Will I need a visa?

You will not need a visa to enter South Africa on any of our featured programs (the exception would be someone coming on a custom, long-term program). When passing through South African customs, you will be issued a 90-day tourist visa after presenting an immigration official a copy of your flight itinerary (which proves that you intend to leave the country at the end of your visit). If you participate in a 3-month program and would like to visit neighboring countries after your program is finished, you may apply for another 3-month extension at the South African Office of Home Affairs in downtown Cape Town. We advise our participants to secure their visa extension one month prior to the expiry of their original tourist visa.

Does the tourist visa cost anything?

A 90-day tourist visa is free. The application for a 30-day extension to your tourist visa costs R270 ($45). The cost of a 3-month extension is R420 ($60).

What is the weather like?

While a Capetonian will tell you there are four seasons in Cape Town, in reality winter and summer are the only true seasons. Cape Town summers are wonderful. The temperature usually falls within a consistent range of 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit (27-35 Celsius). Cape Town never feels too hot during this time period because a consistent Southeasterly wind blows almost daily in the daytime. The sun is very intense in the daytime (usually a 10 on the UV scale) so we recommend that our participants remember their SPF 30 sunscreen!

Cape Town winters are nothing like the snowy, frozen sense of the word. Rather, “winter” in Cape Town is defined by spells of rain and cool evenings. Temperatures on a cold winter day are in the low 50s (11-13 Celsius) with occasional dips into the high 40s (8-10 Celsius). However the average temperature in winter is in the high 50s to lower 60s and on a clear winter day temperatures can easily spike into the mid 70s. Many people actually prefer winter to summer in Cape Town because it is less congested with tourists and much easier to move around.

Am I at risk of getting malaria in Cape Town?

No. However, we will strongly recommend that you take anti-malarial medication if you plan an independent trip to Kruger National Park or neighboring Africa countries like Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana. It would be a good idea for you to meet with your physician before departure to make sure your vaccinations are current.

Can I drink the tap water in Cape Town?

Yes you can! Cape Town and most of South Africa has potable tap water!

I only speak English. Will this affect my internship experience?

English is the predominant language spoken in Cape Town. Most South Africans have a basic understanding of English, so you will get by fine without any prior knowledge of Xhosa or Afrikaans, two languages also spoken in Cape Town. Xhosa speakers are typically surprised and thrilled to meet North Americans and Europeans who make an attempt at speaking their mother tongue!

Is there an application process?

Yes. Participants are ambassadors of the VACorps and as such, we only want students who are sincerely interested in our programs. The "application process" begins with an email-based dialogue between you, the applicant, and a VACorps staff member. After you have sent us a preliminary application form found on our Internship Page, we will ask you a series of questions that will help us identify the most appropriate internship site for you. If you have applied for an internship with academic prerequisites, we will also ask for a copy of your student resume so we can forward these details to your potential place of internship.

What currency do they use in South Africa?

We use the South African Rand. For the past few years the USD to Rand exchange rate has hovered around $1=R7. Check www.xe.com for the official rate of the day.

Should I bring my cell phone to South Africa?

No. We provide all our program participants with a cell phone for the duration of their internships. If you are joining our program from the United States and can't bear to leave your personal phone at home, you will need to get your phone "unlocked" so you can use a South African SIM card. This costs around $50. All European and Asian phones are compatible with the South African cellular network, provided that you purchase a South African SIM card. Participants who choose to use our phones pay a deposit or R500 that is  fully refundable provided the phone hasn't been seriously damaged or lost. Our phones come preloaded with the following contact numbers: VACorps staff members, EMS, police, and several reliable taxi companies.

How much money should I budget for living expenses?

During VACorps orientation, we often hear our new arrivals exclaim that "everything is so much cheaper here!" Prices are, generally speaking, cheaper than in the U.S. and Europe. However, this is not an excuse to start wildly spending your money. If you cook most of your own meals, you can go a long way towards saving yourself money. You will find that fresh produce, meat, fish and dairy products are 10-20 percent cheaper in South African grocery stores, while imported goods such as pastas and certain canned foods are more expensive due to import duties and value added tax (VAT). Restaurant meal prices are cheaper than in the U.S. and Europe, although beware of falling into the trap of eating out too often if you are on a tight budget. Someone on a tight food budget can budget as low as $350 per month, while someone who wants to eat out more and cook less should plan on doubling this figure. Other items to budget for include entertainment ($150-400 per month), travel ($500-1000 per trip) and local transportation ($30-80). Try and budget a few hundred dollars for miscellaneous and unforeseeable expenses. Also plan on spending a few hundred dollars for souvenirs and mementos.

What does Cape Town look like?

We are located in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Visit our Cape Town Internship gallery to see snapshots of the city and our participants in action. Also visit our internship lifestyle page to watch a video about the lifestyle experience by our participants!
 

-Brad Langton, an intern at Africa Eagle Day Tours, stands 3,000 ft. above the city of Cape Town!