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- Community Teaching Volunteering in Cape Town
What is Community Teaching in Cape Town all about?
Throughout this volunteer experience you will have rewarding opportunities to help prepare and implement weekly learning activities as well as getting to know the children. You will leave knowing that you have helped in a small way in providing teachers and children with pre-school education and homework support.
Why choose this Community Teaching volunteer project?
As a teaching volunteer, you are an essential part of the project team, assisting in the efforts in providing OVCs from townships with a better education and a brighter future. These pre-schools and after school clubs are desperate for extra educational support, from delivering the day-to-day curriculum to providing a safe and stimulating environment in which to learn. Extra pairs of hands are always needed in these resource poor communities. You will really love getting to know the children, learning how to engage large numbers of children and assisting the teachers with their daily efforts to provide children with quality education.
Role of the Teaching Volunteer in South Africa
As a teaching volunteer placement vary due to the ever changing needs of the community. The placements and your role may include:
- Pre-school – support the development of the children, as schools are often understaffed and lacking in essential resources. Help is needed to prepare them for their move to primary school where English is part of their curriculum through song, play, and fun activities!
- After-school Care – established in 2007 by grandmothers who saw the need to provide a safe environment for at-risk children. You will provide reading support, homework help, planning outdoor and gardening activities, and arts and crafts.
In addition to teaching and depending of the length of time that you are volunteering, you may be able to also become involved in community work related to OVCs, sports development, dance or healthcare initiatives. Please speak to a Kaya Placement Advisor if you would like to find out more. During the school holidays there will be holiday clubs and other activities so your support will be valued.
What skills do I need to be a Community Teacher in South Africa?
Teaching in the schools requires no formal experience but those who have worked with children before or in an educational setting are most desired. As projects like this have many needs and with children’s needs changing each day the adaptability of volunteers to help in different situations is key to the project. You will be asked to send your CV/resume before being accepted onto this project. if you are a trained teacher and have classroom experience your skills will be most welcome!
Travel during COVID times
The health and safety of our travelers and our local communities remain central to our plans for reopening countries and projects. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been adapting our programs and protocols to protect all those involved, and ask for everyone’s patience and collaboration as new rules are implemented in-country. For all projects, new standards of sanitation, procedures and social behaviors are in place, including new health and hygiene protocols and social distancing practices. You can read more here. Each location may be slightly different in the way they operate. We encourage you to inquire to your placement advisor to learn more about your specific project as you plan for your responsible return to travel!
WHY JOIN THE PROJECT
Help a local team to uplift a community through education
To assist local childcare and education workers in providing structured impactful education to children of the townships
Improve your CV/Resume to enhance your career
FEATURED VIDEO
PROJECT TESTIMONIALS


Where will I work in South Africa?
Considered to be amongst the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town, with its crystal blue waters resting under the shadow of the magnificent Table Mountain, has the city wrapped around its base. Cape Town, like many cities in South Africa, houses some of the richest as well as some of the poorest communities of Cape Town. The project works in a number of townships where there is a melting pot of people of different cultural backgrounds who are facing issues such as high unemployment, HIV/AIDS and crippling poverty.
The spacious and comfortable volunteer house, by contrast, is situated in Observatory, the city’s most bohemian suburb located 10 minute drive from the centre of Cape Town. It has lots of bars where live music is played. Spend weekends visiting the Cape Peninsular where penguins dive around bathers at the beach, an amazing experience. For the more adventurous, take at trip to meet the infamous Great White Shark, go abseiling or paragliding. For those preferring to stay on dry land, take one of the trips to the wine regions, visit Robben Island or visit an art gallery.
Details & Costs
- Duration: 2-12 weeks
- Cost: £1083 / $1691 for 2 weeks
£185 / $288 per week for additional weeks. - Requirements: Age 16+
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Working hours: Monday – Friday 08:30 – 16:30
- Project availability: Projects start every other Monday from May 31, 2020. Contact a Kaya advisor to confirm exact dates. Project closed over Christmas holiday.
- Arrival day: Monday
What is included
- Accommodation: Shared room in a volunteer house, communal bathrooms
- Food: 3 meals a day Monday to Friday
- Airport pick up and drop off from Cape Town International Airport
- Training: Pre-departure information pack, on-site orientation and project induction provided
- Daily transfers to and from your project.
- Wifi
- Support: On-site coordinator providing 24-hour support.
- Staff will be available to help weekend excursions on sites such as Table Mountain, Boulders Beach and Cape Point (fee payable).
What is not included
- Flights
- Insurance
- Visas
- Police/Government Background Check; US and UK citizens will be processed through Kaya (admin fee applies) all other nationalities must provide local police check.
Easy 4-step application process
APPLY ONLINE
Click here to apply online and pay your application fee to apply for your space on your chosen project. Our advisors will then contact you to guide you through the next steps.
TELEPHONE INTERVIEW
Once we’ve received your application, we’ll review your details and be in touch to arrange your informal telephone interview with your Kaya Placement Advisor.
CONFIRMATION
Following your interview, we will provide you a placement offer. Once you are ready to confirm your placement and dates, you can pay your confirmation fee to book and secure your space.
GET PREPARED
When you have confirmed your project dates we'll send you your Welcome Pack and lots of other helpful information to assist you with preparing for your placement.

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