Volunteer work in South Africa

The Eastern Cape, home to the amaXhosa tribes and still a few steps away from the highly developed and Westernised Western Cape, is the perfect place to experience the “real” South Africa. Driving through the Kei you will see traditional mud & thatch rondavels painted in bright blues, turquoises and pinks, the stunning rolling green hills and valleys of this undeveloped land and (of course) experience the discomfort of mile upon mile of dirt road! The Xhosa people hold their traditions close to heart and seeing the traditional dress of this ancient tribal people, in daily use in the Transkei, is a wonder for any traveller. If you can’t make it for a road trip into the Kei, most Wild Coast Backpackers offer visits to traditional Xhosa homesteads where you will be regaled with traditional song and dance from the women and girls there and be fed up on samp and beans, traditional Xhosa bread and umngusho.“I spent my nights sitting around the fire, running around barefoot and getting dreadlocks in my hair: a polar opposite experience from walking around huddled up in woolly jumpers on the cobbled streets in my home city of Glasgow!” This relaxed feeling permeates the rugged and beautiful Wild Coast, a place which any explorer will find appealing.

 

By contrast, the Western Cape offers a more modern view of South African lifestyles today; metropolitan Cape Town “has beautiful views by day and a fantastic nightlife.  "One of the most stunning images I have ever seen was of the clouds falling like a waterfall over the front of Table Mountain”. The vibrant mix of cultures, music, colors and food compare to any Westernized capital city and can entertain you 24/7. From shark cage diving to shopping, clubbing and sight-seeing, Cape Town offers an eclectic mix to suit all travellers.

 

Back in the Eastern Cape, the village of Chintsa may be small but it offers massive heart and welcomes travellers of all shapes and sizes with open arms. Buccaneers Backpackers sprawls leisurely across the hill on the West side of the river and offers a view to die for. This little hub of activity not only offers clean, simple budget and luxury accommodation, delicious home-made food and friendly service, but they also run surf schools, rural mountain bike rides, traditional Xhosa village tours, game drives at the local nature reserve and visits to a rural community school concert. If you can bring yourself to take your eyes off the view it’s more than worth taking a stroll across the beach to Chintsa East which offers the responsible (longer term) traveller an opportunity to give a little back: Volunteer Africa 32 South (VA32) , a volunteer organization which relies on international volunteers to support their Wild Coast voluntourism projects, presents the perfect excuse to stick around in Chintsa for a couple of weeks (or months!). Their pioneering project – the Wild Coast Schools Project – gives rural learners the opportunity to learn computer skills and equip them for a realistic future in modern South Africa. The children in Chintsa and the surrounding areas are a highlight for so many travellers on the Wild Coast: “The children in Chintsa are undoubtedly the soul of the project for me.  Walking into the school in the morning to see their bright faces running to say hello, desperate to talk to you, is the best possible start to a day I can think of”. VA32 offer sustainable projects in education, community development and conservation with support from international volunteers as well as the Friends of Chintsa (a locally run Non-Profit Organisation) and which aim to not only give volunteers the opportunity to give a little back to this stunning country, but the offer them a potentially life-changing experience as well as a lot of fun! “I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard and I wasn’t the only one.  The other volunteers were equally eager and put their all into the project.  How can you not, when you see all of the people in the community love Chintsa and dedicate themselves to the area?”

 

Both Buccaneers Backpackers and VA32 have been awarded the Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) mark and offer the responsible traveller the perfect start to any South African adventure. You may come and eventually go but you’ll probably leave your heart in Chintsa…trust us…!