4 - 12 weeks
from € 1.250
South Africa

Teaching at a primary school in South Africa

  • Urban everyday life
  • High recreational value
  • Many volunteers on site

As a volunteer at a primary school in Cape Town, you'll support trained local teachers and teach children in different subjects. Often 40 children face a single teacher, so your help is needed. Because you enable the individual promotion of children!

Location icon Cape Town
Minimum age icon from 17 years
Icon Duration 4 - 12 weeks / from €1.250
Departure days icon Monday - Thursday
SDG 4 - Quality education
Quality education

Ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Project ID : FA-SÜ130

As a volunteer
South Africa

4 - 12 weeks / from €1.250
to the cost overview

What's the matter?

If you enjoy awakening children's curiosity and passing on your knowledge, then get involved at a primary school in Cape Town! Schooling in South Africa is compulsory for children between the ages of seven and fifteen. But since there are not enough trained teachers, there are often over 40 children in a class. The individual needs of elementary school students are often lost as a result.

As a volunteer, you can help ensure that individual children can be supported despite the large classes. This also makes it more likely that they will make it to secondary school. You will also support local teachers on site.

Our primary schools are located in the outskirts and townships of Cape Town, as well as Athlone, approximately 11km from Cape Town city centre. In South Africa, elementary school and high school are usually in the same building complex, so that children from both school types meet in one playground. School equipment varies - some schools have comprehensive educational materials and others lack in many areas. Due to the oversized classes, it is usually impossible to give individual attention to each individual elementary school child.

The aim of your project work is to compensate for this deficit. By being able to respond to the individual needs of the students as an additional teacher, you improve the educational situation on site.

Your tasks as a volunteer

As a volunteer at a primary school in South Africa, you will be faced with different areas of responsibility. On the one hand, you support teachers in their everyday school tasks: preparation of worksheets, supervision of breaks, support in teaching. On the other hand, you bring your own ideas and teaching knowledge to the lessons. Your tasks also include preparation and follow-up.

The "hands-on attitude" is part of the South African culture - as soon as a task has to be completed or help is needed, you can contribute yourself and your talents. Appropriate clothing is also a prerequisite in order to adapt to the local cultural conditions.

You will work on your project from Monday to Friday. Your working day starts around 08:00 and ends between 14:00 and 15:00. The respective place of assignment determines the exact working hours on site. During the lunch break you can share your food and time with new colleagues. Depending on the location, the school can be easily and safely reached either on foot, by minibus or by car.

Accommodation Catering

RGV Volunteer House in Cape Town

In the Volunteer House in Cape Town you live together with other volunteers and interns. Together you can share your experiences and go on great trips right from the start.

The Volunteer House has space for a maximum of 21 participants. The bedrooms are each equipped with two to four beds. Each room also has a bathroom.

The accommodation's kitchen is modern and equipped with everything you need for your daily needs. WiFi is also available free of charge in the house.

The house is secured with an electronic gate. However, make sure that the door is locked at all times.

To ensure that living is comfortable for both you and the other volunteers, we ask that you keep the house tidy. A cleaner comes three days a week to keep the house roughly clean.

You can easily reach everything important from the Volunteer House. There is a shopping center just 3 km away where you can buy everything you need. Cape Town city center is approximately 15 km from the accommodation.

RGV host families in Cape Town

For a small additional fee, you can also live with a host family during your time in Cape Town.

Our host families are part of the South African “middle class”, so running water and electricity are available. In addition to breakfast, you will also get dinner here every day.

As a volunteer or intern abroad, you are usually not alone in a host family, but share the accommodation with one to five other participants. As in the Volunteer House, it is possible to travel to and from the project together. If you come home after dark, the costs of transport such as taxis or Uber can be shared.

Only a few host families have an internet connection or WLAN. If you need internet, you can get a prepaid SIM card with mobile data volume. The advantages compared to living in a volunteer house are that you speak a lot more English here in everyday life and you get a deeper insight into the culture and way of life of the local people. You are not in a pack of volunteers, but can gather very individual experiences with a few others.

You usually also have a shorter journey to the project, because our team will place you nearby if possible. The Team Office, which is attached to one of our Volunteer Homes, is your central point of contact and meeting point for excursions and activities!

Tip: If you want to live alone with a host family, you should explicitly discuss this with us before registering. Single accommodation is usually possible.

Attention: Most of our host families are strictly religious, so unmarried couples, for example, are not accepted in a room.

RGV Apartment in Cape Town

For an additional charge, you have the option of booking a small apartment with another person. The apartment is located on the ground floor of the Volunteer House and has a small lounge area, a bathroom and a separate kitchen. If you like something a little quieter, you're in good hands here.

Location

Cape Town

Going surfing in the morning before work and watching the sunset over the city from Table Mountain in the evening - sounds like a fantastic dream? In Cape Town this is possible!

With over four million inhabitants, Cape Town is the second largest city in South Africa. Because the city has played a crucial role in the country's history in many ways, it is affectionately known as the "mother of all cities". The famous "Cape of Good Hope", where the first daring sailors docked at the time of the European explorers, is located in the Table Mountain National Park. 

Due to its location, directly on Table Bay of the Atlantic Ocean, you have a breathtaking panorama view from almost everywhere. Dare the challenge and let yourself be enchanted by this beauty!

Cape Town is inhabited by people from many different ethnic groups, which is also reflected in the cityscape. Convince yourself of the colorful houses of Bo-Kaaps, the impressive street art in the alleys or the ever-present Afro-Chic. Cape Town is multicultural and proudly displays every facet of the local population.

Your free time in Cape Town

There are definitely enough leisure activities for your entertainment in the colorful cosmopolitan city of Cape Town. You will hardly find another place in Africa where you can go out as well as in the clubs and bars along Long Street in the city center. And when it comes to culinary delights, you won't be disappointed in Cape Town's cultural melting pot.

Of course, the eventful history of the city is not only expressed in the kitchen. It also characterizes the local art, which you can admire in the many museums, but also on the walls of the houses in the district. A must-see for all graffiti lovers is the Woodstock district, which has transformed from a notorious no-go area into a place of pilgrimage for street art fans in recent years.

Even if you are passionate about sports or outdoor activities, you will have fun in Cape Town. The beaches have perfect conditions for kiting or (wind) surfing and you can explore the colorful South African underwater world with its shipwrecks, corals and fish while diving. To see even bigger sea creatures, you have to go a little further. Whale watching tours in Cape Town bring you closer to dolphins, whales and sharks than anywhere else in the world.

If you've ever traveled by boat, you should also check out Robben Island. The historic site used to be the prison where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Today there is a lush nature reserve. You can find even more nature in the south of the city in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. In addition to the rich flora, there are also regular open-air concerts here.

Finally, a trip to Table Mountain should not be missed on your trip to Cape Town. From the famous local mountain, which towers over the city in the west, you have a unique view over the entire region and the Bay of Cape Town. You should also plan another day to visit the Cape of Good Hope. On the way there you will also pass "Boulders Beach" with its penguins.

On-site procedure

Arrival in Cape Town

For your project in South Africa you land directly in Cape Town. Here you will be met at the airport by a member of our RGV team in South Africa. From here the team will drive you directly to your accommodation in Cape Town. The drive from the airport is already a first small highlight: through a beautiful backdrop you get closer and closer to Table Mountain. You can use the rest of the day to move into your accommodation and to get to know your new surroundings.

Orientation program in Cape Town

In order to be able to find your way around better in your new environment, your stay begins with an orientation program. This always starts on Tuesdays and Fridays. Please plan your arrival for Monday or Thursday so that you can get off to a good start!

Immediately after your arrival, our team will give you your South Africa starter package with a city map, SIM card and other useful things that should make your everyday life easier. In your accommodation you will also receive a brief introduction to the area and your new home.

During a workshop with our RGV team, you will then learn more about your target country and its inhabitants. Culture, country and people as well as current events and the recent history of the country will be topics here. Our team will introduce you to Cape Town slang and give you valuable safety information and tips on the subject of transport, withdrawing money, etc. On one of the following days, you will also explore Cape Town on a guided city bus tour with other newly arrived participants.

Project start in Cape Town

Your first day in the project

Your project location is always as close as possible to your accommodation. On your first day at work, you will be accompanied to your assignment site either by our team or by other volunteers. The further course of your project work will then be discussed with you there.

When working in the area of ​​wildlife and animal welfare, you should assume that you can also work on weekends and get two days off during the week. Daily working hours should be between five and eight hours a day.

Your daily arrival in the project

All social projects are located within the city limits of Cape Town. There are several ways to get to your project. The following travel options are available to you:

  • rental car
  • Taxi or Uber

For safety reasons, we advise against using public transport.

The rental car is a cheap and worthwhile alternative to public transport, since not all places can be reached by public transport. As a rule, 3-5 participants rent a car together and form carpools.

Pricing

  • base fee
    € 1.250, -
    4 weeks of participation
  • extension week
    € 135, - / week
    up to 8 weeks respectively

included
Services

Before departure

  • Individual advice and support from our trained RGV team in Munich
  • Organization including placement in the project and coordination of your stay on site
  • Assistance with preparation: visa, health care, travel insurance, etc.
  • Non-binding flight advice
  • Travel ABC with packing list for your travel preparation
  • RGV t-shirt

On site

  • Orientation program with the team on site
  • Support and guidance from the on-site team
  • RGV 24h emergency number
  • Project t-shirt to wear during on-site activities
  • Airport transfer on the agreed arrival and departure days
  • Accommodation in a volunteer house, with a host family or in an apartment (at an additional cost)
  • Meals: Breakfast (volunteer house) or breakfast and dinner (homestay)

After return

  • Participation confirmation of your voluntary commitment
  • Reflection course on your experiences abroad
  • Evaluation sheet and optional feedback discussion
useful additional services

not included
Services

  • Round trip
  • Private expenses on site
  • Excursions with microlight flights
  • Travel and cancellation insurance
  • Visa and Vaccinations
  • All nights outside your agreed accommodation
  • Public transport and extra transfers
  • Meals (accommodation apartment)
  • Drinks

Individual Recommended additional offers
& must-haves

Picture must-haves

Would you prefer to stay in a single room? Are you vegan or do you have special requests for food? Or do you want to do some cool trips with other volunteers in your free time and explore the country?

With us, you benefit from a variety of optional additional services that you can add individually to your booking, depending on your preferences.

Flight booking icon
" Round Trip
Cheap flights with our flight partner thanks to volunteer rates.
Flight offers with maximum flexibility

Would you like to receive a cheap flight offer for your stay abroad that is perfectly tailored to you? After you have successfully registered, you can have a non-binding offer created.

The excellent rates for volunteers, students and young people are a great advantage. Arrival times and flight time changes can also be sent directly to RGV upon request, so that our RGV teams in the destination countries are always informed about your arrival times.

These special tariffs give you special added value:

  • maximum flexibility for rebookings and cancellations
  • generous baggage allowance
  • Additional discounts on one-way flights: The new volunteer tariffs include attractive discounts to reduce your financial burden on one-way flights (e.g. for stopovers, project or country combinations).
Insurance icon
" Insurance
Benefit from the 4 in 1 ERGO travel insurance.
The 4 in 1 insurance cover for volunteers and internships abroad

You can easily book the long-term travel protection of ERGO Reiseversicherung after you have registered. You will receive the links to this automatically after a successful registration.

The following building blocks are included:

  • Health Insurance
  • Comfort protection: accident, liability and interruption insurance
  • Travel insurance

Cape Town Team
site

Our RGV team in South Africa consists of Team leader Jemaine, seinen siblings Cindy and Chad and Verena. Jemaine's family is from Cape Town. He himself has worked in the travel industry for many years. Chad and Jemaine usually do the airport pick-ups.

Verena has known RGV founder Steffen since their joint teacher training course. She emigrated to Cape Town in 2009 and has never regretted the decision. Verena leads the orientation program and helps you to settle in, takes care of most of the organizational things and organizes social events for our participants.

During your stay, the RGV team on site is your number 1 contact for all questions and problems. But our host families are also part of the extended RGV team - they are also important contact persons, especially for underage participants!

Our lively South Africa team looks forward to welcoming you to the Rainbow Family!

Volunteers talk about their experiences Joint commitment - big impact!

Testimonials

Experience report from a primary school in South Africa

My time in Cape Town was definitely a great experience and probably the most exciting and beautiful 4 months of my life so far. A personal enrichment through which I gained many new friends and great memories.
Testimonials

Volunteering in a primary school field report

It was exciting and I gained many new, valuable experiences that no one can take away from me. The children were cheerful and you could tell that they appreciated and accepted the help.
Testimonials

Primary school volunteer in South Africa Experience report

For the first three months, or more precisely, until the summer holidays, I worked in a kindergarten. This also made me realize that I could well imagine working with children in my future.
Testimonials

Teaching in South Africa Experience report

The trip with RGV in Cape Town was a wonderful time with many great experiences. I made many new friends, got to know a new culture and experienced numerous adventures.
Testimonials

South Africa Child and Youth Work Experience Report

My time in Cape Town was wonderful. I made many new friends, got to know a completely different culture and gained many new experiences that I can apply to the further course of my social studies and my life
Testimonials

Experience report at my time in a primary school in South Africa

I also found the children's satisfaction, boundless optimism and positive attitude to life very admirable. Because even though they grew up in simpler circumstances, they appreciate the few things they own.
Testimonials

Volunteer experiences from a primary school in South Africa

Cape Town is a beautiful city and South Africa is a breathtaking and diverse country. RGV was a great help to me with the organization and especially with the extension.
Testimonials

Report on my volunteer work in South Africa and Namibia

The conversations with the locals were particularly enriching in order to get to know the culture, life and people here better.
Testimonials

Report from a school in Cape Town

A trip like this can be incredibly enriching and feels like a “break” from everyday life and everyday life. What confirmed that I had made the right decision was that I was never really homesick.
Testimonials

Report on my primary school volunteering in South Africa

All in all, it was one of the best decisions I've made, because nobody can take away from me so many moments, so many experiences and so many encounters and stay with me forever. Thank you Cape Town, thank you South Africa!
Testimonials

My volunteer work at a primary school in South Africa

There was never a dull moment in Cape Town because there is so much to do there. My highlights include the safari I did a little outside of Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope.
Testimonials

Report from a primary school in Cape Town

I would recommend everyone to travel to South Africa. The people, the food, the nature, the city and the life in South Africa are indescribable. I will always have positive memories of the trip and my project.
Testimonials

Volunteering at a primary school in South Africa

It was an incredible experience that enriched me greatly. I will never forget this time! I'm already thinking about the next time I'll go to South Africa as a volunteer.
Testimonials

Experience report Volunteering in a primary school in South Africa

Both the decision to travel to Cape Town and to do volunteer work there were definitely the right ones. I was able to gain many new impressions and get to know the country, the people and the culture from a different side.
Testimonials

Experience report Children teach in South Africa

Besides work, exploring Cape Town is high on the agenda. Countless hikes, excursions and sports opportunities make your stay unique.
Testimonials

Volunteering at a high school in South Africa Experience report

My time in South Africa was unforgettable. I can only recommend everyone to go there and explore the country. The people are incredibly open and warm.

More testimonials
Browse our magazine

RGV FAQ
to the project

What are the project fees used for?

Although we are a non-profit organization, there are costs associated with volunteering abroad. Find out here, why volunteering requires money and what your project fee is used for.

What visa do I need for South Africa?

You can apply for a tourist visa for South Africa when you arrive at the airport. This is valid for 90 days.

What language skills do I need for the project in South Africa?

You definitely need good English skills for the project. An Afrikaans course is also recommended.

What vaccinations/ health precautions do I need?

If you are traveling from a yellow fever area, you need a yellow fever vaccination. Otherwise there are no compulsory vaccinations.

We generally recommend a consultation in a practice for travel and tropical medicine.

You can get general information about recommended health care and vaccinations online Center for Travel Medicine as well as on the side of Foreign Office.

When does the social project always take place?

You can register for social projects all year round. But note that during the local school holidays In some countries, child care is limited or not available at all. Contact usif you are unsure whether the project will be managed in your desired time frame.

What are the requirements for the social project?

There are no special requirements for participation. What is important is enjoyment of working with children, a sense of responsibility, exemplary behavior, use of appropriate language, initiative and empathy. Comfortable clothing appropriate for a children's center is recommended, as is clothing that can get dirty (when painting, for example). Smoking should not be allowed in the presence of children.

What do I have to bring?

Long, neat clothing that covers knees and arms, and sturdy shoes.

What do I have to consider as an LGBTQ person?

Please be aware that homosexual acts are considered undesirable in many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and are even punishable by law in some places. In general, people who are identified as queer are often exposed to hostility.

For example, get information from Foreign Office about the exact regulations in your destination country.

General FAQ about volunteer work

Ready to get involved as a volunteer in South Africa? Start your adventure abroad with Rainbow Garden Village!

Rainbow Garden Village has been offering volunteer work and internships abroad since 1999. What started as a small student initiative in Ghana has now grown into an organization with over 250 projects around the world.

You can be sure that your work as a volunteer will be an unforgettable experience. Bring your commitment and your knowledge to do good locally - and at the same time benefit from the unique experiences that will promote your personal development.

Become part of our RGV community!
We look forward to you.

RGV Your way
to the volunteer

1
Choose your volunteer project and register online.

2
We will review your application and confirm your participation.

3
Prepare for your assignment online or in our preparatory seminar in Munich.

4
Here we go! During your volunteer work, we will support you at any time with our on-site team.

Gallery Impressions &
Impressions

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