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Childcare Volunteer Program in South Africa - Table View

Childcare Volunteer Program in South Africa - Table View

Inspired to be a Childcare volunteer in South Africa - Table View? International Volunteer HQ’s Childcare project is a great opportunity for volunteers to assist with early childhood education in low-income communities in Table View. Volunteers will gain childcare and kindergarten experience while teaching and caring for young children in understaffed centres and schools and helping teachers provide the quality education they strive to deliver.

Highlights:
  • Programs start every Monday
  • Affordable fees from AU$561 for 1 week
  • Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
  • Provide learning and fun activities for children in under-resourced communities

  • Discover South Africa’s amazing scenery and wildlife

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

Key information

Provide a safe space for children to learn
Based in kindergartens in low-income communities
Volunteer house accommodation
Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Fully hosted experience from AU$561 for 1 week
Durations from 1 - 24 weeks
Explore urban South Africa
Up to 5 hours volunteering a day

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers who enjoy looking after and engaging with young children and have an interest in early childhood education. ​As volunteers work with the support of the local team and placement staff, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher to participate. However, we encourage volunteers to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course.
Who is this program suited to?

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

Many community preschools and schools in impoverished areas in South Africa are unable to provide effective programs due to a lack of funding, resources and skills. Well-meaning local staff can be overrun by the workload of caring for large numbers of children, and the help of volunteers makes a real difference in enabling them provide quality early childhood education.

As a Childcare volunteer you’ll help preschools in disadvantaged communities, assisting local staff with teaching and caring for children who range from a few months old up to 6 years. Volunteer duties can vary but usually include:

  • Providing fun, educational activities
  • Helping with development and learning
  • Coming up with your own activities and games
  • Supervising children
  • Assisting with feeding, meals and nap times
  • General chores

The Childcare project is not available during the school holidays. If you apply for the Childcare project during the school holidays, you will be switched to the Holiday Club project.

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 Childcare volunteering in Table View with IVHQ?

When you volunteer with children in South Africa - Table View you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Improving access to quality early childhood education
  • Helping students learn and grow in a safe place
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining childcare 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.

Apply For Free

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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!

...
JH
Jocelyn Hazlett
22 Aug 2023

I feel that I have gained a new understanding for the world around me and what other people go through that differs from what I go through. I would tell someone who is hesitant about joining the program that it is normal to be nervous, but it is completely worth pushing through the nerves because you will experience the best time of your life!

...
AM
Andrea Montemayor Castillo
06 Jul 2023

Meeting the kids and being able to see them everyday was the best part of my experience. When you help and you give your time to others you will receive and learn more from them. The biggest impact my volunteering trip had on me was seeing how a little help from me could cause a lot of happiness to one person.

...
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!

...
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.

...

To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.

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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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