Community Experience & Cape Town Road Trip in South Africa
Make an impact in Nelson Mandela Bay, then journey the iconic Garden Route to Cape Town. Discover epic highlights such as Table Mountain, Storms River, Wilderness, Cango Caves, Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and add thrills like zip-lining, bungee jumping, and shark cage diving. A perfect blend of meaningful volunteering in the community, breath-taking landscapes, and once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
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Make a real impact through three weeks of community work in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.
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Choose your focus area: Sports Coaching, Teaching Assistance, or Care Work — or combine them to tailor your experience to your passions and skills.
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Coach a range of sports including football, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball, tennis, swimming, or boxing — inspiring the next generation of young athletes.
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Teach and mentor children aged 5–14 through classroom lessons and one-on-one literacy sessions in local schools.
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Care for young children at a local crèche, helping to provide a safe and nurturing environment for ages 6 months to 5 years.
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Travel the famous Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town — one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world.
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Explore stunning destinations including Storms River, Wilderness, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, and Cape Town.
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Experience iconic attractions: Table Mountain, V&A Waterfront, Spier Wine Estate, Cango Caves, and the ostrich farms of Oudtshoorn.
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Bond with fellow volunteers and make lifelong friends as you share meaningful work and incredible travel experiences together.
Spend three unforgettable weeks making a real difference in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth, before embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime Garden Route adventure ending in Cape Town — one of the world’s most iconic cities. This 4-week experience perfectly combines community impact, personal growth, and epic travel along South Africa’s breathtaking coastline.
During your first three weeks, you’ll be based in Port Elizabeth, taking part in one of our rewarding programmes.
You can choose from:
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Sports Coaching: Share your passion for sport by coaching children from disadvantaged communities. Choose from a wide range of sports including football, rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, tennis, swimming, or boxing. You’ll help develop young players’ confidence, teamwork, and physical skills while inspiring them to reach their potential both on and off the field.
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Teaching Assistance: Support local teachers in community schools, delivering engaging classroom lessons and providing one-on-one literacy sessions to children aged 5 to 14 years old. You’ll help improve educational outcomes while gaining hands-on experience in an inspiring environment.
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Care Work: Spend your days helping at a local crèche, caring for children aged 6 months to 5 years old. Your support will help provide a safe, fun, and nurturing space for early childhood development.
After three weeks of meaningful impact, your adventure continues with a 7-day Garden Route road trip — the perfect reward for your hard work and dedication. Travelling with your newfound friends, you’ll journey from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, experiencing some of South Africa’s most breathtaking landscapes and attractions along the way.
The itinerary includes Storms River, Wilderness, Mossel Bay, and Cape Town, with activities such as visiting the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn, kayaking and hiking to a waterfall in Wilderness, wine tasting at Spier Wine Estate, a trip up to the top of Table Mountain, exploring the V&A Waterfront, and watching the sunset on Signal Hill.
Optional add-on activities include ziplining, canopy tours, walking with elephants, monkey sanctuary visits, skydiving, shark cage diving, and bungee jumping from the world’s highest commercial bridge.
Your journey finishes in Cape Town, the number one tourist destination in Africa, where you’ll have time to relax, explore, and reflect on the incredible experiences and friendships you’ve made.
This trip is the ultimate opportunity to experience South Africa, create lasting impact, and explore one of the most beautiful routes in the world — a true blend of purpose, adventure, and discovery.
2026
07th Mar – 4 weeks
06th Jun – 4 weeks
17th Oct – 4 weeks
2027
06th Mar – 4 weeks
5th Jun – 4 weeks
16th Oct – 4 weeks
During Your Community Project:
Accommodation
A lodge with shared rooms (4-10 people per room); Basic but comfortable; Shared toilet and shower facilities; Communal areas for socialising and relaxation including pool, TV and games room and bar; Single and double rooms may also be available if requested and booked pre-departure.
Food
3 meals a day Mon to Fri and 2 meals (breakfast and lunch) a day at weekends.
Arrival Pick-Up & Transfers
Included on arrival and departure date. Early arrival will be subject to an additional charge.
Training
Full project induction and local orientation given on arrival.
Support
Pre-departure help and advice; Local in-country team; 24 hour emergency support.
Donation
Part of your fee may be used to buy decent equipment for the project and community you work with. We also encourage you to bring any extra equipment that you are happy to give away but this will need to fall within your personal weight allowance with the airline you travel with. It’s important you discuss the distribution of these items with our in-country team.
During the Road Trip:
- 7 Nights accommodation (Backpackers)
- All transport between locations & to organised activities
- Canoe trip into Wilderness Nature Reserve
- Entrance to the Cango Caves
- Sundowners on Signal Hill
- Entrance to Wine Estate and tasting of wines
- Trip to Table Mountain
- Bus transfer back to Port Elizabeth
Flights; Travel Insurance; Visas; Vaccinations; Spending money; In country travel; Laundry service; Additional Food; Extra activities not on itinerary.
Suitable for ages 18 to 65
There is no age restriction. However, older travellers should be informed that the majority of the group are usually aged between 18 and 25.
It is an seven-night trip from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. You move through Storms River, Wilderness, Oudtshoorn, Mossel Bay, and then spend three nights in Cape Town before either returning to PE, flying home from Cape Town, or continuing your travels.
Included:
• Canoe and hike in Wilderness Nature Reserve
• Entrance to Cango Caves
• Entrance to the Ostrich Farm
• Wine tasting at Spier Wine Estate
• Trip to Table Mountain
• Sundowners at Signal Hill
• All transport between locations and to organised activities
Each stop offers extras you can add at your own cost. Examples include:
• Storms River: ziplining, canopy tours, kayak and lilo, bungee jump, tubing, Monkeyland, Tsitsikamma National Park
• Wilderness: paragliding, abseiling, hiking, beach time
• Cape Town: shark cage diving, city tour, Cape Point, skydiving, Robben Island, District Six Museum, climbing Lion’s Head, paragliding from Signal Hill
Backpacker-style accommodation for all seven nights, in safe and social locations at each stop.
Yes, our expert and experienced staff travel with the group and handle routes, timings, safety, and logistics.
Yes. You can finish the trip in Cape Town and continue your travels independently instead of returning to PE with the group.
No. We recommend booking your return flight for Saturday. The bus journey back to Port Elizabeth can experience delays, and we cannot guarantee Friday arrival times. Your Friday night accommodation and food in PE are already included in the trip price, so there is no extra cost to stay the additional night.
Arrivals – Saturday
You are welcome to arrive in South Africa early but must stay in off-site accommodation at your own cost until at least Friday (preferably Saturday) and facilitate your own transport from the airport to your own accommodation. You will then be collected from your accommodation and brought to us to begin your placement with us. Arrivals on Friday will incur a charge for the additional night.
Departures – Saturday
The official departure day is Saturday. Those departing on this day will receive transport to the airport. Those departing outside this period must arrange their own transportation (e.g. Uber). We may extend the official departure to include Sundays in exceptional cases, with an additional cost for the extra night.
We suggest you budget between £80 to £100 per week to covering going out socialising or doing few excursions that are not part of what we include.
The nearest ATM is just a 5 minute walk from the accommodation you will be based at.
It is recommended that you bring a small amount of cash, and carry the majority of your spending money on a cash card. The Post Office provides a card that avoids any charges for withdrawing cash and also Revolut and Monzo accounts could be useful and are app controlled. We can also store money and other items in our safe in the office, also located at the accommodation.
We would prefer it if you could use our social media platforms to try and communicate with others that maybe coming away at the same time as you. We are a small team and are very busy preparing and organising the trips. Also, given that we ask you to all arrive on the same weekend, you’ll quickly get to know each other as you settle in.
Participants work at 3 or 4 schools each day Monday to Friday. Each session lasts 60 – 90 minutes. This is weather permitting, but everything is done to ensure as much activity as possible takes place. Expect to be out working for approximately 6 hours per day.
The majority of children coached are aged between 10-13 years old. However, in smaller schools, it is common for either slightly older or younger children to take part as well to boost the number of children participating. All schools worked in are in the disadvantaged township communities.
Placement activities do not begin straight away. We provide a 2 day long induction where you learn about the programme, as well as receive useful techniques. In addition to this, the induction is a great place to meet with and learn from your fellow travellers.
You are free to do what you wish in the evenings after the activities and at the weekends. Some participants like to play social football or other sports as we are very connected to local clubs in the area or go to the gym which is a 20 minute walk from the accommodation. Additionally a lot of your time will be taken up by excursions and other organised events as we feel it is important to show you some of the great spots around the area. We also recognise that you will need some down time, so you will still have plenty of time to relax, unwind and explore the local area.
We do not require any qualifications or previous experience. However, if you are on a sports project it is recommended that you have had some playing experience at any level in the sport you wish to coach and do try and come away with a few training drills you can share. Although of course the more proficient you are in your respective sports, the more it will aid you when working with the children. The most important thing is enthusiasm to work with kids.
Sport is the entry point for everything we do. It is how we reach young people, build trust, and create consistent safe spaces. We coach approximately 12,000 of children every year across football, rugby, netball, hockey, cricket, basketball, boxing, and swimming. Many would not access structured sport without this.
Once children are involved through sport, they can access the wider support we run, including life skills, critical issues sessions, academic support, and, for some, scholarships. A small number move into talent pathways. Our main goal is mass participation and the broader physical and emotional benefits.
Your role sits in that first step. You help create energetic, structured sessions that keep children active, confident, and engaged. That consistency is what opens the door to the deeper support they receive later.
"It was amazing to see so much of South Africa in one trip, and I made lifelong friends along the way. It’s an experience I’d recommend to anyone."
Eddie Foster
"It was the perfect combination, meaningful community work followed by an amazing final week to explore the country. The balance made the whole experience unforgettable.”
Morten Schwabe
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