In South Africa, GVI’s community volunteers work alongside our community partners, offering support in areas where the community has identified a specific need. The end goal is always self-empowerment and sustainable development.

We aim to help improve the quality of life for people in the communities we engage with – through inclusive engagement, quality education, equal access, and raising awareness. You’ll be part of ethical projects making a lasting difference in South Africa.

Our community development volunteer programs in South Africa focus on: 

• Volunteer with children
• Community development
• Early childhood development
• Teaching English
• Public health volunteering
• Women’s empowerment volunteering
• Sports volunteering

Elevate your career with an internship or apprenticeship in South Africa

Take your passion for impact and turn it into a career with purpose. Whether you’re looking to gain hands-on experience, explore a career in sustainable development, or fast-track your path into impact-driven work, GVI’s internships and professional apprenticeships in South Africa offer a unique opportunity to work alongside local changemakers, build real-world skills, and create lasting social impact.

As an intern in South Africa, you’ll work alongside local educators, social enterprises, and grassroots organisations, contributing to community-led projects that support education, public health, women’s empowerment, youth development and more. Your experience will be rooted in collaboration, learning directly from local partners who are driving change within their communities. 

Whether you’re assisting in after-school literacy programs, supporting mentorship initiatives, or helping to expand food security projects, every task will be shaped by the needs of the community. This program goes beyond practical experience – through GVI’s University of Richmond-endorsed certifications, career coaching, and structured mentorship, you’ll develop leadership skills and a deeper understanding of sustainable development. As you contribute, you’ll also gain, leaving South Africa with not just valuable career experience but meaningful connections and a lasting impact.

If you’re looking for a structured pathway into a career in sustainability, GVI’s Teaching & Community Development Apprenticeship in South Africa offers an intensive, hands-on learning experience that prepares you for impact-driven work. Over six months, you’ll spend the first three months immersed in community projects, taking on leadership responsibilities in education, social impact, and youth engagement. 

You’ll then transition into a three-month professional placement, applying your skills in real-world settings while receiving advanced training in project management, ethical leadership, and impact assessment. With guidance from experienced mentors and the opportunity to work within GVI’s established partner network, you’ll develop the expertise and confidence needed to step into a career in sustainable development. By the end of the program, you won’t just be job-ready – you’ll have the practical experience, leadership training, and industry connections to make a tangible difference.

Why it matters

South Africa’s cities, economy and society, have developed rapidly over the last 30 years, but there is still a wide wealth gap in the country, where underserved communities require support from extra-governmental organisations. 

GVI’s community development volunteer programs and internships in South Africa offer support to local teachers – assisting with second-language English classes and contributing to youth learning skills through sports. We also work with women and young girls on public health education programs and projects that encourage self-empowerment and gender equality.

Volunteer with children in South Africa

As a volunteer, you’ll support local educators in after-school programs, guiding children from Imizamo Yethu through literacy, numeracy, and the arts. Whether you’re sparking curiosity through storytelling, helping a child grasp a tricky math concept, or encouraging confidence in self-expression through crafts, your presence will make a tangible difference. You’ll collaborate with a local learning hub, a vital community space where children can learn, grow, and build brighter futures in a safe space.

Beyond the classroom, you’ll immerse yourself in South Africa’s vibrant culture and stunning landscapes. Explore the colourful markets of Hout Bay, where local artisans showcase their craft or take in the sweeping coastal views from Chapman’s Peak. During school holidays, your role expands into a dynamic, city-wide program filled with sports, arts, and mentorship activities, ensuring continued learning and engagement for local children. With every lesson taught and every connection made, you’ll contribute to sustainable social impact.

Teaching in South Africa

Our teaching program runs year-round. Volunteers offer assistance to local teachers at an after-school club, based on the needs of the learners identified by teachers. During the school holidays, you might help with a program to keep the young ones busy and engaged.

Two key characteristics of a volunteer joining this program are being fun and being creative. The best way to keep children attentive and eager to learn is to make lessons exciting and engaging. You’ll play an important role by assisting teachers with lesson planning and implementation. 

Sports volunteering in South Africa 

We’re passionate about supporting the physical well-being of underserved children from the Imizamo Yethu township and Hout Bay area through this program. You’ll encourage students to be more physically active for their long-term health and longevity, and help coach sports like football, cricket, rugby, netball and more!

Besides promoting physical and mental health, the sports program also provides learners who are not academically inclined with the opportunity to excel in other areas of life. This boosts all-round confidence, inclusivity, leadership skills and equal opportunities to learn and develop. 

Early childhood development programs in South Africa 

Work alongside local educators at the community learning hub to support children’s critical early development. Our program focuses on engaging young learners (ages 2-5) through carefully designed activities that foster creativity, motor skills, and social development.

You’ll facilitate outdoor learning sessions that go beyond traditional teaching – think storytelling that sparks imagination, yoga that builds body awareness, and arts and crafts that encourage self-expression. Working closely with local partners, you’ll contribute to a holistic approach that supports children’s emotional, social, and educational growth.

Each activity is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. From guiding sensory play to supporting literacy through interactive storytelling, you’ll encourage children to build confidence and essential skills while gaining deep insights into community-led education approaches.

Women’s empowerment programs in South Africa 

Gender inequality remains a challenge in many communities worldwide, limiting access to education, employment, and economic independence for women and girls. Through GVI’s women’s empowerment internship or volunteering program, you’ll contribute to locally-led initiatives designed to create sustainable opportunities for women to build their livelihoods and access personal and professional development resources.

You’ll work alongside women in the community, supporting sustainable livelihood initiatives that provide training in craft production, retail, marketing, and business management. If you’re on a 1–4 week program, your focus will be on hands-on support, such as assisting in the creation of handmade products that generate income for local women. If you stay 4 weeks or longer, you may take on additional responsibilities in retail operations, marketing, administration, product design, or tour hosting, helping women expand and sustain their businesses.

Beyond livelihoods, you’ll have the opportunity to facilitate educational sessions with young girls, sharing valuable knowledge on preventative health, everyday hygiene, and mental well-being. To ensure equal access to education, you may also assist with academic support initiatives. Additionally, participants may engage in community development projects, such as community gardening or broader education-focused activities, further contributing to holistic, sustainable change.

This program is an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with local women as they build sustainable futures for themselves and their families, all while developing valuable skills in ethical community engagement, leadership, and project coordination.

Public health programs in South Africa 

Get the opportunity to contribute to local initiatives that support and encourage healthy lifestyles in the community. 

As either a public health volunteer or a public health intern, you’ll spend most of your time assisting on educational programs that teach the benefits of physical health, hygiene practices and nutrition, as well as supporting food security efforts by helping to enhance nutrition and food availability through the planting and harvesting of vegetables in a community garden.

Community development programs in South Africa

As a community development intern or apprentice in South Africa, your work will contribute to sustainable change and foster meaningful connections with the people you work alongside.

When signing up for the Community Development Internship in South Africa, you’ll contribute to research-driven projects and the design of community-led workshops focused on education, health, and economic empowerment. 

You can also join the Teaching and Community Development Apprenticeship in South Africa and take this experience further with a structured six-month program, combining three months of active community project work with a three-month professional placement, where you’ll develop leadership skills, project management experience, and receive tailored mentorship to prepare for a career in the impact sector.

Live and work in the heart of Cape Town’s Hout Bay community, a coastal town surrounded by rugged mountains and home to a thriving local culture. From the lively harbour to the entrepreneurial spirit of Imizamo Yethu’s artisans, Hout Bay offers a unique perspective on South African life. You’ll be immersed in daily community projects while exploring the landscapes, languages, and traditions that make Cape Town extraordinary.

Our base is 30 minutes away from the city centre, in the coastal town of Hout Bay. From here, we run our community development projects. Our volunteers work with local organisations that aim to improve the well-being of underserved communities in the Hout Bay area.  

When volunteering in South Africa, you’ll get the chance to immerse yourself in local cultures by working side-by-side with community members. You’ll have the privilege of learning about the language, cuisine, music and traditions of South Africa’s many distinct cultures. 

On any given day in South Africa, you might hear any or all of the 11 official languages: isiZulu, isiXhosa, Tshivenda, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, siSwati, and isiNdebele, Afrikaans and English. 

In addition to some of the world’s best beaches, hiking trails, museums, gardens and restaurants, Cape Town also allows you to explore these must-see attractions:

• Table Mountain: You have the option of hiking to the top on foot, or taking the cableway and enjoying a perfect view of Cape Town on the way up. At the summit, you can enjoy a meal, take pictures and purchase handmade items to take back home. 
• Boulders Beach: Forming part of the Table Mountain National Park, this beach is especially popular for its penguin population. The environment is protected by SANParks – South Africa National Parks conservation organisation.
• Robben Island: Famous for housing the notorious apartheid-era prison where human rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, former president and father of the nation, Nelson Mandela, spent 18 years fighting for the freedom of the people of South Africa. 

Across all our work in education, youth programs, women’s empowerment, public health, community development and sustainable solutions, our actions are guided by local organisations with roots in the community – team members who are on the ground and monitor and maintain ethical standards and practises, in an ongoing effort to ensure our work remains inclusive and equitable. 

All GVI programs and staff are governed by our ten ethical principles, five human empowerment principles and our actions against oppression. Our badge of ethics reflects our pledge to continuously reflect on and improve our policies and practices. 

All our staff and participants are required to complete a police background check before arrival on the program, and on-site child protection training is provided once they arrive in the host country. We also protect children from cyber and real-world threats by ensuring that our marketing follows child protection best practices.

GVI does not support orphanage volunteering. For more information, see our stance on orphanage volunteering. We also support ChildSafe, a global child protection initiative, and regularly review our comprehensive Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection policy. 

You can read about the work we’ve done with the help of volunteers like you in our Impact and Ethics Report. 

GVI is a British Standards 8848-compliant provider.

Who can volunteer in South Africa? 

You can – if you’re 18 years or older. Maybe you’re considering a gap year abroad, or perhaps you want to contribute to community work across the world while studying. Or you’re keen to get a meaningful summer internship under your belt, or taking a career break.

No matter how far you want to go, we can help you make a meaningful impact while having the time of your life. 

Who qualifies as a volunteer in South Africa? 

Anyone passionate about making an impact. We don’t require any pre-existing qualifications or certifications.

Most of our community development volunteering or internship programs require that you be 18 years or older, but we also offer specially curated teen volunteer programs in locations across the world. 

Please note that as part of our child and vulnerable adult protection policy, each volunteer, intern and staff member must complete child protection training before starting on any project that involves interaction with children. All our volunteers, interns and staff are also required to complete a police background check before they can sign up for any of our programs.

Is it safe?

We take every precaution to ensure our participants live and work safely, no matter where they are in the world. We have trained support staff on hand 24 hours a day to ensure that all participants across all our programs are well taken care of.

Read more about our health and safety protocols. 

You can speak directly to one of our enrolment officers or alumni, who can answer any aquestions you might have about life in Cape Town or life on the GVI base. 

Do I need to know any other languages to volunteer in South Africa? 

Most people in South Africa can speak English. English is one of South Africa’s official languages, and all public and government communication is conducted in English. 

Who will I live with?

You’ll work alongside GVI volunteers and interns of all ages, from all over the world. This is an opportunity to meet people from a range of backgrounds. Our international team of GVI staff will be at every location to guide volunteers throughout their time on our programs. On community-based projects, volunteers work closely with local community members.

I’m interested. What are the next steps? 

We’d love to have you join us in Cape Town! You can enquire if you have any questions, or apply here if you’re ready to book your spot.