During a Childcare Project in South Africa, a young girl hula hoops outside a care centre.

Volunteer with Children in South Africa

Do volunteer work with children in South Africa and focus on supporting early childhood development

Destination

South Africa

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Homestay

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

Request Info

Starting at £1,950 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Help children thrive

Support children in disadvantaged communities around Cape Town, assisting with lessons, creating fun activities, and nurturing their development.

Benefit children beyond your stay

Run educational activities designed to build crucial skills for development, making a lasting impact on the children’s lives even after you’ve left.

Learn from local professionals

Work alongside experienced teachers and caregivers, gaining insights into South African childcare practices and contributing to their efforts.

Explore Cape Town

Discover the incredible city of Cape Town, with stunning natural beauty and iconic Table Mountain, diverse cultural attractions, and historical sites.

Experience South African culture

Live with a welcoming host family, enjoying delicious local cuisine and learning about the customs and traditions of this captivating country.

What you need to know

Overview

Volunteer work with children in South Africa is a great fit for anyone who wants to help improve the lives of children living in disadvantaged areas.

You’ll gain practical childcare experience, which could help your future career. It’s also the perfect project to help you develop important skills such as teamwork, leadership, and planning.

If you have loads of energy and enjoy the challenge of creating a better learning environment, this project is definitely for you.

You don’t require any previous experience. All you need is a willingness to help. You’ll support local teachers and caregivers and our staff are there to help and guide you if you need it. We also run regular workshops for all Childcare volunteers, where you can discuss ideas and challenges.

A Day in the Life

Your day usually begins at 9 am, and your week runs from Monday to Friday. Morning classes end at 12 pm, and you will have a one-hour break for lunch.

Your afternoon starts up at 1 pm and usually ends around 4 pm. During this time, you’ll do workshops and community outreach.

However, working hours vary greatly throughout the week. You should be prepared to adapt to a flexible schedule.

Your days will be filled with many activities and will undoubtedly go by quickly. South Africa childcare volunteers will do activities that support early childhood development, like arts and crafts, puzzles, and more. You may also offer remedial classes to small groups of children who need additional support.

Your evenings, however, will be much more laid-back. You can spend your free time with other volunteers and take advantage of exploring the city. Spend time with your host family, who will give you great insight into the local culture.

Activities

You will work at a daycare centre or preschool and support local teachers and caregivers. Your focus is on early childhood development.

Here are some of the tasks you can expect to do during your placement:

Work one-on-one with children during literacy and numeracy lessons
Help make educational resources like flashcards and posters
Improve hygiene standards and help implement better hygiene habits

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Promote early childhood development by teaching basic literacy and numeracy

Through inventive literacy and numeracy classes you will help children learn new skills. You will get the opportunity to teach them their ABCs and 123s or play ball games and build puzzles. All of these activities help with their physical, cognitive, and emotional development.

This will ensure a foundation is laid for their future education and character-building. Placement staff will encourage and welcome any new ideas you can bring to the table. You will also be able to find inspiration from our resources database, your coordinator, and other volunteers.

Improve the learning environment

You will focus on creating resources for lessons. These include posters, flashcards, and any innovative, dynamic materials you can source and come up with.

Improve Hygiene Standards

You can help with the implementation and regularity of the best hygiene practices. Volunteers in the past have helped introduce new hygiene facilities. Volunteers have also run basic hygiene workshops to encourage more frequent hand-washing and better tooth-brushing habits and techniques.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to improve early childhood development.

Preschools and kindergartens in townships receive very little support and funding. Most of the time, there is not enough space for all the children from the community. As a result, many young children do not receive the educational support they need and struggle once they start school.

Monitor children and support them in areas where they’re behind. This way, we can make sure children meet the development milestones required for their age group.

To help us with our work in South Africa, we have identified four major goals to work toward:

Increase literacy
Promote Early Childhood Development
Raise awareness of healthy living, the environment and family planning
Improve English

Projects Abroad has elected not to work with children in South African orphanages but rather to focus on community-based programmes that allow children to remain within their families.

We have a number of volunteer opportunities with children for you to join in Cape Town. Join our Childcare Project in South Africa and be part of our efforts to improve the lives of disadvantaged children.

Map & Location

At the southernmost tip of the African continent lies the remarkable country of South Africa, with three capital cities and 11 official languages. A melting pot of culture with a chequered past, the South African people have a distinct “Ubuntu” spirit that you will feel everywhere you go.

Table Mountain, Robben Island, and expansive national parks are just some of the sites in this increasingly popular, historic destination. Did you know it was the first (and only) African nation to host the Football World Cup?

Cape Town

Cape Town, situated on the western coast of South Africa, is a captivating city renowned for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Home to almost five million people, Cape Town has a temperate, Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

The famous Table Mountain overlooks the city and is one of many popular hiking locations. Beautiful beaches, world-class wineries, and exciting outdoor activities makes it no surprise that Cape Town is South Africa’s second largest city.

Food & Accommodation

Settle into South Africa like a home away from home, with everything you need for an engaging and enriching stay. You’ll have a cosy bed, three meals a day, and access to clean drinking water. You’ll be welcomed into the home of a carefully vetted local family, hand-picked by Projects Abroad, who will embrace you as one of their own.

Your new home will be clean, safe, and within 30 minutes commute of your placement, with transport organised by our staff every day. You will stay with other Projects Abroad participants, sharing a room with people who are of the same gender and similar age.

Together, you will share your international experience and learn about a new culture. You’ll enjoy delicious, home-cooked food from your host family and explore the beauty of Cape Town.

Free Time and Leisure

Known as the Rainbow Nation, South Africa has a diverse mix of cultures. Our projects are based in Cape Town, a region filled with an exciting variety of activities to do during your free time.

You can catch a wave at Muizenberg beach or just relax in a seaside restaurant. There’s plenty of local cuisine to try, including delicately spiced Cape Malay curries and the creamy milk tart dessert.

South Africa has a difficult past, which you can learn more about at the District 6 Museum and Robben Island.

For an awe-inspiring experience, you can spend the day getting lost in the towering silos that make up the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Arts Africa. Finally, no trip to Cape Town would be complete without a cable car ride up iconic Table Mountain.

We run many different projects in South Africa, so there’s sure to be other volunteers in the country with you. That gives you the freedom to explore solo or get a group together for an excursion.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our South Africa Arrival Procedures page.