Program Reviews

I fell in love with this beautiful city, its landscapes, and its people. I decided to come here as a political science student because the history of this country fascinated me. This internship at a sustainable development NGO helped me gain a better understanding of it and nuanced my knowledge. It was my end-of-master’s internship and my first professional experience in my field of activity. It helped me have a clearer vision of what I want to do, and I was involved in several projects regarding the Sustainable Development Goals. It was really interesting and worth it!

I am going to miss Cape Town so much; I met incredible people here. I started yoga in Obz and discovered so many places thanks to all the VAC activities. This program exceeded my expectations, and I am so grateful for this beautiful opportunity and cannot wait to come back to Cape Town!

My two months in Cape Town were an incredibly formative experience. The VAC team welcomed us with open arms, helping us settle in with a week of orientation. This included typical orientation sessions and many activities to get to know Cape Town. After a week of adventures, we began our internships. I was placed in an incredible internship with a women’s soccer club, where I had the opportunity to meet some of the most inspirational and talented women. When I wasn’t at my internship, I was exploring the city around me. VAC organized optional weekly activities where they continued to take us to beautiful places; my personal favorites were Boulders Beach and Cape Point. Cape Town has a little of everything. There are beaches, mountains, and city streets. This program allowed the independence to explore the rich history of the city at my own pace. We even ventured outside the city to explore nearby wineries and botanical gardens. There was never a shortage of activities to do. I’m going to miss all the people and places I’ve met and visited during my time here. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.

I came to Cape Town, leaving Europe for the first time on my own. I stayed here for a little more than two months, interning for the Human Rights Consultant. My internship was remote, which enabled me to explore the city and the Cape region, giving me glimpses of its beautiful nature, cultural diversity, and the many charming cafés that Observatory is home to.

During my internship, I worked on human rights-related issues. Staying in South Africa offered me a unique perspective, as it is the country with the highest inequality in the world, which is visible in Cape Town where the very richest live next to people who have nothing. What I really appreciated about my internship is that I worked on issues which I could actually witness here, offering me more practical perspectives. I had the opportunity to write various assessments and reports. One that particularly stuck with me was a response to the UN regarding what is missing concerning their global governance program of AI with a focus on the Global South, which I collaborated on with the other interns working for Kelly.

Cape Town is a beautiful city with so much to explore, and two months have almost not been enough. There are so many beaches to visit, mountains to climb, animals to see, foods to try, and cultures and histories to learn about. During the orientation week, VACorps took us to the township Khayelitsha, where locals gave us a tour, offering us insight into life in the township. Through weekly cultural sessions and a self-planned trip to Robben Island, I had the opportunity to learn more about South Africa's history and cultures.

As I prepare to return home, what I will miss most are the gorgeous natural surroundings of the city, the many sunny days, and the beautiful people that I have met on my journey. VACorps offered me a perfect mix of structure, support and freedom, providing many opportunities to connect with other people, explore the city together, and a team of incredible support staff on which I always felt I could rely.

I stayed in Cape Town for two months during my gap year and worked with a domestic violence shelter for women and children. Of all places I could have interned, Cape Town proved to be such an incredible city to work in. Not only are the VACorps staff helpful, but they make the adjustment process to living on your own in a new place comfortable and easy. The city itself offers an amazing array of activities. There are not many places in the world where you can hike huge mountains to look at amazing sunsets and drive a couple of minutes to white sand beaches with cold water to cool off from the heat. Observatory, where everyone stays, is also perfect. There are incredible food and drink options only a couple of minutes away, including a personal favorite, the café Sonder and an Ethiopian restaurant Timbuktu (one of the best meals I’ve ever had).

My internship itself was at times difficult, but completely worth it as well. My coworkers quickly became friends who helped me both understand how to do the best I could at my job and keep things light in a place where we were dealing with some very tough situations. Working with such a vulnerable population is far from easy but I would not give that experience up for the world. From practical skills such as doing intake forms and speaking with clients about their struggles, to understanding the complexities of South Africa’s stance on gender-based violence and mental health, I was immersed in a world that proved to be incredibly inspiring. The strength that lies in each of us even in the hardest of circumstances to carry on was depicted day after day. It was nothing short of incredible. The people at my internship are those who I will miss most dearly.

Every week we also had cultural activities and opportunities to see the more “touristy” spots with VACorps. This was extremely helpful as it allowed me to see many sides and areas of Cape Town that I may not have visited otherwise, giving me a fuller picture of this multifaceted city. A highlight was seeing the African penguins… shocking yes, these guys love the heat apparently which is not what one normally associates with penguins… nonetheless, they were there! We also had the privilege of seeing traditional dancers from Khayelitsha who taught us a few moves. As a dancer myself, this was such a cool opportunity for cultural exchange where we learned something from each other.

Overall, Cape Town with VACorps was amazing and I have made connections here that I will never forget. I highly recommend and make sure to pack sunscreen! I’ll miss you Cape Town!

Cape Town was my dream internship destination because of its natural beauty and unique history. As a Human Rights intern, being able to study injustice in a country that has significant economic and racial inequality has been conducive to my understanding of human rights on a global level. I interned for Dr. Kelly Stone, a human rights lawyer and consultant, and was able to assist her in projects concerning the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals, women in policing, and the governance of AI. These projects spanned a wide variety of topics and addressed different skill sets to give me a sense of the day-to-day of human rights work in South Africa and abroad. My internship has been invaluable to my personal development, as well as to ascertaining what I will study in university.

Besides my internship, Cape Town’s diversity and beauty have allowed me to dive into a new culture and absorb a new way of life. What I have learned from exploring the city has given me just as much as my internship. Exploring Khayelitsha during orientation week, planning my own trip to Robben Island, and attending the weekly culture series led by VACorps has added to my understanding of South Africa’s past and present. Some of my other Cape Town favorites include Sonder Café, Clifton 4th beach, the Old Biscuit Mill market, the Oranjezicht City Farm Market, Groot Constantia, and Ferdinando’s Pizza. Cape Town is a beautiful city with so much culture to absorb, history to learn from, and fun to have!

Choosing Cape Town for my Gap Year internship was a no-brainer. I’d heard amazing things about the city, and doing an internship while traveling sounded like the perfect combo to boost my CV and explore new places. It was a bit scary at first, being on my own and handling work responsibilities for the first time, but it turned out to be a major confidence booster and made me feel like a proper adult.

Living in Cape Town taught me a lot about independence. From making everyday decisions to going on epic adventures like marine safaris, I felt totally capable of handling anything that came my way. I feel that because of this experience I could live anywhere in the world by myself and feel very confident about it. VACorps did a great job at fostering a sense of community amongst program participants. I made amazing friends here from all over the world, and it was truly special to have the opportunity to explore the beautiful country with such an amazing group of people. Two months flew by, and I wouldn’t change a thing. VACorps made it all easy, from orientation to weekly activities like surfing lessons. I’m so grateful for these unforgettable experiences and the awesome people who made it all possible.

VACorps did a superb job of making me feel supported, safe, and taken care as I explored the beautiful Cape Town and all of its rich culture. Their staff were warm, responsive, and experts at making you feel at home while away from home.

During my first internship placement I worked primarily on a research deliverable for a land advocacy organization, that wedded international literatures and the South African context around farm worker evictions. I learned a ton about insecure land tenure and land dispossession issues across the world, and I am proud of the product.

During my second placement at a refugee advocacy center, I really enjoyed assisting on legal matters — and in particular getting to see South African courts in session. I developed greater confidence working on legal matters and materials, and affirmed my interest in going into the legal profession. I really appreciated my supervisors willingness to connect me with meaningful opportunities and get me involved in his work.

I was was so grateful for the internship placement, and my ability to contribute meaningfully to the organization’s work. I was involved in field work that made my time in Cape Town immensely enriching and eye-opening. VAC ensured that this placement was smooth and respectful.

After doing a structured group travel program for the first part of my gap year, I knew I wanted more independence in the spring. I wanted to do an internship and get some work experience, but I also didn't want to be working alone in a new city. VACorps was totally perfect for that. I got to be independent going to my internship, while also having a built in social group with the other interns I was living with as well as the support of the VACorps staff when I needed them. 

Cape Town itself is a city with endless things to do. I loved getting to spend time in nature, having access to the beach, and eating incredible food all the time. I was here for three months and I feel like it was the perfect amount of time to get into a routine in Cape Town, have a deep engagement with my internship, and also explore everything the city has to offer.

I did my internship at a local Radio Station, and everyone there was extremely willing to teach and make time for me. I loved being a radio presenter, learning about sound engineering, and getting to interview a wide range of awesome guests! I will definitely miss everyone at my job who were so welcoming and patient with me. I'll also miss all my favorite cafes and restaurants in Observatory. But I think most of all, I'll miss my fellow interns I got to live with for the past three months. Getting to go through this experience with them was the best part, and I have made some friendship that I hope will last a lifetime.

I will miss the people I met most, my roommates, my clinic staff, Kus and Kholi. They have truly been the highlight of my visit. Cape Town is like nowhere I have ever been before. It's a city built around nature. As an ecology major, I enjoyed living right next to Table Mountain and the ocean. I learned so much about living in an urban city and all of the joys and worries that come with that. I learned I'm braver than I thought I was coming down here by myself, knowing no one. I've made lifelong friends and colleagues that I will never forget. Cape Town is somewhere I want to come back to with my friends, with my family, and with the other interns I've met here. The staff at a medical clinic has changed my professional life. They took me under their wing and taught me so much. I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they have done for me. Eight weeks was a good length for being in Cape Town. I'm so sad to leave but it feels like a good ending to this adventure. VAC weekly activities were always a fun time. The wineries and Cape of Good Hope were my favorite trips. I'm most grateful to VAC for being there for me when I had questions about my internship or Cape Town itself. It was so easy to text Kus and ask her to arrange a trip to paragliding or the Garden Route.

I can't thank VAC enough for those staff members who kept up with me and my roommates. I could not have loved my time in Cape Town more. It is one of the best decisions I've ever made to take a chance and fly down here. I will always treasure my time here.

Choosing to spend six weeks of my life in Cape Town was the best decision I could’ve possibly made! I love traveling and I was yearning to scratch that itch.

My internship with the micro-publisher gave me a lot of insight into the literary scene in South Africa, especially poetry. During my time here, I also went bungee jumping, did a safari (and saw 4 out of the big 5), walked with elephants, hiked amazing trails with amazing views, drove an ATV across beautiful sand dunes, ate some of the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted and made friends with some really cool people! Throughout the whole process, VACorps was super friendly and helpful and it was fun to participate in the Monday night cultural series and the Friday activities. I will miss the daily adventures of exploring Cape Town with my friends, and I hope to return someday in the future. I definitely recommend this experience, 10/10!