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What is the Nursing and Medical Internship in South Africa all about?
The Nursing and Medical Internship in South Africa is taking place in either clinics or hospitals around Cape Town, South Africa, depending on your field of interest The internship can accommodate students specializing in dentistry, pediatrics, epidemiology, nursing amongst others.
South Africa is equipped with both government-run public clinics and hospitals as well as private practices. The public venues are chronically underfunded and understaffed. The main issue in South Africa healthcare is that the population face multiple burdens of disease, including HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, high maternal and child mortality, high levels of injuries and non-communicable diseases. Through this nursing and medical internship, you will become familiar with the social and healthcare issues the country is facing while working in either a public (medical) or private (nursing) healthcare setting in Cape Town.
Whether you are considering a career in nursing, medicine, dentistry, pediatrics, epidemiology, global health or hospital administration, this nursing and medical internship in South Africa is the right internship for you.
Why choose this Nursing and Medical Internship placement?
- Learn about the South African healthcare system
- Gain first-hand experience working side-by-side with qualified healthcare professionals.
- Get exposure to a variety of healthcare issues in a developing country, providing you with a wealth of knowledge and training to help you advance in your own medical career.
Role of the Nursing and Medical Intern
As a nursing and medical intern, you will spend time in Cape Town shadowing and working alongside qualified professionals eager to share with you their wealth of knowledge. Tasks will vary depending on the needs at the time of your placement and your personal interest and qualifications in healthcare. As an intern, you will shadow and intern with professionals from your chosen field. You will gain perspective on the South African’s challenges and inequalities as well as how to be a healthcare professional in a developing economy. You will get insights on things like bedside manner, professional-patient relationship, medical advice and an overview of the running and operations of a clinic or public hospital in a developing country. Internships can be tailored according to your studies and interests including pediatrics, maternity, infectious disease, pediatrics, orthopedics, dentistry, trauma, amongst others. You may also be interested in joining other departments such as administration, fundraising or marketing or conducting bespoke research. Please speak to your placement advisor to discuss what can be arranged.
What skills do I need to be a Nursing and Medical Intern in South Africa?
The Hospital and Healthcare Internship in South Africa require a reasonable level of emotional strength and open-mindedness. Many of the patients are in a very vulnerable situation and suffering from various health issues that require a certain level of maturity from the interns. A self-starter and pro-active attitude is essential to success in this placement. Finally, you must be passionate about healthcare and promoting equity health for everyone while being adaptable enough to live in a developing African country. All applicants will be asked to share a resume and go through an interview before being accepted on the placement.
WHY JOIN THE PROJECT
Gain practical experience and insights on the South African healthcare system
Work side-by-side with local qualified professionals
FEATURED VIDEO
PROJECT TESTIMONIALS


Where will I work in South Africa?
About the Location
Cape Town, The Mother City, is well known for its iconic Table Mountain, beautiful beaches and stunning vineyards. The city has a lot to offer from sampling great goods, experiencing vibrant markets to a lot of cultural and historical activities.
Accommodation
Interns live in a single room sharing communal areas with other interns. The accommodation is located nearby cafés and amazing restaurants and offers a central lounge to socialize with fellow students studying at the University of Cape Town.
What to do in your spare time
During your time off, you may want to enjoy some scenic drives around the city, go spot some marine life or do the famous Garden Route!
Details & Costs
- Duration: 4-12 weeks
- Cost: £3380 / $5276 for 4 weeks
See drop-down menu for additional weekly pricing - Requirements: Age 18+
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Working hours: Mondays through Fridays, 30 hours per week
- Project availability: Weekly year-round
- Arrival day: Sunday
What is included
- Accommodation: single room in a house with communal space
- Food: no meals included.
- Airport: pick-up and drop-off from/to Cape Town International Airport
- Access to personal online Kaya Community account including:
- Pre-departure information pack for “country”
- Fundraising Guide
- How to Manage your Money Abroad Guide
- Learning Reflection Guide
- Healthcare Ethics and Culture Documents
- On the ground training:
- Cultural and safety orientation and project induction
- Weekly culture series
- Weekly social gatherings
- Support: 24-hour support including emergency contact numbers from local team
- Excursion Planning assistance from local staff (activity prices may be extra)
- Certificate on completion of your internship placement diary and presentation to the local team
- Supervision from qualified professional
- Wi-Fi in accommodation
- Laundry in accommodation
What is not included
- Flights
- Insurance
- Visas
- Transport to/from project
- Food: meals are not included
- Police/Government Background Check: US and UK citizens will be processed through Kaya (admin fee applies); all other nationalities must provide local police check.
- Routine vaccinations
- Refundable accommodation damages deposit of $250
- Any costs for COVID-19 PCR tests required pre-departure and in-country
Easy 4-step application process
APPLY ONLINE
Apply for a Kaya program 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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