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South Africa - Africa and Asia Venture

South Africa

Gap Year Teaching in South Africa 

Where?

Your Gap Year teaching project in South Africa will see you at primary and secondary schools in Philippolis, a two hour drive due south of Bloemfontein (South Africa map>>). This poor, small, agricultural town of 4000 people is a leftover from days gone by with a white community in the town and a coloured and black community just outside - all happily living and working together in a very integrated way nowadays, but with few folk having yet bothered to move out of their old communities. Laurens van der Post, the writer, was born here and there is an unusual Memorial to him on the edge of town. Philippolis has also produced two Presidents of South Africa. It has a few shops, a bank, a couple of restaurants and a police station. Farming provides what little employment there is but 70% remain without work and the government has declared the town a poverty pocket.

Outline Experience

South Africa Teaching Dates & Costs 

What and Why?

Whilst volunteering on your Gap Year project you will get to teach children from the coloured and black communities in four pre-primary, primary and secondary schools. For the first four years, the language of instruction is "Mother-Tongue" (one of the five languages spoken here). After that, most children change to English. Teaching in Philippolis High School is in both English and Afrikaans. Teaching in the primary schools will take place in the mornings and all breaks are opportunities to play sport and games. Afternoons provide the chance to run proper sports' programmes (soccer, netball, cricket or rugby) or many of the other extra-mural activities. For example, Philippolis has a wonderful children's choir of which the town is immensely proud. Late afternoons and evenings will see you focus your attention on the secondary students, especially the "Matrics" working towards their Matriculation exams (A Level equivalents).

Gap Year Living

You will live in two typical flat-roofed Karoo cottages, next door to each other, during your Gap Year teaching placement in South Africa. The houses are in the main town, within 15 minutes of all the schools where you will be teaching - don't worry...everyone walks everywhere in Africa! In each cottage you will find bedrooms, a communal living area, a kitchen, and the world-famous South African Braai (B-B-Q) area in the garden. This will be your home for three months - a place to relax after a great day's teaching and some time to reflect on all you have experienced.

Gap Year Safari

You and the rest of the group will spend five days on game-viewing in Samara, one of South Africa's most renowned reserves.  After Samara, we will drop in on one of the largest concentrations of elephant in sub-Saharan Africa.  Addo Elephant Park is home to 450 elephants and there are no prizes for guessing that you will see loads of them, as well as a host of other extraordinary wildlife. An added bonus is that it is malaria-free! 

Gap Year Travel

We will set you free on the world-famous Garden Route to be a tourist - both east and west coastlines are spectacular. But if it's bright lights you're missing, we suggest you travel westwards for a few days before heading to Cape Town - reputedly the world's most beautiful city!

You will be expected to pay for this part of your trip yourself.  The Baz-Bus will be your transport and backpacker hostels your home; you just hop on and off bus wherever you want along the whole Garden Route and you can buy the equivalent of a London Oyster card that allows you to do so.  It will drop you at a safe hostel for the night, too. 

You will have nearly three weeks to travel together, or in small groups, wherever you wish. Table Mountain, The Drakensburg, the Garden Route, Kruger National Park or Ellis Park (home of Springbok rugby) - do these names sound familiar? Go and see them and experience the vastness of this amazing country. What about some surfing lessons on the Wild Coast? Or, perhaps, just lie on a beach somewhere, from where you might take part in a little whale watching and sunbathing! Whatever, you won't be stuck for things to do and, if you want to continue your travels after the AV scheme ends, the rest of Africa awaits.  Naturally, AV will always be there for you if you have any problems, even after the scheme has formally ended.

And Afterwards...

If you're like 99% of those who have been before you, you'll agree that it will have been the best four months of your life so far. You'll find leaving difficult...and returning easy!  We say that "Once an AV, always an AV!" What this means is that you will be joining an exclusive club that will be there for you to help out if you ever get into difficulties and will always be pleased to see you again in Africa. As an AV, we hope your relationship with us will continue long after your initial time in South Africa. 

South Africa Teaching Itinerary l South Africa Teaching Dates and Costs l

South Africa Teaching Facts 

Useful Stuff to know about volunteering in South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA PHOTO GALLERY

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