Menu
Warriors Academy Gap Year

Warriors Academy

4.89 Rating
266 reviews
Leave a Review
Visit Site
About Us
Visit Site

Why choose Warriors Academy?

Warriors Academy is an internationally accredited Gap Year program that has been running in South Africa for the past 17 years.
The Warriors Gap Year program is made up of four seasonal Quests. Each Quest is structured and has unique features and activities. These are focused on equipping young adults with emotional intelligence skills, time, stress and conflict management, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving while exploring and experiencing the best that South Africa has to offer. Students are able to choose to do any of our Quests or all 4 as part of the full Gap Year experience.
Our Gap Year involves adventure activities, personal coaching and self-mastery workshops aimed at building emotional fitness and strengthening both the body and mind. Some of these activities include hiking, kloofing, water rafting, bungee jumping, scuba diving, sailing, cycle safari’s, animal encounters and so much more.

Website
www.warriors.co.za
Founded
2004
Play Video

Community Photos

Bungjee jumping!
Ryla hike
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
me and my bro
Mile swim baby
Times with the homies
Beach clean up in Sodwana
Boom

View All Photos

Community Awards

  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award

Reviews

Default avatar
Samuel
19
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

Warriors Academy

Oct 10, 2023

It was very fun but not for the faint of heart you are to be uncomfortable and have to be strong. There are times when you will have to workout every morning run long distances and hike very far. But with that comes euphoria and the feeling that you accomplished something. There was also a lot of things we did like cliff jumping which I am definitely going to do again. Rafting was also super fun and we did lots of awesome hikes. In conclusion it was super fun and helped me find myself. If you like exploring and the outdoors warriors is for you.

Pros
  • Bungee Jumping
  • Skydiving
  • Cliff Jumping
Cons
  • Not much free time
  • Exhausting at times
Default avatar
Gabriella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

Warriors academy review

Oct 10, 2023

Warriors has was such a life changing experience it helped me to face my fears and not let them control me. As soon as you do that you unlock so much potential that you didn’t know you had. It's been the greatest two months of my life. It has been the greatest adventure.The activates really push you to your limits but hard things are worth fighting for and they are the things that make you feel the proudest of yourself which was something I had been struggling to feel about myself for a while before Warriors. It is also such a supportive environment and it has taught me not to let my fears control me and run away from them.

Pros
  • You grow so much coming here
  • You can do so many in a lifetime experiences
  • You meet people from all over the world
Cons
  • Some of the activities may make you feel uncomfortable
  • It’s expensive
Default avatar
Menno
18
Male
Netherlands
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

What an experience

Oct 10, 2023

Warriors Academy had changed me in more ways than I can think of. I matured like I have never before. It had thaught me to not always stress about the little things; to look at the bigger picture. Besides that I gained a lot more respect for other people. I learned to trust in myself and to stand up for myself. We travelled all of South Africa, we hiked, we rafted and we even skydived. I would recommend anyone to please, should you have the time and money, give the gap year program SA a go. It’ll do you so much good.

Menno van Mechelen

Pros
  • I improved my English speaking skills tremendously
  • You get to know yourself better
  • You improve your self-confidence and leadership skills
Cons
  • The first 1 to 2 weeks can feel uncomfortable
  • It’s possible you can get hurt during the program
  • It’s a lot of travelling.
Default avatar
Jonathan
19
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

Warriors Academy

Oct 10, 2023

My experience here at warriors was fantastic. Everyday was an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and explore yourself and new adventures. The program teaches you so many lessons as well such as respect, responsibility, compassion and hard work. For those who love being outdoors this is the place for you and if you don’t then I would highly suggest you give it a try because the facility is there to support you in anyway they can. However you might be thinking this sounds like maybe too much physical activity but rest assured there are plenty of down time and time to yourself. I love it here and would 100 percent recommend it to others

Pros
  • The adventure you get
  • The culture you experience
  • Opportunity to push yourself
Cons
  • Cape Town trip
  • Bus ride
Default avatar
Andre
20
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa

Warriors

Oct 10, 2023

Warriors was an incredible experience for me. I came to realize that every single day has the potential to be filled with adventure, growth and purpose. A few days here felt like weeks have passed. Simply because we made something out of every day. We were constantly busy and up for new adventures. As a group we grow with every experience. We support, encourage and love each other like a big family.

Integrity, teamwork, responsibility, positive attitude as well as respect are core values which we learn to implement in our lives. I was inspired in so many different ways and recommend this program to anyone who is willing to stretch their comfort zone into new dimensions.

View All Reviews

Programs

Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

Alumni Interviews

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

Tam

Program
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa
Tam

Why did you choose this program?

Both my older brother and cousin have done this programme prior to me. Hearing what an amazing experience this was for them and seeing the change in them, made coming to this programme a very easy choice for me to make.

I've always liked to challenge myself, but never actually got out of my comfort zone in doing so.

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

Because my older brother already did the programme prior to me, there were a few things he could pass on to me - which was great.

Other than that, the Warriors Academy helped me out with stuff I couldn't get/bring myself since I live overseas and it ended up being a lot easier just getting it on site. These were mainly things for outside activities, such as biking gear, hiking gear, and a tent.

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

Just go in and participate in every way possible. Don't think about it, be open to experience everything. There will most definitely be things you won't like, but you'll be surprised finding out there are actually quite a few things you really do like, just never had the opportunity to pursue it.

Also, as long as you put your mind to it, you're capable of doing everything and anything.

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

Okay, so it's quite valuable to know that literally every single day is different, let alone the weeks.
But generally, you start your day off with some lovely morning exercise after which you return to your rooms to shower and get ready for the day. After breakfast (if you're lucky, there are oats), you go and do whatever activity is planned for that day!

Somewhere around noon, you'll have lunch and somewhere beginning of the evening, dinner. That's pretty much all I can say about an average day. Food is great there.

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

I don't think there was a specific fear? I was lucky enough to have met most of the people who are in the organisation of this programme prior to me actually joining it. So I guess that already made me feel a lot more comfortable going to the other side of the world by myself.

Other than that, I would recommend being open-minded and not being afraid to talk to people whenever you're struggling with something.

If you could do this trip again, what would you change?

Looking back at my experience, I wouldn't change a thing. There were a few times I was very much set on not doing something, but I'm extremely happy I did end up doing these things/trying it out.

The thing is, during this incredible programme, there are a lot of opportunities that are thrown at you and most of these you won't get a chance of experiencing ever again. You don't want to look back regretting things you didn't do.

Be grateful, cause it's a chance in a lifetime!

Staff Interviews

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

Tumi

Program
Warriors Academy Gap Year Program in South Africa
Job Title
Senior Facilitator
Tumi is every energetic passionate being! She loves to laugh and make a difference in other people’s lives!
Tumi

What is your favorite travel memory?

Traveling to Mozambique on a scuba diving trip! Just exploring another part of Africa made it so special to share with our international students!

Every day presented a new opportunity where a new diving skill was taught to the students. The importance of respecting nature. This was a trip with lots of stories and memories!

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

Working at Warriors has allowed me to learn to give back without expecting anything in return. It’s allowed me to see students grow into amazing young adults.

I’ve learned to do everything with passion and always give it my all. It’s been truly rewarding having to be able to work with youngsters from around the world!

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

One of the students had a really tough time in school and just not fitting in on a social level! Warriors has taught him to embrace who he is and express himself the way he chooses to.

He learned to accept himself and has picked up the courage to face people on a social level! Allowing others to appreciate his uniqueness.

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

The Toltec workshop! It’s a week where our students are given the opportunity to learn about themselves emotionally and learn to accept who they are!

This is a week where we also offer an opportunity to detox and learn a little bit more about a healthy lifestyle. We teach the importance of health is wealth!

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

What makes us unique is the fact that we are a melting pot of different cultures, races, and nationalities!

The best proud moment will always be at the end of a program where you see a transformation and the excitement within the students! This is the start of their journey into the big world and we’ve just equipped them with tools to take it on!

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

The biggest factor in being a successful company consists of multiple attributes.

Passion
Energy
Hard work
Focus
Dedication
Integrity
And most importantly, teamwork! It takes a team to put together a successful project! Yet we should all share a common vision in order for it to work!

#Fortheadventuresofbeingalive

Ruan
Ruan
Adventure Facilitator

Professional Associations

Gap Year Association Logo