Orientation
Upon arrival at the Wild Coast you will spend your first few days at a fantastic backpackers lodge with your fellow volunteers, getting to know each other and settling in to the local area and programme. Here you will be given a thorough orientation to enable you to develop your understanding of the new (and at times challenging) environment that you will be working in. The orientation is great fun and allows you, the co-ordinating team and the other volunteers working alongside you, the chance to bond and develop a good working relationship.
During the orientation you will be provided with an active and informative programme. This will be presented by the co-ordinators and specialists in a variety of fields through information documents and videos etc. The week will cover the topics below and includes a number of inter-active excursions:
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History of South Africa and understanding Apartheid and the dawn of a new democracy
- Socio-political developments in SA
- Introduction to your volunteer programme: Expectations and understanding
- Introduction to basic Xhosa language and understanding local customs and norms
- The fragile eco-systems of estuaries, rocky shores marine life and coastal systems
- Floral diversity of the Eastern Cape
- Various excursions, which include a 4x4 adventure, which ends in a rural Xhosa village where you will spend one night, coastal hike, estuarine exploration, bush walks and ocean excursion on a motorised boat
Accommodation and Meals
During your orientation, you will spend the first few nights at a very popular and well-known backpackers lodge, within walking distance of the beach with amazing views of your private lagoon. You will be in a lovely cottage, with a kitchen and living area. This is a great place to settle in and get to know your fellow volunteers, over a few beers in the evenings and a game of pool.
During your project, you will be staying across the lagoon and facing a green, in a fantastic house in a quiet suburban area just 2 minutes from the beach and private lagoon with all of the other volunteers. The private volunteer house has 3 twin bedrooms, a bathroom and shower, large dining and kitchen area and a lovely garden at the rear for relaxing in your spare time. You may choose to spend some of your evenings at the local backpackers lodge on weekends, meeting other travellers and enjoying yourself at the bar, practising your snooker skills and watching a bit of TV.
All of your meals on the project will be catered for by a house cook, who is employed locally to help you keep the house clean and prepare your meals. It would be nice if you offer to assist her whenever possible. The breakfasts will be a continental style help-yourself breakfast while dinner in the evening will be hot, wholesome and very tasty. All the ingredients for your lunches will be provided and you can make your own packed lunch and sandwiches each day.
Free Time
At the project, you will have your weekends as free time to spend with your fellow volunteers, exploring the local area and partaking in a wide range of activities. These activities available are at your own cost and include:
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Surf school and Surfboard hire
- Forest and Beach walks
- Overnight stays at the local backpackers: Play pool & bar
- Canoes, boogie boards and beach accessories for free
- 20km of unspoilt beach and rocky shores for hikes, beach volleyball and games
- Horse rides on the beach or river cruises
- Whale watching and coastal excursions
- Mountain bike rides and giant sand dune trips
- Hogsback Mountain Excursion - 2 night
- Safaris: The project offers a range of trips to the mountains and national parks that are overnight and two-night tours, as well as day trips.
The Wild Coast, home to the colourful and culturally rich AmaXhosa nation, offers a gateway to explore the Amathola Mountains, South Africa's "Little Switzerland", the Garden Route, or the mighty Drakensburg Mountains. A number of experiences ranging from day trips to multi-day tours, overnight village stays to 4 and 5-day hiking trails, cultural and adventure tours for the energetic and the not so energetic can be arranged on your project, at the local backpackers.
Being in South Africa means that you are close to Johannesburg, which is a major transport hub for overland tours. We have a number of different tours to choose from which could take you up into Botswana, through Zambia and Zimbabwe to the mighty Victoria falls and even take you all the way to Nairobi: We have tours that last from 7 days to 56. Please contact for further information and we will be happy to send you further details and help you explore Africa.
Project Support
During your time at the project, you will have the support of Project Manager Mike and his team in South Africa. They will be on hand to provide you with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay. In addition, you will have access to a 24 hour emergency contact number so you can contact one of our UK staff at any time should you need to.
Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum dependent on participant's health
