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Location
  • South Africa
    • Limpopo
Length
2 to 24 weeks
Industry
Conservation and Preservation Ecology Education Environmental Studies Life Sciences Sustainable Development
General grants/scholarships

Program Details

Timeframe
Year Round

Pricing

What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa Wifi
Nov 02, 2023
Sep 03, 2024
Wish List
39 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

If you are looking for practical work experience and professional development in a range of globally driven sustainable development projects, GVI has just what you need. Internship programs include wildlife conservation and field guide courses.

Aside from personal skill development and hands-on experience, you will be contributing to short-, mid- and long-term objectives for each project, aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Experience a highly diverse country that represents numerous cultures, subcultures, 11 official languages, and several more sublanguages. It’s a land with impressive natural landscapes, wildlife, flora and fauna, and rightfully holds eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

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Program Highlights

  • Immerse yourself in the vibrant blend of urban life and wildlife reserves that define South Africa.
  • Develop a range of skills that will enhance your CV and contribute towards future job opportunities.
  • Develop cultural appreciation and meet like-minded people from around the world.
  • Contribute actively to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Develop your global citizenship with immersive experiences.

Popular Programs

Cheetah roaring

Wildlife Conservation Internship

Live and work on a private nature reserve near Kruger National Park. Here you’ll work on conservation projects with leading local and international conservation organisations. Spend your days tracking animals in the reserve, recording and analysing data, and learning important conservation skills.

Cheetah resting close to safari jeep

Big Cat Conservation Internship

Gain practical conservation working with big cats and contributing to the collection of valuable wildlife research on a private reserve. Here you’ll learn how to identify mammals and reptiles, while conducting biological surveys and tracking the local wildlife – specifically lions, cheetahs and leopards – using radio telemetry techniques.

Safari guide instructing group in the bush

Wildlife Conservation Apprenticeship

Join our six-month wildlife conservation internship in South Africa. Learn techniques used by private wildlife reserves and international organisations to conduct wildlife research such as radio telemetry tracking. Then put your new skills into practice with a three-month work placement at a South African conservation organisation or an ecotourism lodge.

Program Reviews

4.81 Rating
based on 26 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 84.62%
  • 4 rating 11.54%
  • 3 rating 3.85%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.7
  • Support 4.65
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.35
  • Safety 4.8
Good for Solo Travelers, Students, Photographers
Showing 25 - 26 of 26 reviews
Default avatar
Jessica
50
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GVI Wildlife Reserach 6 month Internship

Apr 25, 2012

Amazing, life changing, 6 months of my life that I will never forget. I was part of the Wildlife Research Expedition as an Intern for 6 months in the Limpopo Province. GVI was based at two camps Venetia Game Reserve and Karongwe Game Reserve. The first 5 week were spent in “basic” training mode learning how to identify and track animals, radio telemetry techniques and how to cook for over 25 people. I will never forget my first sighting of a wild elephant his name was Botswana and he was dust bathing at 6am in the morning in the creek bed in front of our tent. Then I moved to Karongwe. Seeing Zero their male pride lion for the first time was heart stopping, the smell of a month old giraffe kill I will never get out of my nose, the joy of seeing my first Porcupine, walking in on the cheetah boys, the thrill of my first leopard, and the unforgettable sound of Hyenas laughing as we spent the night camped in the river bed. I was taken on as Mountain intern and got to explore the magical Mariepskop Mountains, hiking to waterfalls, watching the sunset over Swadini Dam, catching frogs, learning how to measure a shrews foot. The staff are all fantastic some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated people you will ever meet they are passionate about what they do. My last night is etched into my mind driving along the road outside the reserve only to find the whole pride of lions sitting on the fence line getting ready for night time lion activities, the cubs being playful and Zero roaring in the distance.

105 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Response from GVI

Hey Jessica, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

By GVI on July 28, 2021
Read my full story
Default avatar
Sarahsss
32
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing

Apr 14, 2012

Taking part in the Wildlife Conservation program in South Africa was a huge step for me, It was a life long dream and also the first time travelling overseas by myself. My whole experience in South Africa at the Karongwe game reserve was life changing and I think everyone needs to experience it in their life. On the average day we would wake up at 4.30am to start the game drives at 5am, the drives were surreal we would see lions, cheetahs, elephants and giraffes even before breakfast. One day we had set out on the truck to try and identify the elephants for their profiles the staff were creating, getting ahead of the herd we parked in a cross roads, as we sat on the truck the herd walked strait past us, we were meters away!!! One of the newborn babies was walking with its mum and older sister, playing and teasing the older elephants, When the Monarch of the herd walked past she stopped and stared strait at me!! I began to cry, it was amazing being so close to such a huge and beautiful animal. Moments like these happened on many of the days at the game reserve, it was definately One of the best experiences of my life and I plan to go back. The staff and the other volunteers were amazing, I only wish I had stayed longer as four weeks was definately not long enough :)

82 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Response from GVI

Hey, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

By GVI on July 28, 2021

Questions & Answers

Are interns at GVI paid? Or does one pay to be part of an intern program?

Hi Bridgit, Thank you for your interest in GVI. You pay for a GVI Internship program. The costs fund the project you will be a part of, and include; accommodation, food, training, equipment and materials, airport pickups and 24-hour support. However, there are GVI scholarships available each month you could apply for. Have a look here: https://www.gviusa.com/why-gvi/scholarships/ Althernatively...

By GVI on September 19, 2019

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Rebecca Smith

Program
GVI, Ethical Impact: Internships in South Africa

Why did you choose this program?

Africa was always a place I fantasied about visiting and immersing myself in the culture and wildlife. The GVI Wildlife Conservation Internship seemed like the perfect progression in my career development after completing the brief volunteer stint. I craved more knowledge on the intricate workings of the Southern African ecosystem and the work which was being done to protect it and help it flourish again!

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

GVI offered a lot of insight pre and post my sign up on the program. My point of contact was always on hand to answer my questions and to reassure me of any concerns. This continued while living on base too. My appointed contact assisted with such things as insurance, briefing, visas, and flights. GVI also put me in contact with others who would start on the same project before we left, I found this super helpful and reassuring, especially for those traveling alone.

The main thing for me to arrange was my travel to and from the country I was pointed in the direction to a flight operator, as well as details of pick up times and location this made it a million times easier to organize. I also had to plan my own free time, but again, suggestions and recommendations were provided along with assistance with logistics on the days too.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Take time to read through the handbook for the base your going to and take time to look through the packing list and purchase all that is a suggestion, it will be on the list for a reason!

Read reviews and talk to an ambassador for your particular program as they can give you a full and accurate idea of what to expect. It is also helpful to read up about the local beliefs, culture, and values purely out of respect for the natives and local community.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Six-day working week (Sundays off) and 4 days off every 4 weeks. Two game drives a day AM (5 am -9/10 am) and PM (3.30-7.30pm); on each drive, there is a sign up for specific roles i.e. vehicle checks, navigation, and spotlight.

During drives, you will track the focus animals such as the male lion, female cheetah, and 3 male cheetah coalition. Data is also taken for such things as birds of prey, rare games, kills, etc. There are also intern specific drives that are based around camera trap placement/data, bird surveys, and reserve work.

The middle of the day is spent on base time to recoup as well as sit in lectures, studying or work on base projects too. Sometimes there are intern trips out of base for Kruger trips or talks around the area on local topics, such as antipoaching.

On Sunday free time and weekends off, there is time to explore the local sites, stay on other lodges or travel to neighboring townships (self-funded). Everyone will be allocated a base day either once a week or 2 depending on the number of people staying, on these days you are in pairs or 3s doing the base duties such as cleaning and cooking for the group.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest worry as a solo traveler was safety, especially to that particular part of the world. The support from GVI both pre and post-departure settled any nerves I had.

I also did my research before leaving on what to expect and ways to stay safe and savvy. It is recommended that you do not travel alone when in your free time. I did stay in a lodge on a 4 day week off by myself, which was actually blissful, but I was picked up and collected by the base staff, so logistics were smooth enough and there was nothing to worry about at all!

How did your experience on this program change you?

My time on the Karongwe GVI base opened my eyes to the pathways I never thought would be open to me.

Being out of my comfort zone really built my confidence in many different ways and I found my self excelling in my career after returning from my first trip. As part of my leadership course included in the program, I learnt how to manage a team successfully and how to combat issues that arise in that environment. I was filled with so much knowledge of the animals and how to act best in their protection.

This positive ethical change in my day to day behaviour and thought process followed me home and allowed me to encourage others to do the same. This experience has fuelled my passion for all things wild and I am uprooting all I know to create a new and improved future for not only myself but the world I inhabit. GVI is an international company, so I have made lots of new friends around the world who share the same ambitions and drive in all things conservation, which I feel is a truly magical thing to come away with!

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Zaytoen Domingo

Program
GVI, Ethical Impact: Internships in South Africa
Job Title
Assistant Editor
Zaytoen Domingo is a content writer and editor based in Cape Town, South Africa. She is currently enrolled in the Masters program in English at the University of the Western Cape. After graduating with an Honours Degree in English and Creative Writing, Zaytoen completed a skills-development program for writers and became an alum of the GVI Writing Academy.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I've never been anywhere outside of my country, but the work I do allows me to write and learn about places all around the world that I hope to visit one day.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

This was my first job after graduating. I joined the GVI Writing Academy as an intern and never planned to stay longer. Two years later, and I am currently an editor.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

"Before I went to my program in Oxapampa, I wasn't very fond of spiders, but now I am". This is a simple quote, but one of the funniest things I've read!

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would go to Cusco, a city in southeastern Peru, to see the landscapes and immerse myself in the culture. Cusco is the capital city of the Inca people and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I want to trek the Andes and see Machu Picchu. I want to learn about the city and its history.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

The theatrical society is a fun social group that anyone can join. I love the spirit and that it's used to make work-related events more light-hearted.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

The right management is key to a successful company. It's important to hire managers with integrity and genuine care for their staff. This ensures trust in the team and the organization. When a company has good leaders, they develop great employees who become even better leaders. It's rare to find people in power who use their authority to do good. But it's not impossible.

About GVI

GVI is an award-winning organisation that tackles critical local and global issues through our travel-based volunteer, internship, fellowship and apprenticeship programs as well as online courses, and virtual programs. At GVI, we believe that long-lasting impact is locally-led, which is why our programs are run in partnership with local...

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