Program Reviews

I am so grateful to VACorps for this amazing experience, and I am so sad to leave! Everyone I met here and everything about this experience has been amazing. I really enjoyed my internship but more meeting more everyone in VACaorps and all the activities:) I've loved living in the diversity of Cape Town, and I loved how open and supportive everyone was in my internship. I truly believe that an internship experience in the states would've been very different. I will miss how dynamic Cape Town is and all the different activities that a city surrounded by a mountain provides. I'm so grateful for all the activities (weekly meetups, weekend trips) that VACorps provides, and I think that the VACorps model provides the perfect amount of support for a gap year internship experience.

Interning at VACorps has been the best thing I have done all year. Speaking to their advisors made me believe interning with them would be the best thing; especially as all opportunities are in South Africa. I was drawn to SA because it has a unique culture and history which has shaped the country. As a psychology student, I liked the idea of working with people which is what interning in SA has been all about. The people are all welcoming and communicate openly. I have loved interning remotely as it is more accessible but also has allowed me to help a company that needed it and would not have gotten the help unless it was remote.

I learnt a lot in my internship including how hard I can push myself. I realised I love doing research and that I am good at getting into great detail when doing it. Additionally, I have learnt how working to help others is my true passion. Some specific highlights include meeting with my supervisor every week and working on creating a girls' module tackling real-life issues to help young women and girls in the Crossroads township.

What I loved most about my host company is that they share the same main principles as me, including an appreciation for education. For me, education is the most important resource we have and that I believe we should all have access to to reap the benefits. They were also very accommodating, kind and willing to give support at any time.

Now that my internship experience is over, I will really miss having important and interesting work to do everyday. I will also miss the weekly cultural workshops that VACorps hosted.

When I was starting the process of planning my gap year, there were two places that I knew I had to visit. The first was New Zealand, and the second was Cape Town. I knew I had to visit both of the places, and luckily for me, I did. When I first arrived in Cape Town I left everything open, I didn’t try to guess what it was going to be like, I just came in open to whatever. I believe that is truly what made this experience so special, that’s what made it such a great time. The whole city is always moving, it’s always busy, it almost feels as though the city is living, like it has a soul. You really do feel it when you visit, it’s unlike anyplace out there.

I started my internship in film about a week after I arrived, and I learned so much in such a short amount of time. The main thing I learned however is what it really means to work hard and how rewarding it can be.

I found out about Vacorps through my school program. During my stay in Cape Town, I have felt like Vacorps was my home away from home. When I was sick each team member was there to help and I never felt alone. They were a great support system and also took us to many cool places we wouldn’t have been able to go and experience without their help. During my internship, I enjoyed helping add on to the leave policy for the benefits team. I liked how I helped plan the launch of the new EAP. I liked how I got a chance to make new training on effective communication that they will hopefully launch even after I’m gone from the company. I would definitely do another Vacorps internship.

I think that VACorps provides great in-country support, and the orientation was great. I am very grateful to VACorps for connecting me with my internship site. I had the opportunity to work with such an inspiring group of people throughout the past few months. They welcomed me as part of the team and I feel like I was able to make a strong contribution to the organization. I had the absolute best time exploring Cape Town - it is truly a one of a kind city. I will miss the hikes, sunsets, markets, and the list goes on.

My time in Cape Town through VA Corps allowed me to grow as a person and work on my specific goals in a comfortable, organized, and independent setting. VA Corps provided me with structure but also room to learn things and grow independently. The orientation was informative and provided for a great start in Cape Town. All the staff of VA Corps are extremely friendly and are always eager to help. I’m very appreciative of my time in Cape Town and for everyone that made it possible!

My internship is a great introduction to film production and allows every intern to be involved in all sides of all the projects they take on. One of my main goals was to learn about some sides of film production that I did not receive at the one internship in film production I've completed. I have really enjoyed sitting in on meetings that the people at my internship have held. They have covered many different sides of film production and I feel that they have given me many valuable experiences.

I found VACorps because I was looking for an independent study abroad program in Africa. I was interested in the program description and the description of Cape Town. However, I was convinced that I wanted to go when I read the testimonials of VAC alumni. People talked about receiving guidance and support and getting the opportunity to explore the city. This was true of my experience as well. After reading testimonials, I had high expectations and the experience I had met all of those expectations.

I chose to undertake an internship to make myself more employable - giving myself an edge over students with similar qualifications in the industry. I decided to do this in Cape Town because I thought completing a business internship there would be very interesting in such a rapidly growing economy. My favorite thing about interning in Cape Town was how relaxed everyone is - it is a very calm and friendly environment to work in. In my time here I learned that I am a lot more extroverted than I first thought - ever since I got here I just always want to be around people. On that note, the thing I will miss most is all of the amazing relationships I have formed here. The VAC staff were absolutely amazing - everyone was very welcoming and friendly - always with a smile and I really appreciated the care they took in introducing us to the neighborhood and ensuring that we knew how to be safe. The weekly activities were really fun although I feel like there was too strong a focus on wine tasting. I think the thing I most appreciated was the introduction to the neighborhood and the instruction on how to move about safely.

At my internships site, interns are given such amazing opportunities and responsibilities, regardless of qualification/experience, which I really loved. I also appreciated the large network of other interns that enriched my internship. The general tone in the office was serious and passionate but balanced with friendliness and humor, which made for a fun and impactful work experience. My most memorable moments included teaching a digital literacy course and when one of the clients from the Employment Access Program brought us flowers to thank us for helping him find a job.

I will definitely most miss the people I have met through VAC, RentARoom, and my internship site. I love Cape Town and how there is so much to see and do, but I am lucky that I am going to be back in the near future. I think my time in Cape Town taught me that I really love meeting and interacting with new and different people in work and outside of work. I am most grateful for the people at VA Corps. I really appreciated how quickly Kholi, Khuselwa, Loyiso, and the rest of the team were to care for and love all the interns. I also enjoyed how the VAC team hangs out and does activities with all the interns because it allows us to create lasting memories and build a strong, genuine bond.

I was interested in this program because of the reviews I read. Several people commented that it was a chance to work and travel at the same time in a beautiful environment. My experience met and exceeded my expectations. From the application process, the communication was clear, simple, and helpful. It was clear that the VACorps team was interested in helping me get placed in the best internship for me. When I got to the country, the in-country support was crucial in terms of helping me get settled. Throughout my internship, I loved getting to know my fellow interns and the staff during weekly meet-ups. VACorps gave me the tools to experience Cape Town and helped me do it well.