Education

Things To Do During Your Gap Year in South Africa

October 4, 2019 : By Denzil Dube

Things to do in gap year south africa A gap year refers to the time a student has a break from study. It is usually the time after completion of high school studies just before joining college or university. During this period, there is a range of activities that a person can engage in. Such activities are usually referred to as gap-year activities.

Many South Africans opt or are forced to take gap years. There are a ton of activities one can engage in during this period, and here we look at some of them.

Activities you can engage in during gap year in South

Volunteering

Volunteering or becoming an intern is one of the best ways to spend your gap year. You can be part of a group of people who make a difference by exploring the beauty of South Africa while giving back to society.

There are a variety of community service programs to engage in as a volunteer. One such program involves giving back to society through visiting and engaging with street children and South Africa’s poor.

Most parts of South Africa such as the outskirts of major towns and cities such as Cape Town are still struggling with poverty, poor education and inefficient healthcare.

As a volunteer, you can engage in local initiatives aimed at improving the lives of these people, through registering with organizations such as Global Vision International which offers a variety of meaningful volunteer and intern programs.

Learn to surf

South Africa is endowed with an extensive water body to its south coast. The presence of this natural resource has enabled more than just fishing activities to be carried out. There are also plenty of sporting activities such as surfing.

For example, Run down at Muizenberg is a perfect place for anyone who wants to learn surfing and swimming. Surf Emporium is in particular an internationally renowned South Africa’s surf destination located at Muizenberg, Cape Town. It offers surfing lessons at beginner and intermediate level.

The surfing lessons are provided by a professional instructor and the learner is also provided with equipment such as the surfing board and a wet-suit. The lessons take a minimum of 5 weeks.

Enroll for a professional field guide program

Wondering how to spend an entire year on your gap year in South Africa? Find more about the professional field guide program where you can spend the whole year learning about safaris, wildlife, and the environment.

The program is divided into two parts with the first part consisting of the study of ecosystems, wildlife, and landscape. During this period, subjects ranging from geology, basic taxonomy, mammals, reptiles and fish, and animal behavior are covered.

Upon the completion of the first part of the program, the learner is assigned a lodge where he or she is expected to work with professional guides during his or her stay there. Also, the learner is likely to work in game reserves such as Karongwe Game Reserve, Selati Game Reserve, or Mashatu Game Reserve.

Travel for adventure

Adventure helps to refresh you up as you get time off to explore the beauty of your country. In addition, you get to learn more things as you gain some practical skills.

South Africa offers a variety of adventure projects one of them being wildlife conservation projects. For instance, you can easily get a perfect trip working as a volunteer in whale conservation project in South Africa where you get to learn about marine conservation and how to keep and take care of the ocean.