Location
Multiple Locations +4
  • South Africa
    • Cape Town
  • Namibia
    • Windhoek
  • Malawi
  • Tanzania
    • Dar es Salaam
Length
2 to 6 weeks

Program Details

Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
60
Housing
Hostel
Groups
Small Group (1-15)

Pricing

Price Details
Includes: 3 meals a day, accommodation, transport, orientation, 24 hr support and donation to the NPO
What's Included
Accommodation Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Equipment SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa Wifi
Jan 25, 2022
Jan 05, 2023
84 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

SAVE Volunteering is a Non-Profit Organisation. We are NOT a booking agent: we run, manage and fund all of our Humanitarian and Wildlife Projects with the help of volunteers.
We believe in transparent and sustainable programs that impact our local community and wildlife.

The volunteer fees go towards, food, accommodation, transport, orientation and the rest of the money gets donated to the NPO for running costs such as stationary or meals for the children and meals for the Wildlife.

Join one of our amazing projects and leave with a life-changing experience!

Consider your impact: Volunteering abroad can be a rewarding experience for both volunteers and local communities, and at Go Overseas, we believe all volunteers should have the resources to make informed decisions about the type of volunteer project they want to partake in. However, despite best intentions, some organizations offering placements in orphanages may unknowingly place children in danger. You can read about the potential dangers of orphanage volunteering here.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Help us better the lives of the children on our Humanitarian projects and the Animals on our Wildlife project.
  • Educate children to better their future on our Humanitarian projects and build structures and homes for our animals on our Wildlife projects.
  • Form a relationship with our children and see the world through their eyes on our Humanitarian projects. Protect Africas Wildlife on our Wildlife projects.
  • Learn about conservation and Africa’s wild animals on our Wildlife projects. Learn about patience and hard work on our Humanitarian projects.
  • Have a close animal encounter with some of the human tolerant animals on our Wildlife projects. Spend time with children in need of your affection and attention on our Humanitarian projects.

Popular Programs

Sports with the youth

Children living in impoverished communities have a huge need for youth development projects which serve to teach them valuable life skills such as teamwork, structure, discipline and which uplifts their self-esteem through the realization of talent.

Volunteer with a child

The main objective is empowering the local community and supporting them with their basic needs. We regularly distribute food hampers to the underprivileged and clothes in the winter. We engage these communities in regular education, motivation, and social upliftment programs and exciting events such as fun at the beach, various sporting activities and movie outings that are hosted throughout the year.

At the preschool

Volunteers are placed in pre-schools in disadvantaged communities. No experience is necessary and volunteers can have the joy of watching a child learn and helping them through the process. You will be assigned to a class and will help the teacher in their daily tasks, be it teaching, marking or sports training. After school hours volunteers will be involved in after care or after school programs in the settlements.

Volunteers surfing with students

This project is a great way for volunteers to gain experience working with children and groups. Learning new outdoor activities such as swimming, boxing, spike ball surfing and skateboarding – volunteers receive lessons so they can help teach the children.

Volunteer attending to a sick baby

The Clinic is based in Epukiro provides free primary health care services to more than 3,500 patients every year – through both clinic-based healthcare and personal outreach around the region. More than 40% of the patients treated there are children and more than 90% are San Bushmen. A huge focus of the work at the Clinic is to tackle the tuberculosis burden within the San population. The clinic is quite literally a lifeline for thousands of San Bushman.

Woodwork

This Project allows volunteers to transfer a skill they have to the local communities. Communities you will work in have low education levels and English comprehension. SAVE is always in need of volunteers with special skills that they can transfer to our communities and allow them to become self-sufficient and productive members of society. Examples are first aid, family planning, childcare, dance classes, drama workshops, business management, computer literacy, woodwork and craftsmanship.

Related Programs

Program Reviews

4.83 Rating
based on 116 reviews
  • 5 rating 87.93%
  • 4 rating 9.48%
  • 3 rating 0.86%
  • 2 rating 0.86%
  • 1 rating 0.86%
  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 4.75
  • Fun 4.65
  • Value 4.8
  • Safety 4.75
Showing 1 - 8 of 116 reviews
Default avatar
Renske
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing experience

I've spent almost 10 weeks with the kids of the program and I had so much fun. They are so lovely and I made a good connection quickly. When I walked into the classrooms, they all jumped up to me and all wanted my attention. I was looking forward to see them everyday and they taught me a lot. Because of the conversations with the older kids, I realized how much more you can value life. Even though you can not change their lives completely, you always have an impact on their lives.
Besides the kids, I stayed with a lot of other great volunteers with who I had an amazing time discovering Cape Town. Although I was here for 10 weeks, I still hadn't seen everything. I made lots of good memories with my friends over there and I would love to come back one day!

Pros
  • Traveling alone is no problem
  • Good communication
  • Great impact
Cons
  • Expensive
58 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Louann
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best volunteer program

Volunteering with SAVE allows you to meet the best people, and the best kids.
You will learn a lot, be helpful, and you will see the difference you are making in their lives.
The program and what you will see will make you rethink the way you live everyday in your home country, and make you realize that you can help, even if you feel like it’s not much.
You will also have time to visit the beautiful city of Cape Town, and have so many new experiences with your volunteer friends.
Definitely the best experience of my life.

57 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maddie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Cape Town, Education

Stay longer than 2 weeks! This program is a great way to travel and get to know other people from around the world, while also getting the full South Africa experience. It offers you a way to volunteer during the week days but also travel and experience adventure on the weekends. You have no idea how much an impact this program can make until you do it! The children and teacher give off such positive energy and you can’t help but be happy when your with them. Great program leaders and very safe. Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to travel and volunteer!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I never realized how much an impact working in the townships could possibly have. These kids and teachers have so much to offer and it has changed my perspective on life!
101 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Isabella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best experience of my entire life!!

The volunteering was way more special than I thought and I had all sort of good expectations already but the experience was still able to surprise me in a good way. The support the foundation gives to us and all the love we receive from the children actually shows that when u go there u are supposed to give something to them but u are the one who gets the most beautiful feelings and memories u could ever ask for. After my short 2 weeks the only thing I know it’s that I’m so coming back! Loved every single moment!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would stay way more than 2 weeks! It was not enough at all💗
107 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hailey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

yee haw for South Africa!!

Absolutely loved it !! Truly there is no experience quite like it, I grew so much as a person and learned so much about the world around me.

I traveled alone and had no issues at all!! Jess (one of the coordinators) was there the whole time and helped so much!! I would recommend going for as long as you can (1.5 months is a good minimum). I left in February to April and the weather was great!! I met so many people there that I love and am still friends with. The connections I made have made me into a new person, South Africa will always have a very big piece of my heart !!!

If you’re thinking about it, JUST DO IT!! You won’t regret it!!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would go longer honestly!! Two months is a great amount, simply because there is so much to do and so much to see!! The longer you are there the more impact you’ll feel in the community as well!!
125 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hailey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GO FOR IT

I CANNOT STRESS HOW GREAT IT IS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM. Truly life changing. I’m 22 and went by myself & had no issues at all!! Jess (one of the coordinators) really gives it her all and is there for you the whole time. I met so many fiends around the world and have trips to go and see them all!! I left in February - April of 2021 and would recommend going for at least two months & this time of year was beautiful.

If you have been dreaming of a trip like this, THIS is the one to do!!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
i would go LONGER than I did, it really is that great!!!
119 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Pierre
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Youth development and sport project

There is no word strong enough to explain what i was living that all time in South Africa. All the things I’ve been through, people I met , things I did .. it’s deep in your soul and your body and that changed me for the rest of my life honestly. It’s really hard to explain, you just need to try this experience and to live it 200% and do everything you can.
The organization helps you to do activities, find good opportunities , help people in need,... it’s a mix of emotions all the time. This is unbelievable, still have nostalgia of those moments and people.. I would definitely recommend to try and to go there !

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Just be yourself , be open minded ; discover as much as you can , talk , laugh , cry , share , and you are going to live one of the best experience of your life..
123 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Cristina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

What does it means to be a volunteer?

Two years ago I went in Cape Town and I did the volunteer with Save Foundation. There are to many word to describe my experience with them, but no many to describe what I felt. If I can describe it in two words I will use beauty and love.
You will fall in love with Cape Town as town, with all the beautiful place to visit and to know their history. You will see an other face of Cape Town, because if you go in the middle of the town, you will see skyscrapers, hotels. But if you go to the suburb with Save Foundation, you will fall in love with this town. The suburb has a name and it is Dunuun, it is not a save place, but the kids and the teachers that you will meet, they are gorgeous and the kids shine when they see you.

You will update your vocabulary to describe all the moment with them, they are amazing, they are like a volcano of happinesses, they always smile, they want a lot of hug, they are amazing. When you spend the time with them, you forget about your personal problems, in the moment they are your target.

You will find a family in Save Foundation, because you will live for a short moment of your life with other volunteers from all the country of the world. You will make new friendships and when the experience will end, you will stay in contact for a long a time.

I really suggest you, to do this experience with them.

123 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers