iXperience Cape Town – Career Bootcamp + Internship Summer Abroad

I just finished the 6-week program in Cape Town and to be honest I really think I just had the best 6 weeks of my life! Coming in to the program I did not know what to expect but let me tell you this: YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT! I was looking for a program that let me experience another culture as well as give me good education and lets me do an internship at the same time and I got EXACTLY that! I did the software engineering program and the teacher Jacques was incredible! The way he explained things made learning React super fun and easy. After the first 2 weeks I got placed into my internship and I really was able to learn a lot from it! Let's not forget about the fact that I was in Cape Town for 6 weeks which allowed me to really immerse myself into the culture. The iX staff was super super helpful with sharing their local knowledge but they also did an amazing job with organizing all the events for us! We did kayaking, we did hikes, we explored Cape Town and the vicinity and so so much more! The housing was also at a new and modern hostel and it was great! Whatever minor problems we had, the iX staff were more than happy to help out. I also met the coolest people I've ever met in my life (shoutout to them, I miss you guys)! Overall I don't think I could've had any more fun anywhere else while also being super productive! 10/10 would recommend. If you're thinking about doing it - DO IT!

Prior to this experience I was very anxious about going out of my comfort zone and traveling so far. Looking at my time in this program, I am so grateful that I took this leap in advancing my education and diversifying my experiences. Words cannot describe my gratitude for the people that facilitated this learning environment as well as the classmates I met and built relationships with. I didn't just learn about content in my course, I learned about the culture of Cape Town and I learned so much more about myself.

Attending iXperience this past summer was the best decision I have made for the development of both my professional skills and personal skills. Not only was I granted the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Cape Town, South Africa and immerse myself in a completely different culture, but at the same time I was gaining real world professional experience.

The value of taking classes and having an internship in a career of your interest is so substantial. I was registered in the management consulting course and my head teacher was a veteran in the industry. Learning from the best definitely helped me navigate the ins and outs of consulting which made my experience that much better. On top of that, the teachers are very involved and are willing to help with whatever you need relating to class or even advice about the industry. My head teacher even would show us around Cape Town and take us on secret hikes which I never would have expected before taking part in the program.

On top of the massive value gained from the classes and internship, being able to immerse yourself in a completely different culture is something spectacular. Especially after COVID halted travel, being able to partake in a program such as iXperience was very special. iXperience granted me the opportunity to go skydiving, surfing, and even a safari. I would also like to shoutout the staff at iXperience for making the program so much better. I would have never chosen to hike 14 miles in one day if it weren’t for them and the amazing people I met on the program.

iXperience is, in my mind, the best value you can ask for in an overseas summer program for college students. Being in Cape Town was some of the best 6-weeks of my life. Truly, there is no shortage of things to do, places to see, and new experiences in the town.

All that said, the most incredible part of the program is the people who lead it. Every sing;le staff member of iX was always around getting to know us and taking us to experience the most incredible local things I ever imagined I would see.

In a span of six weeks, there will not be a time where you wouldn't know what to do. The first two weeks include taking online classes taught by experts in the industry and the next four weeks is where you are paired to a company for an internship. While this time is great to learn new skills, it is also a time where I explored the beauty of Cape Town, South Africa. During my time, I did many things out of my comfort zone such as skydiving, surfing, hiking, paragliding, and more. It's definitely a great time to learn and explore!

This past summer I participated in iXperience's inaugural Immerse program in Cape Town, South Africa. The first four weeks of this program entailed a UVa Global Studies portion incorporating an art, archaeology or astronomy, conservation, and history element. During the next six weeks, I took the Management Consulting course. Collectively the liberal arts program and pre-professional program make iXperience a study abroad program like no other. The former instills an appreciation for South Africa, its inhabitants, and the country’s vibrant culture. All the while, the latter provides you with an opportunity to build a foundation in an area of your choice with industry experts (in my case a former project manager at McKinsey’s Johannesburg Office).
In the management consulting program, the clients are primarily South African startups with the governing logic being the smaller the firm the more likely that you, the students, get delegated meaningful work and that your final recommendations will be implemented. In my case, we consulted for a behavioral design agency that worked predominantly in the advertising space to develop a financial inclusion project that would enable township-based entrepreneurs to access their services. We delivered a business model which our client is moving to pilot this month.
Prospect students should be assured that they will have a great opportunity to experience personal growth and professional development while having ample time to take advantage of all of Cape Town’s recreational activities. Parents should know that their students will be working hard contrary to the reputation of most study abroad programs. Moreover, they are able to expand their network to include the iX staff, industry experts, and other students at some of the world’s most prestigious universities. The iXperience program is truly one of a kind and I imagine that it will only get better as they learn how to better integrate UVa’s institutional aims into their curriculum.

When I applied for iXperience, the program seemed too good to be true. The website was simple, to the point, and absolutely stunning, and it cost a pretty penny to attend. I wasn’t sure if I could even afford to attend it, but luckily for me, iXperience and my school helped me out sufficiently with the cost so I could travel all the way to Cape Town to see what iXperience really had to offer. I was not disappointed. They placed us in the most beautiful and safest part of town, Camps Bay. They negotiated with numerous local businesses to give us all iXperience discounts. (Student discounts are usually only offered to South African students, but we were not left hanging. iX has us covered.) And they offered a nurse on site to meet our needs (Sophia❤️) and Pierre to help us out around the clock, in case, for instance, your shower head breaks and floods your entire apartment;). Then there was Jakes who also lived on site and was head of security. You could text him at any time of the day and he was there to help! Please use him. Cape Town is a big city with inevitable crime and iX gives you the resources to be safe. So use Jakes! He also happens to be the nicest soul around. iX also set you up with “pals”, which were a number of people in the iX staff that would stay in touch with you, answer any questions at any time of the day, offer assistance with anything and everything, and keep you supported throughout the 6 weeks (shout-out to Adrian!!)
But it only got better from there...they arranged a shuttle to take us between our accommodations and class. And, although accommodations were cool, class was arguably even cooler. Housed in Workshop17 on the Waterfront, it wasn’t just an awesome building, but also close to the mall, millions of restaurants, gyms, and grocery stores, (Oh! And a traveling puppy adoption agency!!). We were set up well.
I was worried that class would be a bore, as it it was 4 hours long every day of the week for the first two weeks, with no scheduled breaks. But it for sure wasn’t. My data science teacher rocked! She was funny and tailored class to be incredibly applicable to the field of data science...preparing us for the INTERNSHIPS! iX had partnerships with multiple tech companies, including Invictus Capital, Rhino Africa, Orderin, DataProphet, and Quicket, to name a few. iXperience offered continued support throughout the internship process thanks to the wonderful teaching staff and were able to guide us well throughout our 4 weeks of internship.
All in all, iX was a worthwhile experience for me. My only regret is that I wish I attended the Immerse version of the program so I could learn a little more history about Cape Town and South Africa. But that’s on me. iX was great!

Last summer, I participated in an abroad course and internship with iXperience. I did it in Cape Town with the Product Management course and it is one of the programs that prepared me to secure my internship at EY this upcoming summer! I spent my first four weeks developing my own product idea with a team of four students who I still keep in contact with today. The next four weeks, I completed an internship in the fashion industry and was able to organize and watch an African fashion show by the end of the last week! These experiences are what allowed me to find my passion for technology and I was able to do it while in the most beautiful place in the world. In addition to the academic portion of iXperience, I was lucky enough to do so many outdoor adventures like climbing Table Mountain, going to penguin beaches, bungee jumping, shark cage diving, and more! This was the best way I could have spent my summer and I think it is a great way for anyone to spend theirs!