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Holiday Club Volunteer Project in South Africa - Table View

Holiday Club Volunteer Project in South Africa - Table View

Interested in being a Holiday Club volunteer in South Africa - Table View? International Volunteer HQ’s Holiday Club project is a great opportunity for volunteers to make a meaningful difference to the local community by helping keep students engaged in constructive, positive ways during the school holidays. Volunteers gain childcare, teaching and youth work experience while helping local staff plan, arrange and run a program of fun and productive activities including games, field trips, cooking, hikes and crafts.

Highlights:
  • Programs start every Monday
  • Affordable fees from AU$561 for 1 week
  • Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
  • Run a fun, positive holiday program for local students

  • Discover South Africa’s diverse culture and landscapes

  • Stay near a beach with views of Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain

Key information

Provide opportunities for marginalized youth
Based out of Table View
Volunteer house accommodation
Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Fully hosted experience from AU$561 for 1 week
Durations from 1 - 24 weeks
Climb the famous Table Mountain
Up to 6 hours volunteering a day

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers who are energetic, fun-loving and want to volunteer when this project is available during the school holidays.
Who is this program suited to?

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

The Holiday Club project is designed to keep students engaged and entertained during their school holidays and encourage them to spend their free time in positive ways that contribute to their education and growth. This project is run by the local team so volunteers play an important role in helping to plan, arrange and run the holiday program.

During the school holidays, only the Holiday Club project is available in Table View. There is a whole lot of variety and fun, as the idea is simply to give students interesting and productive things to do during their holidays. Volunteers help to arrange and run activities such as:

  • Mini putt
  • Picnics
  • Hikes
  • Visits to the aquarium, power station or the beach
  • Game days, beach days, craft days, baking days and more

It’s important to note that activities are weather dependent and if a holiday club activity requires payment of an entrance fee, you will have to cover this charge as the program covers the entry for the children.

School Holidays 2024:

  • 21st March - 2 April
  • 15th June - 8th July
  • 21st - 30th September
  • 11th December - end date in January to be determined
Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

More than half of all children and teens do not meet minimum proficiency standards in reading and mathematics. Quality education provides an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment and is key to preventing poverty, securing long-term employment and improving quality of life.

Why do Holiday Club volunteering in Table View with IVHQ?

As a Holiday Club volunteer in South Africa - Table View you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Providing positive activities for disadvantaged youth
  • Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining teaching and youth work experience
  • Immersing yourself in South African culture
  • Exploring Table View and Cape Town

Volunteer requirements

  • Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program
  • All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
  • All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
  • All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

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What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience

IS
Ivana Stipsits
01 Nov 2023

Through this experience I gained a lot of self confidence and I could also improve my English skills. Moreover I made friends from around the world and got to meet so many nice people!

...
MB
Melanie Braun
11 May 2023

I am so grateful to everyone for this experience. The local team has all my respect and admiration. My goal is now to work permanently in Africa at one of the schools in Table View. I loved helping the children, making them happy and supporting the local teachers. Don't miss out on this experience!

...
BB
Britt Bowling
11 May 2023

IVHQ checklist was very helpful and allowed me to have confidence going into the trip. The local team was great! They accepted me like a family from day 1 and I got friends that I’ll have for life through the local team. This was a very humbling experience in the best way possible. The environment, the location, the kids and the activities were exceptional. I loved meeting new people from all across the world and doing activities together like surfing, ice skating, playing putt putt, and learning new sports with the kids. This experience has humbled me and reseted my outlook on life. Take the leap it’ll be everything you can imagine and more.

...
BL
Beatriz La Vitola
15 Feb 2023

I was ready to take the leap and push myself out of my comfort zone. With IVHQ, doing that felt simple, doable, and very safe. They taught me how to be open to life and its experiences, opportunities and adventures. I never felt unsure of my decision thanks to the support and communication of their team. The local team helped me organize my add-ons and tours while I was there. I've never felt more free, and safe before, by myself. They made sure my experience was an unforgettable one. While there, I felt that the experience had shaped me, impacted me and changed me immediately. Nevertheless, it was until I got back home that I truly felt different. My volunteer experience is a medley of things, people, experiences, adventures, and one-of -a-kind moments. My perspective towards life itself has changed a lot. Before, I thought that change was possible; now, I know its just a matter of choosing to do so - deciding to make a change - making a promise and reminding oneself that we are all capable of doing so. Traveling alone reminded me that I am capable, strong and most importantly that even when we feel the world is big and everything seems so far away, I feel now that we are all connected in more ways than we might think. There are no limits when it comes to making a change. There are no excuses to postpone adventures, happiness or lending a hand to someone in need.

...
RK
Rhea Karam
13 Sep 2022

I loved spending time with the kids (got really attached) and discovering South Africa with the other volunteers who made my trip even more exciting and fun. I grew so much as a person, and everyone now has a huge place in my heart. The smiles on the children's faces no matter what situation they lived in really hit me and made me never take things for granted in life. I learned so much from my friends who were volunteering with me, each one taught me different things about life that I'll forever carry with me. It's the most beautiful experience, I came back home with my heart full, met the most amazing people and learned so much about different cultures which was amazing. It's something no one should ever miss, it's the experience of a lifetime.

...
GE
Gonzalo España-Heredia Llanza
11 Feb 2021

My favorite moments were all the time together with the kids and the other volunteers just having fun. I think that was the crucial part, because in those moments the kids felt equal to us, they were with people from all over the world and that made each of them feel as one of us.

...

To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.

Academic course credit through International Volunteer HQ and Intern Abroad HQ.

Academic course credit

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Volunteer Abroad in Table View, Cape Town, South Africa with IVHQ

Location

The program is based in Table View in Cape Town. Table View is about 30 minutes from Cape Town CBD and is where volunteer orientation and general administration is carried out by our local team as well as where the volunteer accommodation is situated. Projects are located in the Du Noon township, Wolwerivier settlement and Blouberg beach.

Arrival and orientation

Volunteers need to arrive in Cape Town on Saturday in order to complete the program orientation which will take place on Sunday afternoon. After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the Cape Town International Airport (CPT). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Table View. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the Saturday ​night before your program orientation.

If you are travelling in South Africa prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up within the Cape Town CBD area on the day before your program orientation.

Orientation is taken by our South Africa - Table View team in Table View. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in South Africa – an introduction to South Africa, South African customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in South Africa, introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.

Weekdays

Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at, but a typical volunteer day might be as follows:

Morning Make your own breakfast at the volunteer house
8:00 - 9:00 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements.
12:00 - 5:00 PM Work at the placement usually ends between 12pm and 5pm depending on the project. After their project work ends, volunteers are free to relax at the volunteer house, go sightseeing, or do some shopping.
7:00 PM Dinner at the volunteer house.

Please note Monday and Fridays are half days of volunteer work. On Monday afternoons there is a volunteer meeting and planning session for the week ahead, and Friday afternoons are free time.

Weekends

On the weekends, volunteers have spare time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Cape Town or other areas in South Africa. See unusual wildlife like antelope and penguins,visit the spot where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, paraglide off a rock high above the city or watch the sun sink into the Atlantic ocean with a glass of the region’s finest wine in your hand. Long weekends can be taken if volunteers wish to go on safari, or travel to places further afield, such as the Garden Route or Stellenbosch.

Looking for more ideas of things to do in South Africa? Check out our South Africa Travel & Tours page!

Accommodation and WiFi

Volunteers are accommodated in volunteer houses and can expect to share a room with one to nine other volunteers of the same gender.

The accommodation is safe and secure, located within a suburb near the communities where volunteers work. Living is comfortable and the volunteer houses have electricity (with occasional power outages) and running water with western toilets.

To ensure volunteer safety and commitment to volunteer placements, there is a curfew in place at the volunteer house of 11:00 PM. If you prefer a private room, couples room, or family room, accommodation upgrades can be arranged with our local team for an additional cost, but are subject to availability.

All volunteer houses have WiFi available which you are welcome to use.

It’s important to note that power outages (load-shedding) occurs very often in Cape Town. These can occur at any time of day and can sometimes last for up to 4 hours.

Meals

Volunteers in Table View receive three meals a day. Meals served in the volunteer house are typically Western-style and can be high in carbohydrates. Breakfast consists of self-prepared tea, coffee, toast, yoghurt, fruit and cereal.

Lunch is also self-prepared with food supplies in the volunteer house. This can range from sandwiches taken along to your placement, leftovers from the previous night’s dinner and salads.

Dinner is a cooked meal which gets delivered by a local catering company (Monday-Friday), the dinner can consist of dishes containing meat, vegetables and a starch, such as potatoes, bread or pasta. Dinner for Saturday and Sunday is self-serve like making pasta or salad.

Tap water is not safe to drink, but bottled water is readily available in South Africa and volunteers should budget approximately US$10 (approximately AU$16) per week for this (2 litres per day). If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know and we will do our best to cater for you.

Pricing

  • USD
Duration
Program Fee
Due 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
  • USD
1 week AU$560 Equivalent to AU$80/day
2 weeks AU$913 Equivalent to AU$65/day
3 weeks AU$1378 Equivalent to AU$66/day
4 weeks AU$1874 Equivalent to AU$67/day
5 weeks AU$2355 Equivalent to AU$67/day
6 weeks AU$2820 Equivalent to AU$67/day
8 weeks AU$3749 Equivalent to AU$67/day
10 weeks AU$4678 Equivalent to AU$67/day
12 weeks AU$5608 Equivalent to AU$67/day
16 weeks AU$7467 Equivalent to AU$67/day
20 weeks AU$9325 Equivalent to AU$67/day
24 weeks AU$11184 Equivalent to AU$67/day
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • 24/7 in-country support
  • In-country program orientation
  • Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
  • Airport pick-up
  • Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
  • Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
  • Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

  • All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately AU$528) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in AUD.
  • A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
  • Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check and airport drop-off.
  • Recommended spending money: Volunteers in South Africa generally find US$80 per week to be sufficient for expenses, not including weekend activities/tours.

Check what's required to visit South Africa

Safety and support with IVHQ

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

  • All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
  • All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
  • All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
  • All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Capital Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial), Cape Town (Legislative)
Population 58.56 million
Languages Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Tswana
Currency South African Rand (ZAR)
Time zone UTC+02:00

Weather and climate

The subtropical location, moderated by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides of the country and the altitude of the central plateau, are responsible for the warm temperatures typical of South Africa. Across much of the country, summer (December to February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather with temperatures averaging around 25°C (77°F). Winter (May to September) is cooler and drier with evening temperatures averaging around 10 °C (50°F). In Cape Town, sporadic showers and chilly winds are common during the winter months, but with daytime temperatures can average around 15°C (59°F).

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How to get started

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