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Animal Care Volunteer Project in South Africa - Cape Town
Next start date available: Jun 19, 2023

Animal Care Volunteer Project in South Africa - Cape Town

Keen to make some four-legged friends as an Animal Care volunteer in South Africa? International Volunteer HQ’s Animal Care project enables volunteers to help at an animal shelter which caters to cats and dogs that have been neglected, abandoned or lost. Volunteers gain animal care experience while providing cats and dogs with care and companionship and helping give them the best chance of finding a new, loving home.

Highlights:
  • Programs start on the first and third Monday of each month
  • Affordable fees from £232 for 1 week
  • Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
  • Help care for and improve life for abandoned dogs and cats

  • Discover South Africa’s natural beauty and diversity

  • Stay in volunteer house in a relaxed coastal surfing town

Key information

Care for & rehome abandoned animals
Based in animal shelters
Volunteer house accommodation
Volunteers aged 18+ and families
Fully hosted experience from £232 for 1 week
Durations from 1 - 24 weeks
Climb South Africa's Table Mountain
Up to 5 hours volunteering a day

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers who enjoy working with cats and dogs and are passionate about animal welfare. You’ll be working closely with the local staff so no experience is necessary.
Who is this program suited to?

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

Many locals in the Cape Town area enjoy the companionship of dogs and cats. Sadly, many do not have the necessary knowledge to properly care for their pets, and often they cannot afford proper animal care.

As an Animal Care volunteer you will be working at the local animal shelter in the community of Grassy Park. This project is perfect for anyone who is passionate about animals and enjoys spending time around dogs and cats.

As a volunteer on this project, you’ll support the shelter to care for the large number of cats and dogs living there by providing companionship and improving the quality of life for them. Volunteers can help with:

  • Caring for abandoned and lost animals
  • Attending to the sick animals
  • Assisting with general health care, injections and medication
  • Cleaning, feeding and helping with the general running of the shelter
Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #15: Life on Land

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #15: Life on Land

Human activity has altered almost 75% of the earth’s surface and around 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Nature is critical to our survival. We must promote kindness to animals and use regenerative techniques to combat deforestation, conserve biodiversity and protect wildlife.

Why do Animal Care volunteering in Cape Town with IVHQ?

When you volunteer with animals in South Africa you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Improving quality of life for cats and dogs in animal shelters
  • Supporting local animal welfare efforts
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining animal care experience
  • Immersing yourself in South African culture
  • Discovering South Africa’s diverse wildlife

Volunteer requirements

  • Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
  • All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
  • All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
  • All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

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”Teaching music to the children at one of the placements was something I didn’t expect to do, and it was awesome! Also, I've grown my confidence with my volunteer trip. Do not over think it, everyone fully looks after you to make sure you are safe and supported.”

Read reviews from Animal Care volunteers in Cape Town

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Volunteer Abroad in Cape Town, South Africa with IVHQ

Location

The IVHQ South Africa volunteer program is based in Muizenberg, a beautiful, small coastal town with excellent surfing. It is about 30 to 40 minutes from the city of Cape Town, and 20 to 30 minutes from volunteer placements located in the Philippi, Steenberg and Grassy Park communities.

South Africa is known for its natural beauty, wildlife, sporting prowess, and diversity of culture and ethinic groups. It’s turbulent socio-political history is also well known, and is important to learn about in order to gain insight and understanding of the country’s people, culture and attitudes. There are many places where you can do this in Cape Town and the surrounding areas.

The IVHQ South Africa program is one of our longest running volunteer programs and has the aim of delivering positive outcomes in communities throughout the area by placing volunteers on a wide range of impactful projects. There is a focus on animal welfare as well as supporting children and young people who have had a challenging start to life because of exposure to drugs, alcohol or physical abuse.

Arrival and orientation

The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month and volunteers need to arrive in Cape Town on the day before orientation. After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the Cape Town International Airport (CPT). Your airport pick-up is included in your program fee.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Muizenberg. Your accommodation is covered by your program fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are travelling in South Africa prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up within the Cape Town CBD area on the day before your program orientation.

Orientation is taken by our South Africa team in Muizenberg, Cape Town. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in South Africa – an introduction to South Africa, South African customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in South Africa, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and make plans for weekend travel and socialising. Once your orientation is complete you will take a trip into Cape Town before returning to your volunteer accommodation.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.

Weekdays

Work and hours are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. A typical volunteer day would be as follows:

7:00 AM Breakfast at the volunteer house.
8:00 - 8:30 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements.
12:00 - 2:00 PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to the volunteer house for lunch, go sightseeing, or do some shopping.
7:00 PM Dinner at the volunteer house.

Weekends

On the weekends, volunteers have spare time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Cape Town or other areas in South Africa. See unusual wildlife like antelope and penguins, visit the spot where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, paraglide off a rock high above the city, visit a local vineyard, or watch the sun sink into the Atlantic ocean with a glass of the region’s finest wine in your hand. Long weekends can be taken if volunteers wish to go on safari, bungy jump, or travel to places further afield, such as the Garden Route or Stellenbosch.

Looking for more ideas of things to do in South Africa? Check out our South Africa Travel & Tours page!

Accommodation and WiFi

All volunteers are accommodated in a dormitory style volunteer house, with rooms separated by gender. You can expect to share a room with one to five other volunteers. Bedrooms have single beds and bunk beds with bedding provided.

The accommodation is safe and secure with the volunteer house located in a safe suburb near the communities where volunteers work. Living is comfortable with a vending machine for snacks and a television.

The volunteer house has electricity and running water with Western toilets, but you’ll need to bring your own towel and toiletries.

The volunteer houses have Wifi. Data is limited so volunteers will not be able to download or stream TV shows/movies.

Meals

Volunteers in South Africa receive three meals a day, Monday through Friday. Meals served in the volunteer house are typically Western-style and can be high in carbohydrates.

Breakfast consists of self-serve tea, coffee, toast and cereal. For lunch volunteers will be provided with supplies to make their own sandwiches, and dinner consists of dishes containing meat, vegetables and a starch, such as potatoes, bread or pasta.

It is not possible to drink the tap water in South Africa, however, bottled water is readily available in South Africa, and you should budget approximately US$5 (approximately £4) per week for 2 litres a day.

If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible.

Pricing

Duration
1 week £232 Equivalent to £33/day
2 weeks £375 Equivalent to £27/day
3 weeks £519 Equivalent to £25/day
4 weeks £662 Equivalent to £24/day
5 weeks £805 Equivalent to £23/day
6 weeks £949 Equivalent to £23/day
8 weeks £1236 Equivalent to £22/day
10 weeks £1523 Equivalent to £22/day
12 weeks £1810 Equivalent to £22/day
16 weeks £2384 Equivalent to £21/day
20 weeks £2958 Equivalent to £21/day
24 weeks £3532 Equivalent to £21/day
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • 24/7 in-country support
  • In-country program orientation
  • Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
  • Airport pick-up
  • Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
  • Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
  • Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

  • All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately £277) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in GBP.
  • A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
  • Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check and return to the airport when your program finishes.
  • Recommended spending money: Volunteers in South Africa generally find US$50-75 per week to be sufficient for expenses.

Check what's required to visit South Africa

Check out the widget below to find out what the Covid-19 restrictions and visa requirements are for South Africa, based on your country of residence.

Safety and support with IVHQ

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

  • All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
  • All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
  • All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
  • All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Capital Pretoria (Executive), Bloemfontein (Judicial), Cape Town (Legislative)
Population 58.6 million
Languages Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Tswana
Currency South African Rand (ZAR)
Time zone UTC+02:00

Weather and climate

The subtropical location, moderated by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides of the country and the altitude of the central plateau, are responsible for the warm temperatures typical of South Africa. Across much of the country, summer (December to February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather with temperatures averaging around 25°C (77°F). Winter (May to September) is cooler and drier with evening temperatures averaging around 10 °C (50°F). In Cape Town, sporadic showers and chilly winds are common during the winter months, but with daytime temperatures can average around 15°C (59°F).

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