Program Reviews

The time spent during my 2-month long stay in South Africa will forever be an unforgettable one. Cape Town became my destination of choice after I saw what the beautiful city has to offer. I’m passionate about travel and new experiences and thought this would be a great opportunity for both travel and work. My internship was a requirement to complete my studies and I am glad to say that I have achieved all that I had set out to when I first arrived.

Professionally, I have grown and gained a lot of valuable experience at my internship site. I learned a lot from the animation department and got to engage in a lot of tasks which I enjoyed.

Throughout my stay, Cape Town had been a sight to see every day. There is always something new around the corner and got to experience a lot of things for the first time through many of the VACorps activities. I will never forget the endless beaches and wineries and penguins! And so much more. Also, during my time here, I made a lot of friends and met so many people from diverse cultures which were exciting and interesting to see and learn about. The whole experience has been a lovely one and I’m glad to have been part of the program

This was truly an eye-opening experience for me. Although college gave me the opportunity to be independent, this program really gave me the opportunity to experience what life would be like beyond the bounds of a university. There was a level of freedom here that I couldn’t obtain anywhere else and after falling in love with the city and its culture, I was starstruck. There’s just no end to the activities to do here and I can safely say that I was never bored for a second. I also gained valuable insight into what I want my future to hold for me and although I don’t have a clear-cut map of it yet, this program gave me a direction, which in the end gives me faith that I will get where I need to go. I wouldn’t trade in this experience for the world

VACorps was an incredible experience that made me fall in love with the city of Cape Town and its people. I did an internship at a local Cape Town radio station, and I was given the chance to do so many things. From reporting to producing to hosting my own show. Everyone there was very supportive and kind. I took initiative and did things with my time at the station, and as a result, was given the opportunity to grow as a reporter. It is hard to imagine my time here without the people of VACorps and the memories of the Friday activities. My experience was defined by a beautiful city and even more beautiful people and that is largely thanks to the openness and welcoming spirit of the VACorps community.

I chose Cape Town to be my home for three months during my gap year due to the wide range of activities and culture that it provides (and the sunny weather was a nice bonus). I was able to meet people who I have grown to absolutely adore in my short time here, learning how to live on our own and carry out our day-to-day lives in a new environment. Cape Town had everything that I could’ve asked for in these past few months: great swimming, great people, great social scene, a great job, great weather, great everything. Since coming here, I’ve found myself learning how to love myself more and just overall becoming a happier person. I feel as though I discovered a new admiration for the people around me and realized how much I genuinely adore teaching kids. The life that I’ve lived here is the way I dream of living my life for a long time and I think that knowing that I have found a life that can make me so deeply happy has really changed me as a person. I’ll never forget skydiving with Allison and Scott in that rickety plane that we saw absolutely no safety concerns with, or when myself and Amanda for two months were fully convinced our neighbors had a pet lion (it was a dog). I’m going to miss waking up to Lila singing as she cooked chicken noodle soup for dinner, and I’m going to miss the blinds in my room that do nothing to keep the sunlight out so I ended up waking up at 8 am even if I don’t have anything until 12. I’m going to miss the place I’ve called home for the last three months, but I think I’m going to miss my friends the most because they were the ones who got me up when all I wanted to do was lay down. They were the ones who took care of me when I was sick and the ones who made me laugh so hard I think I almost had a heart attack. I came into this program anxious and blind as to how the next three months would go, and now I want more than anything to stay and never leave. So… my best advice to those who are readying themselves to come to cape town, let yourself be blind. let yourself be stunned by what this beautiful and joyous place has to offer. Do everything you can because no matter how long three months may initially seem, it will never be long enough in the end.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Cape Town! VACorps gave me all of the resources I needed to thrive during my time in South Africa. They provided me with fantastic internship placement and created an independent environment of growth with numerous learning opportunities. As a future Public Health major, I was matched with a complimentary internship where I worked as a counselor for pregnant women and new moms, designed a resource book and compiled helpful programs for those seeking help, and worked in the Mowbray Maternity Hospital nursery and organized donations into new baby and momma bags! I transitioned from shadowing counselors to individually running counseling sessions.  Working at my internship site gave me a real introduction to public health in Cape Town, and, surrounded by such a supportive environment, I can undoubtedly say I experienced true growth in my confidence and abilities. I lived here for 3 months, and would definitely recommend staying for as long as you are able! There is so, so much to explore (especially with Cape Town's diverse geography), and you will certainly want to see everything. Some of my favorite activities have been hiking (do Lion's Head at sunrise!), surfing, trying new restaurants, exploring thrift shops, visiting Kirstenbosch, and museum touring. The 'vactivities' and Culture Series ensures you learn and see everything you can about the city! Overall, the level of growth I have experienced in this program, from within my internship, to simply learning how to live independently, has been unmatched, and I do believe my gap year would be incomplete without it.

I chose Cape Town because I wanted to go somewhere completely different and outside of my comfort zone, and it was highly recommended to me by a friend who had done the program last year. The VACorps Program was everything I expected and so much more. Not only did I learn a lot about Cape Town, South Africa, and its rich and beautiful culture, but I also learned so much about myself, and my future career. I am more confident as a result. The VACorps team is so supportive and empathetic and they truly care about their interns and the experience they have in South Africa. I’m going to miss everyone so much. The VACorps team, the other VACorps program participants, and all of my work colleagues who were so kind and from whom I learned so much.

When I first decided to go to Cape Town I did so mostly because I wanted to do an internship for my university and I was tired of the cold winter in Europe. But Cape Town has so much more to offer than just amazing weather and diverse and interesting internship sites. Interning here for three months was an incredible and life-altering experience. It stretched from swimming in the ocean and going on a variety of hikes to going to nice restaurants and exploring the multicultural and beautiful city. And there is a seemingly endless amount of things one could do. Even after all my time here, there are still some things on my bucket list that I did not get to do - even though I feel like I worked on finishing them very diligently. Doing an internship with VACorps was also giving me the opportunity to meet many like-minded people from all over the world and from a variety of different fields. Overall it was an experience I am very happy about and would not want to miss.

My experience in the VACorps program was a perfect balance of rigorous internship and freedom to explore a new city. I loved my internship dearly- teaching grade 5 Monday through Thursday- and the relationships I formed with both my learners and my teaching mentor will stick with me. Cape Town is an entirely unique city- coming from New England, it resembled nowhere I'd ever visited before, and I loved it almost instantly. It's hard to find a city that combines nature, adventure, history, and nightlife while maintaining such a sense of community. VACorps itself fosters a familial environment and getting altogether at the end of the week to explore the city was a highlight of every week. My time in Cape Town is leaving me with a unique cultural experience, a new perspective on the world outside of my hometown bubble, and many new friends that I look forward to keeping up with in the coming years.

I chose to come to Cape Town because the internship opportunities in South Africa with perfectly fit what I wanted to do. My university major requires international study experience and VACorps was a perfect fit. Through this internship, I have grown so much as an individual and it has awoken a passion to travel alone throughout the world. I will miss the views of Table Mountain and the wonderful sunsets from Camps Bay. I was here for 3 months and I would come back in a heartbeat, or extend my trip if I did not have to get back for school. For incoming interns, I would recommend going out with groups even if you're tired, and making the best of your time. Enjoy every sunset, try new foods, and try to talk to people outside of your VACorps program friends. I loved the group activities and I appreciated the fun things we were able to experience as a group that would have been more difficult alone (ex: cape point). I am most grateful for the ease and peace of mind that the VACorps program gave me when it came to placing an internship, safety around Obs, and a supportive hand whenever I had questions about living in South Africa.

I chose to come to Cape Town for my internship because there is so much to do here and heading to Cape Town's summer from England's winner was a no-brainer. Rowan was fantastic in helping me secure lots of internship options, but I chose to intern at the Women's Legal Centre as it was the most well-aligned with my career ambitions at home.

I came for two months but time went far too quickly - for prospective interns, I would advise at least three months! I had a Cape Town bucket list that was already long and when I got here, I discovered there is even more to do. Two months flew by and I wish I had longer.

I did a law internship at an NGO that advances women's rights and equality through strategic litigation, advocacy, and education. The thing I loved about interning here was the flexibility of my placement. My internship site was very understanding when I wanted to work remotely, and when I wanted to go into the office. They were always welcoming and everyone was super friendly. The office culture is vibrant and happy, completely different from London, and I will miss that dearly.

I will also miss all the VAC staff immensely. No question or query was ever too much - the support and availability from all staff is truly next level. Everyone communicated with me positively and enthusiastically and I truly wish VACorps all the success in the world in the future because you deserve it all. I appreciated the variety of weekly activities which were suitable for everyone's tastes.

There were so many amazing moments in Cape Town but my favorites were definitely my trip to Kruger (I saw the big 5!), and the penguin beach.

I feel I have grown as a person and re-discovered myself again which I had lost amidst the pandemic. The whole trip was everything I expected and so much more, and I will always cherish the amazing memories I made here in Cape Town.