Location
  • South Africa
    • Cape Town
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Cultural Studies Engineering Health Sciences Service Learning Sociology Sustainable Development
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Dormitory
Nov 27, 2023
Sep 08, 2023
5 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and was recently named the #1 place to go by The New York Times. But there’s more to Cape Town than its beauty—its dynamic society is ever-changing and growing, and you can witness it first-hand. We know you’ll agree that your Cape Town study abroad experience will make you feel like you’re on top of the world and we can help you get there, whether that means interning full-time, studying health, or immersing yourself through direct enrollment at the University of Cape Town.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

Today, and every day, we celebrate who you are and who you will become. We take pride in simply getting to know you, and look forward to adventuring through this incredible world with you.

Studying abroad as part of the LGBTQIA+ community can present unique opportunities and challenges in exploring a new culture, so we have compiled resources on sexual orientation, gender identity, and allyship to help prepare you and support you along the way.
Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.
Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.

Impact

As part of IES Abroad's Global Good Commitment, IES Abroad employs sustainability measures in the following ways:
-Moving toward more sustainable Headquarters and Centers abroad
-Producing printed materials mindfully
-Hosting events and conferences in LEED-certified buildings
-Purchasing carbon offsets for staff air travel
-The formation of the IES Abroad Sustainability Team - a dedicated group of volunteers responsible for implementing sustainable practices across our organization. The team comprises of members across our Centers, departments, teams. It is truly a global effort, and we are better for it.

Popular Programs

two students in lab coats

Cape Town’s idyllic setting on the South African coast makes it the perfect base from which to study the complexity and breadth of the contemporary issues facing this part of the continent. You have the opportunity to take specially designed courses with other IES Abroad students in a variety of disciplines. These English-taught IES Abroad courses were created with a comparative and interrelated curricular focus in order to help you learn more about South Africa and its neighboring countries.

group of students jumping with mountains behind them

Service learning in and around Cape Town is a core component in our program. Students taking one of the IES Abroad courses are required to complete 60 hours of volunteer work while in Cape Town. Twenty of your 60 hours of volunteer work will be at Egoli, a settlement that receives no government services like water or electricity.

student high-fiving two local kids

Designed for students interested in health-related careers, this program enables you to examine health care delivery in South Africa. Field visits and placements in the townships surrounding Cape Town and a week-long rural excursion in the northern part of South Africa provide firsthand experience with the many health issues that plague South Africa, and the national effort to improve public health.

student standing on top of a rooftop with city skyline behind them

Stand out in today’s competitive job market by participating in a summer internship in Cape Town. When you’re not working up to 32 hours per week at your internship placement, you’ll have time to take advantage of South Africa’s beautiful climate and geography by hiking Table Mountain, visiting Lion’s Head, hanging out with the penguins at Boulders Beach or walking along the scenic shores of Camps Bay. All of this is possible when you spend a summer in Cape Town.

Ashleigh M. | Sewanee, University of the South | IES Abroad Cape Town

Designed for STEM students (with particular focus on Mechanical, Chemical, and Electrical Engineering) and with the expertise of our Engineering Consortium, the curriculum of this program enables you to continue the specific course progression you need for a timely graduation. While completing your engineering coursework, you will also experience all that Cape Town has to offer by exploring the city and its surrounds, and diving into the rich South African culture and history.

Program Reviews

4.88 Rating
based on 42 reviews
  • 5 rating 88.1%
  • 4 rating 11.9%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.3
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.8
  • Safety 4.2
Showing 1 - 8 of 42 reviews
Default avatar
Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IES Abroad Cape Town - Health, Culture, and Development

My time in Cape Town, South Africa through IES Abroad was by far one of the best experiences of my life. The structured program and support system that the IES Center and staff provided students allowed them to feel comfort and support in a new home away from home. The culture of South Africa was engaging and welcoming to each of us. The coursework was interesting and very applicable to daily experiences and course related trips. I definitely recommend to study abroad in South Africa through IES!

Pros
  • Welcoming and Friendly People
  • Financially Accessible
  • Beautiful Nature
Cons
  • A lot of petty theft
55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Erin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I would do it again tomorrow!

I have found that throughout the years, my education has lacked diversity. I wanted to see what it was like to fully experience different cultures, and ethnicities and religion and how much I could learn from immersing myself in a country so rich with that for 5 months. IES Abroad's Health, Culture, and Development Program did an amazing job at teaching me and my classmates about South Africa and letting our curiosities spark to be able to learn as much as we could. We took numerous field trips around the city and country to learn about the public health system, the inequities the country faces, and the way that South Africa is grappling many epidemics. I have said it over and over that this experience was the best academic experience I have ever had. The staff in Cape Town are so wonderful at their jobs and care so deeply for the students that the relationships I formed with them are so much more than just advisors. When people ask me what my favorite part about my study abroad was, I freeze. I want to say the friendships and relationships I formed, but I also want to say the safari in Botswana, and going bungee jumping in Zimbabwe, and seeing Nelson Mandela's house in Johannesburg, and eating at the local markets with food from all over Africa, and cooking classes and the hiking and beaches. It's so hard to choose; however, it was not hard to choose South Africa to study abroad. And I would choose it again and again!

Pros
  • Weather
  • Food
  • Activities and all you can do
Cons
  • Loadshedding
  • Petty crime
  • Not a walkable city
52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mary Kaitlin
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An Experience to Cherish Forever

South Africa and Cape Town as a whole is a unique experience just by nature of the location itself. In a country with a culture so unlike any other, this program provides the opportunity to learn and experience so much more than you might on a more conventional or popular program. The rich political, cultural, and economic history alone creates an abundance of opportunity to learn, not to mention the rich political, cultural, and economic current that you can interact with and enjoy throughout courses, activities, involvement in clubs/societies, program excursions, and more. I cannot recommend this program enough!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I got to hold the trunk of an elephant and see the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa-- how many people can say they've done that?!?
134 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Michaela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Semester in Cape Town!

This program is absolutely amazing! It is focused on experiential learning which was so invaluable. We visited hospitals, clinics, and social justice organizations on a weekly basis in addition to our courses. We had two larger trips during the semester that led us all around southern Africa. I felt so immersed and exposed to reality of Cape Town. The courses were community health-based and I could not speak more highly about the staff. It truly felt like a family in such a tight-knit program.

Great organization in the most beautiful place in the world!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
In Eswatini we got to attend the Reed Dance Festival which is an annual event for young Zulu girls presenting themselves to the King. It was beautiful, humbling, and inspiring. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity!
124 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ameer
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

#StudyAbroadSoBlack

My study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa was nothing less than liberating and transformational. I am a first-generation college student from Buffalo, NY at Howard University, therefore my experience abroad truly inspired me to encourage more HBCU students and black students to study abroad since we are underrepresented in these programs. My favorite class abroad was Community Development in Context (South Africa). This class truly added more to my study abroad experience and helped me interact more effectively with the local students and citizens. For example, in this class we learned about South African history from Apartheid to modern-day inequalities and inequities in South African higher education. Ultimately, my favorite thing about study abroad was the service-learning component. I had the opportunity to volunteer with 3 different organizations related to education, which is a field I plan to pursue as part of my long-term career goals.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future study abroad students is to immerse yourself! Study abroad is what you make it, but the best way to stretch and enjoy yourself is to fully immerse yourself and continuously put yourself in uncomfortable situations.
132 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Kimberly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The best semester

Deciding on a study abroad program is a difficult decision ecause there are so many out there, and you’re not sure which one is the best fit. I was looking for a way to study my major public health in depth in a global setting. IES’s program in Cape Town allowed me to do this. I was able to take the IES course Community Health in Context in addition to my University of Cape Town classes which was a small class that allowed for discussion and getting to know the professor, and also gave us the opportunity to do service learning. This class augmented my learning experience in South Africa.

In addition to the IES course I took 3 other classes at the University of Cape Town. The academics at the were challenging, and could be frustrating at times because of the differences in workload and grading compared to the US. However, I did learn a great amount in relation to South Africa's history and culture.

IES staff were kind, hardworking, and helpful with anything that need during your six months abroad. They helped with any issues that may have arised in academics (both at the University of Cape Town and the IES courses), housing accommodations, service learning, field trips, etc. They are there for you if you are having a problem adjusting to the differences in academics or living abroad, or if you just want to stop in for a quick chat.

Another aspect I thoroughly enjoyed about IES were the free field trips which included Boulder’s Beach (penguin colony!) a Cape Malay cooking class, tour of Bo-Kaap, District 6 museum, Old Biscuit Mill, etc. They also offered to optional excursions at an additional subsidized cost (highly recommend) which was the Garden Route and a safari at Kruger National Park.

Cape Town has so much to offer from hiking to surfing, food markets, and shopping. It’s full of history and culture with many museums to visit, as well as Robben Island (a must).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience abroad because I met so many great people from all around the world, and was able to learn about a new culture and the history of South Africa.

What would you improve about this program?
The IES program was great, but wish I had been more involved in UCT’s clubs and gotten to know more locals rather than always hanging out with people in the program. Also, the academics were quite stressful so I wish I would have seeked out resources to have helped with the transition.
132 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Carlos
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

10/10 Experience

Before I went to Cape Town, people would tell me that "studying abroad is a life-changing experience," and I had a hard time believing them. Initially, I thought that studying abroad was a chance to experience a different world. But I did not think that experiencing a "different world" would change me. To me, it made sense that study abroad students would experience a different world and gain skills in intercultural communication--among other things--as a result. However, I reasoned that experiencing a different world and having one's life fundamentally changed were two mutually independent events. That said, living in South Africa for a semester and being able to take classes at the University of Cape Town changed my mind. Sure, I acquired skills, but more importantly, the radically different culture and world I got to experience forced me to change. Admittedly, I'm rather introspective, but studying abroad led me to reflect on all the differences I saw between South Africa, America, and their respective citizens. Moreover, I then had to decide how I would think and live moving forward. So, when people say that studying abroad is a life-changing experience, they're not lying or overexaggerating. Studying abroad gives students the chance to reflect on and be changed by all that they experience. And IES Abroad made this process as smooth as it could have been.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would have applied for my Study Visa much earlier
128 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Victoria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Cape Town Has Something to Offer for Every Type of Traveler

I studied in Cape Town, South Africa for six months with IES for the spring 2019 semester. The program was supportive in terms of responding to students' needs, arranging an orientation with lots of culturally immersive activities, and educating us about local culture. I would say there was less support once the semester got underway. We had lots of freedom but also had the security of knowing there was a fully staffed office just down the road from our accommodation to answer any questions we had. The field trips throughout the semester were well-planned and lots of fun. We also had RA's living in close proximity if we ever needed assistance.

There were two options for housing through this program: either communal living in a house with a shared kitchen and bathrooms or studio style apartments. I opted for the first option and really enjoyed it. There was also the option to switch your housing placement if you were unsatisfied.

I only took courses at the University of Cape Town, but the program also offered classes at the IES Center. I was fairly disappointed with the quality of the academics at the University. The different grading system, lack of clear grading criteria, and general unorganized nature of the classes was frustrating at times. However, learning more about the culture through the classes was a huge part of my experience. The classes changed my perspective on different ideologies I held which I now realize were the result of only taking classes from a western perspective before attending UCT. Obviously, IES has no control over the academics at the University, but they did act as a liason if any issues arose between students and professors/admin. The academics were challenging and classes required a lot of dedication to receive high marks.

The local culture was easy to adapt to because everyone spoke English and people were generally very friendly and willing to talk to you. There were lots of clubs to get involved in at the University and endless activities in the area to participate in. Honestly, the people who had the best experiences tended to be open to the opportunities available. I rarely said no to doing anything while I was there and ended up having an incredible semester. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a study abroad experience with opportunities beyond what a typical European program would offer, since Cape Town not only had an amazing nightlife but also hiking, service learning opportunities, and the chance to be immersed in a non-westernized culture.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I regret not taking more of an initiative with activities or trips I wanted to do. I didn't really go into the experience with a good idea of what I wanted to get out of it, and ended up going along with what other people in my program were doing most of the time. I still had an incredible experience, but I wish I had been a bit more independent from people in my program.
154 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Anita! According to the IES website, you have to be at least 18 years of age and have a Sophomore, Junior or Senior standing when the program begins.