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DAKTARI Bush School

4.93 Rating
71 reviews
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Why choose DAKTARI Bush School?

The mission of DAKTARI is to inspire youth to protect nature and shape their future.

Each week, DAKTARI welcomes ten new students to our camp to attend lessons, do activities, and interact with the animals in our wildlife sanctuary. It is home to more than 40 animals that are unable to survive in the bush. They live out their lives at DAKTARI, acting as animal ambassadors to teach the children. Our work also extends outside of the camp. We host weekly Eco Clubs and wildlife crime campaigns at the local schools to reinforce the education the students receive at DAKTARI

100% OF YOUR PAYMENT GOES TO THIS CHARITY

Founded
2006
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Reviews

NICK
Male
United Kingdom
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

An absolute joy and privilege

Jul 23, 2026

I have been back for 2 weeks and still can't stop thinking about my time at Daktari. Daktari is a mature organisation and knows what it is doing. In just a couple of weeks you leave with a real sense of your positive impact on the unfogetable children who come for an amazing week. They combine fun with learning about animal care, wildlife conservation, life skills and contribution to the future of South Africa. It is easy to hit the ground running with a supportive team and well-planned leasons and teaching resources. Added bonus - amazing animals, great opportunity to work with other volunteers of all ages from across the world, a chance to meet some of the friendliest people you could wish for in a stunning part of the world. Might see you there next time!

Julie
Female
France
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Fantastic Experience!!!

Feb 23, 2023

This is my second time at Daktari. It’s always a pleasure to be here. You meet new volunteers who are always kind and friendly. The staff and the animals don’t change but I’m very happy to see them again. I advise you to do this volunteer experience because you can learn so much about the animals with the staff and the animal manager. Moreover, you can teach some items about the environment to children and you develop a real relationship with them. It was the best experience of my life and I will come back again !

Julie
Female
France
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Amazing and unforgettable experience

Feb 21, 2023

I spent two incredible weeks with the other volunteers. Taking care of the animals was an awesome experience. Teaching children who need it really makes a difference for their future life and its very satisfying to participate in that. There's many subject that they can learn about their country, environment, animal knowledge, wildlife crime, politeness and respect, career guidance and many others. You really create a nice relation with them and you can see how they are thankful about people who takes care of them. Also i wasn't use to live in community and it's very interesting on some points and rewarding.
I highly recommend DAKTARI!!!!

Patricia
Female
Brazil
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Memories to Keep

Dec 8, 2022

I had a great time in DAKTARI. Actually, a life time experience. I left Brazil for 1 month and a half and came to South Africa knowing everything would be different from what I had tried or seeing before. I had a wonderful surprise when I started working with kids and animals. I fell in love with the meerkats!

Bryan
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Fundraising & Philanthropy

Fantastic Experience!!!

Oct 19, 2022

This has been a life-changing experience. From the students, to the staff, to the lodging and the leadership, everything has been fantastic. I can't think of a better way to experience the culture and nature of South Africa. The volunteers are amazing. Young or old, individuals with a spirit to serve and experience adventure will feel right at home. You don't need to be a teacher. One week or six months, Daktari provides an experience that will make you a better person. You only need a desire to make a difference. ABSOLUTELY worth the trip.

Pros
  • Great volunteer peers
  • Experiencing the local culture
  • The animals of South Africa!
What other participants should know
  • Not long enough
  • Need more time to explore the community
  • Program needs more exposure. This is a must-do!
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Programs

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Alumni Interviews

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

Bente Schalkx

Program
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it offered me the amazing opportunity to combine teaching and volunteering with animals. The programs social media and online reviews gave a realistic idea of what to expect. In addition, unlike a lot of other programs, they stated clearly what my money contribution would be used for. It just felt like the right program for me.

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

I applied through Daktari Bush School and Wildlife Orphanage’s online site myself without the assistance of any travel agency. This meant I had to organise my own flights. To apply to the program, I had to provide Daktari with my international travel or medical insurance details. In addition to that, I got vaccinated to prevent diseases.

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

First of all... JUST DO IT! You have nothing to lose. It will be one of the best adventures of your life with memories that will stick with you forever.

Secondly, don’t go for just one week. By staying longer, you will be able to improve your teaching skills and you will have time in the weekend to do awesome excursions.

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

Monday through Friday you will be teaching a group of eight kids, aged 12-16, about their own environment and important life skills. These lessons include helping the children with chores that need to be done to keep the animals at Daktari happy and healthy. Volunteers also have the opportunity to get involved with the local community by teaching at Eco-Club. A voluntary after school club at two schools in the neighbourhood.

In the weekends, you have time off to go to Hoedspruit or go on an excursion.

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 fear was not feeling at home and not being able to connect with other volunteers. I overcame these fears quickly. During my layover at Johannesburg airport, a man approached. Awkwardly, he asked me “Are you going to Daktari?”. Friendships are so easily made. With so many different people there’s never a dull moment.

Staff Interviews

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

Marie Bauvin

Program
Volunteer with Children and Animals in South Africa
Job Title
Project Manager
Marie is a French 26 years old girl who has always loved to travel! After studying in Hong Kong and Scotland, she moved to Mexico where she stayed and worked for 2 years. She is now in South Africa, fulfilling a lifelong dream to live in the bush, working for a cause that is close to her heart.

What is your favorite travel memory?

It is not easy to choose just one favorite travel memory as I am lucky to have plenty in mind! But if I have to talk about one it would be Christmas Eve in Uyuni, Bolivia, during my first backpacking adventure ever! We were staying in a salt house and I remember sharing this meal with complete strangers, eating cold pasta with salt for Christmas and drinking beer, with 3 blankets wrapped around me, and going to bed at 8pm to wake up early the next day to see the sunrise on a laguna with flamingoes. Definitely one of the most unusual Christmas I had, but also one of the best!

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

Working for DAKTARI has been a great yet challenging experience that made me grow so much on the professional side as well as the personal side. I have had the work with people from all over the world and work under pressure at times. I have definitely improve my conflict resolution and communication skills. I also had to work different positions to cover for leave or in interim and this has allowed me to expand my skillset and knowledge in different areas.
I have also a better understanding of the South African culture and history, and its current challenges. This makes me someone I believe even more open-minded and eager to give back to the communities.

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

We regularly have former students who attended our onsite Environmental Education program or our offsite Eco Club who come back to DAKTARI to visit us. I especially remember Wellington: he first came when he was 12 years old, and kept coming back during his holidays to help with animals. He had always been passionate about animals and wanted to work with them.
Over the years we eventually offered him a volunteer experience as animal manager. We trained him at the wildlife orphanage and arranged for him to attend several courses, one of which was a wildlife rehabilitation course, and another a tracker-training course. Thanks to the support of Kruger2Canyon Biosphere he was enrolled in their Environmental Monitors Program. While he was a full-time paid employee as the DAKTARI’s animal manager he became confident with computer work and was always trying to improve the camps of the animals, coming up with innovative ways to give them enrichment. After two full years of experience with us, he has been recruited by Hoedspruit Endangered Species as a curator. Willington is such an ambassador for DAKTARI!

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

Our programs are divided into three main areas: Onsite Environmental Education program, Wildlife Orphanage, and Outreach, which comprises of bi-weekly Eco Club, campaigning in primary schools, Village Tour and Homestay. Volunteers can experience all of the above if they want. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to be able to do all the activities, and even more! We also offer excursions in the Kruger National Park or the Blyde River Canyon so they can explore the wonders of South Africa. Staying for 3 to 5 weeks is recommended to have a complete experience of DAKTARI!

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

DAKTARI is unique as it offers a combination of teaching children with our Environmental Education program and taking care of animals through our Wildlife orphanage. The volunteers that come to DAKTARI can experience a wide range of activities, both onsite and offsite, as we also make them participate in our Outreach programs. The team is flexible and always making sure we can provide the best experience possible, adjusting schedule to try to meet everyone's needs whilst still achieving our goal that is to educate and inspire local children to value their environment and stimulate community development.

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

I believe that a company can only be successful if it has strong values and ethic and stand by them even in difficult times. The employees must also be aligned to these values and share the vision of the company, working as a team towards the same goal. Successful organisation are driven by passionate and competent leaders who are willing to take feedback to improve so they can keep delivering excellent results.