide not to take part in the program, subject to the terms of service). Your program fee is payable to Global Volunteer Network 12 weeks prior to the 1st of the month you wish to volunteer. Please note that all charges incurred by the payment of the program fee are at the volunteer’s expense, e.g. if a bank transfer incurs a bank fee at the point of origin, that is at the expense of the volunteer. Eighty percent (80%) of your program fee is refundable until one calendar month before the 1st of the month you are due to begin your program. Refer to GVN's legal terms of service for full details.

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Yes, all volunteers in this program will be required to provide a police clearance document. This is because volunteers will be working closely with children and other vulnerable individuals. To obtain a police clearance you will need to contact your local police station to find out what their procedure is. Normally, you will be asked to complete an application form authorizing the check to be done, pay a fee and a few weeks later the check will arrive in the mail. A copy of your police clearance will need to be sent to GVN before your placement begins and you will need to take the original with you when you volunteer.

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