South Africa – Teach, Surf and Skate in Cape Town – Images

Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and is referred to as ‘The Mother City’ by locals. It has a cultural heritage spanning over 300 years and breathtaking scenery, from the iconic Table Mountain to the glorious Cape beaches. It is a modern city with cosmopolitan areas boasting nightclubs and trendy restaurants, as well as rustic and unique suburbs with quirky markets and cafés. With a comfortable Mediterranean climate, Cape Town is a great place to volunteer all year round.

Arrival and Orientation in Cape Town (Included):
Before starting your volunteer work, you’ll join a two-day orientation in Cape Town over the weekend. On Saturday, you’ll enjoy a traditional South African Braai (barbecue), and on Sunday, take part in a guided walking tour led by a qualified tourism guide to explore Cape Town’s top attractions and learn more about the city’s history and culture.

This project is designed to empower underprivileged children by teaching valuable life skills, such as leadership and teamwork—through sports and adventure-based activities, with a focus on surfing and swimming during the summer months, weather permitting. No prior surfing experience is required.
The program runs an adventure club for children aged 11 to 14 from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, where access to outdoor facilities and equipment is limited. The opportunity to learn how to surf is a strong motivator for the children, many of whom do not yet know how to swim, a significant concern in this coastal region. To ensure safety, all children must complete swimming lessons before beginning their surf training.

Some of your tasks may include:

• Teaching kids to swim
• Teaching kids to surf
• Teaching kids to skate or leading an array of sports activities in the afternoons
• Helping on hikes
• Organizing fun days and sports programs
• Educating children about important topics, such as HIV/AIDS, drugs, etc.
• Assisting in schools
• Fundraising events
• Administrative work
• Some training days
• Maintenance work

A typical day: Your day will usually begin around 8:00 AM. Mornings are spent either learning to surf or assisting teachers with Early Childhood Development (ECD) in local schools. In the afternoons, once school is out, you’ll lead activities with the children, teaching them to surf or swim, or engaging them in other fun and educational programs. Volunteers work five days a week, with hours varying depending on the needs of the project. Some days may involve a full eight-hour schedule, while others may be shorter, around four to five hours. As a volunteer, you’ll also have the chance to learn how to surf with a qualified instructor. You’ll receive at least one surf lesson per week, and additional lessons can be arranged for an extra fee

Please note: Our main swimming months are typically January to March and October to December, when the weather is warm and stable enough to support regular water-based activities. The program is adjusted as needed based on weather conditions.

Holidays:
The holidays are a time for the kids to have fun, so the programs are less structured and may change depending on the amount of children that arrive on the day. Children 11-14 years old and younger are given the opportunity to experience extra activities outside of their townships. Every day is different and you will work from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, helping with outdoor activities, such as beach days, surfing, swimming, hikes up the mountain, visits to the museum, cooking classes, dance classes, arts & crafts, and more. During Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, projects are very limited. However, volunteers may still use the accommodation and food.

Program Accomplishments: Since this program was created, over 300 children have learned to swim and 80 have learned how to surf! Some kids from the adventure club have even become sponsored by major surf brands and compete in national and international surfing contests!

Internet: Wi-Fi is available at the accommodations.

Laundry: Laundry service is available for a small fee.

Accommodations: You will stay in a volunteer dormitory, which has shared mixed-gender rooms of 2-10 people per room, a communal lounge, and a kitchen. Upgrades to private rooms are available in both the hostel and the volunteer house.

Food: Three meals per day are included from Monday to Friday and arrival weekends only. Breakfast comprises cereals, fruit, yogurt, toast, and spreads and is available on a self-serve basis. Lunch is a buffet of breads, fruit, cold meats and spreads for sandwiches. A hot meal will be served every night for dinner and includes a meat, a carbohydrate, and vegetables.

Please note this project’s minimum requirements:

• Police clearance
• Basic level of English
• Ability to swim
• Immunizations (consult local travel clinic)
• Motivation to work with children
• CV/Resume

Cape Point Tour (Included):
On your second Saturday of your volunteer program, you will take a group tour of Cape Point. En-route to Hout Bay you’ll stop for a tourist must-have – a picture of the “12 Apostles.” Your next stop will be Cape Point Nature Reserve – home to an abundance of flora and fauna as well as baboons and ostriches, to name a few animals found roaming the streets. There are two lighthouses and the most southwestern point of the African continent to be seen here, and you will spend some time in the reserve. Simons Town is your lunch stop and also home to the South African Navy and a colony of penguins. Boulders Beach was set up for the penguins to roam free and is your last stop for the day before returning to the accommodation.

Travel Extras (Not Included):
Make the most out of your time in Cape Town by signing up for any of these activities for your weekend or days off. You may sign up following registration. Please note there is an additional fee for these activities.

• Kitesurfing, windsurfing, sandboarding and/or paragliding lessons
• Tours of Cape Point, Cape Town, Robben Island, and/or the Townships
• Wine Route Tour
• Kloofing (cliff jumping), skydiving, and/or quad biking outings
• Walking tour of the ostrich ranch
• Abseil Table Mountain
• Shark cage diving
• Game drive through the Big 5 Safari