“When the opportunity to participate in a professional internship in Africa presented itself to me, I had a feeling it would be the adventure of a lifetime. But the internship experience in Cape Town provided ... read more
“When I decided I wanted to travel and live abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I had no idea that my life could change to the extent that it did. From the second I stepped ... read more
Chris Mitchell
Genre of Internship: Media & Gender Studies
Dates of Participation:
September 2009 - December 2009
"I arrived in Cape Town on the afternoon of January 11, 2009. I was groggy and dirty but happy to be somewhat stationary after such a long trip. Oliver from Volunteer Adventure Corps, liaison and ... read more
“Since I was 15 years old I have known I wanted to go to Africa. Years later, with only one year of college to go, I began searching for opportunities to make my dream a reality. Searching ... read more
“VACorps was not the first internship program I participated in; however, the experience was one-of-a-kind. The organization was one of the few international placement agencies offering positions with a refugee service provider; an opportunity I ... read more
“I would say that going to Cape Town through VACorps was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The combination of the internship, other interns and activities in Cape Town made it an ... read more
Kyle Gentges
Genre of Internship: Hospitality Management
Dates of Participation:
May 2009 - August 2009
"Everywhere I go, people wanna know, 'how was South Africa'? And every time they ask me, only one word comes to mind.....AWESOME!!! Besides actually participating in an internship, there are SO MANY things to do. ... read more
"My experience in Cape Town was unlike anything I ever could have imagined. From the moment I arrived I was met with a whirlwind of new experiences. Everyone on the VACorps team was so welcoming, ... read more
Normal.dotm 0 0 1 407 2321 Admin 19 4 2850 12.256 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false "When I arrived in Cape Town last May I was excited, but ... read more
"Go to Cape Town. "Seriously. Just do it. If you’re reading these testimonials, you’re already committed to the idea. "Sky diving, white-sand beaches, downtown craft markets, jazz clubs – it’s all there. Hiking up a ... read more
“South Africa Internship Cape Town.” I entered the terms into the Google search bar, sifted through the results, read over the intern reviews, clicked through the photos, and checked the prices. In fact, that’s exactly ... read more
"Volunteer Adventure Corps opened my eyes and helped me progress not just intellectually but culturally as well. I was introduced to a way of life completely different from my own and was forced to adapt ... read more
"My experience as a Volunteer Adventure Corps intern at the Cape Town Refugee Centre was incredible. During my first two weeks there I assisted with a seminar combating xenophobia, took a newly-arrived refugee to ... read more
Josh Dilk
Genre of Internship: Human Rights Law
Dates of Participation:
September 2009 - February 2010
Cape Town, South Africa was a natural destination for me when the recent economic recession postponed when I would begin working at my Firm. Having recently graduated from law school and with a fair bit ... read more
Franca del Signore
Genre of Internship: Human Rights
Dates of Participation:
October 2009 - March 2010
"In the process of changing my career path, and having decided an internship was the best way to achieve this goal, I set out on a search for a superior internship experience in a country ... read more
"On the 19th of November 2009, fresh out of law exams, I boarded a plane bound for Cape Town, South Africa, in the pursuit of sunshine, adventure and a wee bit of career direction…During my ... read more
"My experience with the Volunteer Adventure Corps has been an amazing one. I first heard of the program through a friend who traveled to Cape Town the previous year. I had to see for myself ... read more
"My experience with VACorps was above and beyond any expectations I had. Knowing exactly what I wanted, I was very specific with my personal and professional objectives while in South Africa. The staff at VACorps ... read more
"Molo!! Much thanks to the VACorps’ talented crew who did an extraordinary job in matching me up with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation’s Clinical Trials Unit at the UCT School of Medicine for my final ... read more
"I'd like to thank the whole VACorps team for making this adventure-of-a-lifetime not only possible, but even more spectacular and meaningful than my wildest expectations! It's an even more difficult challenge to find a VACorps ... read more
"If I were to be completely honest, there’s an amount of skepticism that precedes a big decision to move to another country, even if for a few months. And it’s not always easy to have ... read more
"My ten weeks in Cape Town, South Africa were invaluable! It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. Volunteer Adventure Corps provided me with an opportunity to do some of the most ... read more
“Hi, my name is Travis Cox and I’m from Monroe, NC, USA. During my stay in Cape Town I worked with WBHO Construction, one of the largest contracting and engineering firms in South Africa, and ... read more
"The search for the perfect internship for the summer of 2010 began when I found out that since I was a cell and molecular Biology major I could not go abroad to another country. My ... read more
“Why do you want to go all the way to South Africa to do an internship?” Someone asked me before I departed for Cape Town. The multitude of answers that came to mind at the ... read more
"To state ambiguously that the episode of my life spent in Cape Town as a VACorps intern was fantastic, splendid, or any other similar adjective would veritably do my memory an injustice. The internship, working ... read more
Courtney Mollenhauer
Genre of Internship: HIV/AIDS Advocacy
Dates of Participation:
June 2010 - September 2010
"There is simply no better place in the world than Cape Town. The city has everything you could possibly want and more- culture, history, adventure, great people and a mind-blowing landscape! BUT- Coming to a ... read more
Cathy Weitenbeck
Genre of Internship: biomedical engineering
Dates of Participation:
May 2010 - July 2010
"Hi. I'm Cathy Weitenbeck and I'm from Milwaukee Wisconsin. I went to school at the Milwaukee School of Engineering and graduated with B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering just one day before I left for South Africa. ... read more
“My experience in Cape Town has changed my life forever. From the moment I arrived at the airport, to the final time I was dropped off, I grew as a person and a professional each ... read more
"I stepped off the plane in Cape Town, South Africa at 10 pm local time, having slept maybe three or four hours total in the past 36. I was taking a leap of faith. I ... read more
I had never been to Africa, only Europe, so I wanted something totally new, and that was part of my drive for searching here. VACorps was the first thing I noticed when I decided I ... read more
“The past two months have been some of the best times of my whole life. I will never forget my experience here. I literally haven’t had a second to rest the whole time I have ... read more
“VACorps is an amazing way to combine professional work experience with living abroad. The program gives you incredible support and opportunities to explore Cape Town, but also always allows you to be as independent as ... read more
“When it came time for me to find an internship, I really wanted to find something unique to my program. I did an extensive Google search and found this program. Cape Town and South Africa ... read more
"My experience with VACorps was truly amazing. I had a very professional internship working at Steenberg Vineyards. My fellow colleagues were so friendly and passionate about their work, that it made it hard not to ... read more
“My internship placement was, as I would say, banging!! It was the best ever! I got to experience my dream job of delivering babies right before my eyes. And I just didn’t get to watch ... read more
“Spending three months away from home on the other side of the world while forced to adjust to a new culture and people can be stressful and intimidating. The second I arrived in Cape Town, ... read more
“Leaving the United States for the first time to travel to South Africa was exciting and nerve racking. There was a variety of significant information and details that were necessary to fulfill for my ... read more
“My experiences in Cape Town would not have been the same if VACorps was not involved during the duration of my stay! Cape Town is such a beautiful city with so much to do, in ... read more
"Forget everything you have ever been told about Africa… This is THE ultimate experience that will virtually transform you into a new person. Stop functioning and start living: welcome to Cape Town! "My name is ... read more
Michelle Pinter-Petrillo
Genre of Internship: Urban Agriculture
Dates of Participation:
January 2011 - April 2011
“During my sophomore year while looking at options for studying abroad I quickly realized that I did not want to study at a university. Instead of spending my time in a classroom I wanted to ... read more
My time in Cape Town with VACorps has been an incredible experience that has truly changed my life. Cape Town is the most beautiful place with so much to see and do… and amazing food! ... read more
"Having a love of travel, it was only a matter of time before I wound up in South Africa. Of course, a lot of questions came to my mind as well as the minds of ... read more
"I'm very blessed to get a chance to intern at SMI and volunteer at Beth Uriel. My time in Cape Town was worthwhile and through SMI and Beth Uriel I have grown on personal and ... read more
"This January it started to sink in that I was going to graduate and would have to find a job. After hearing more and more about how hard it is for recent grads to find ... read more
Cameron Giammalva
Genre of Internship: Wine Industry
Dates of Participation:
January 2011 - June 2011
"Interning with VACorps was an amazing experience that I would do all over in a heart beat. I had such a wonderful time that I extended my stay twice and only left because my second ... read more
When I first thought about interning in South Africa, so many what-ifs ran through my mind. I knew everything would be different than what I was used to back home. The Volunteer Adventure Corps staff ... read more
"Coming across the Volunteer Adventure Corp website was one of those wonderful accidents that happened to me. VACorps offers internships at the best organisations in Cape Town and is the best way to explore, live ... read more
"I boarded a plane in mid-May having just finished my second year of law school. I left a great job and a set career path because I wasn’t happy. And even though it felt like ... read more
Vitor Gazola
Genre of Internship: Civil Engineering
Dates of Participation:
July 2008 - September 2008
For two and a half months I participated in an unforgettable internship in Cape Town through VACorps. It''s quite difficult for me describe my experience because English is not my mother tongue, though I will ... read more
Giulia Notari
Genre of Internship: Gender Advocacy
Dates of Participation:
July 2011 - September 2011
" VAC's passion for Cape Town and South Africa is contagious. I am leaving Observatory very sad and nostalgic because thanks to VAC I have had an amazing experience and made spectacular new friends whom ... read more
"An internship with VACorps is one of those experiences that you have to live to fully understand its value. The written word doesn''t do justice to my experience as an intern in Cape Town. To ... read more
Agnes Sokol
Genre of Internship: Community Development
Dates of Participation:
April 2008 - July 2008
"VACorps has an impressive list of internship placement sites offering interns a chance to work at some of Cape Town’s best organizations regardless of what your academic focus may be. My internship at the Amy ... read more
"I cannot begin to describe how amazing my time in Cape Town was. No amount of words or pictures will ever be able to capture how incredible this experience was for me. Spending an extended ... read more
"Having VACorps arrange my Cape Town internship with You & Your Money was so helpful. They did a great job of working through all the planning and logistical issues long before I arrived. Coming to a new ... read more
Jennifer Leland
Genre of Internship: Human Rights
Dates of Participation:
June 2008 - September 2008
"Stepping off the plane in Cape Town was like turning the cover of a great novel; during the three months I interned and traveled in South Africa I encountered experiences ranging from the joyous, comedic ... read more
"Chances are, if you’ve made your way to the testimonials page of this website you’re already on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. Go for it. Stop mulling it over and book your ... read more
"It’s an unexplainable thing, to be a part of the small percentage of individuals who experience Cape Town like Vacorps interns do. To have the memories that I do means that as I sit in ... read more
"Cape Town is definitely an amazing place to intern because you get to take advantage of the beautiful city and its vibrant in culture! There are so many interesting things to do on a daily ... read more
“I never could have imagined how my time in South Africa would change my life. I never could have imagined the amazing relationships I would develop. I never could have imagined the personal, professional, and ... read more
"Living and interning abroad is not something that you can convince anyone to do. But if gaining knowledge about yourself and another culture while acquiring hands-on experience is something you have written into your plans—and ... read more
"When I decided to spend my summer in South Africa, I was embarking on something I had never done before and needless to say, I was a little nervous. Having never traveled to Africa before, ... read more
Dawn Reese
Genre of Internship: Media and Gender Advocacy
Dates of Participation:
July 2011 - September 2011
''Upon arriving in Cape Town, I was sure that I would change this place for the better. I had so much to offer and so much to say. Now I find myself silent, unable to ... read more
''This past summer was one that I will never forget, not only because of the fun that I had, the people that I met, the places I visited, and the experience I gain at my ... read more
Jeremy Hinton
Genre of Internship: Physical Therapy
Dates of Participation:
August 2011 - October 2011
''I tried my best to prepare for my two months in Cape Town. I Google-Mapped South Africa and spotted out a few of the big cities, I wikipedia’ed Cape Town to get some high quality ... read more
Michael Drunasky
Genre of Internship: Social Development
Dates of Participation:
August 2011 - October 2011
''The past three months I have spent in Cape Town have been wonderful. The friendships I have gained and experiences I have been through will be impossible to forget. I came to South Africa a ... read more
Madeline Dreyfuss
Genre of Internship: Media Design
Dates of Participation:
July 2011 - September 2011
"I could not have asked for a better way to spend my summer. My internship at Media Nova, a South African magazine publishing company, allowed me to participate in the design of four different magazines. ... read more
''Vanessa and others at VAC allowed me to have a best of both worlds experience in Cape Town.''''Getting to work at Gugulethu Hospital was a privilege and it wouldn’t have been possible without them. I ... read more
"Interning with VAC and living in Cape Town for the summer has been the best three months of my entire life. Not a lot of people get to say that they traveled across the world ... read more
"My internship in Cape Town shaped me in ways I was not expecting. I had the experience of a life time and hope that everyone who is able gets an opportunity to experience South Africa ... read more
"My last day in the states included packing up my apartment, walking the graduation ceremony at U of O, and having a final dinner with my family. The following day I hopped on a plane ... read more
"From the early preparations before arrival to the wrap up and goodbyes, the people at VACorps are incredibly approachable and accommodating. They provide a great support while working in a foreign environment.''''Cape Town is an ... read more
Jennifer Reynolds
Genre of Internship: Occupational Therapy
Dates of Participation:
August 2011 - November 2011
"There’s no easy way to sum up my experiences here. Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve met and all the places I’ve been have been amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. As I packed ... read more
Brianna Arbo
Genre of Internship: Gender Advocacy
Dates of Participation:
September 2011 - December 2011
My experience could not have been the same here without VAC. I am eternally grateful for the amazing support that was continually offered. I will forever remember the friendships formed, the awe of waking up ... read more
Melanie Keast
Genre of Internship: Occupational Therapy
Dates of Participation:
September 2011 - December 2011
I had so many reservations about coming to South Africa; I was worried about the culture shock, worried I wouldn’t make friends, worried I wouldn’t settle in.. Three months later I’m returning home having gained ... read more
Spending four months of my life in South Africa has been a life-changing experience that has transformed and enriched me as a person. Working at Heideveld Day Clinic offered me amazing opportunities to not only ... read more
In my language there is a saying “Ndiwelimilambo enamagama” ( I have crossed famous rivers). It means that one has traveled a great distance, that one has had wide experience and gained some wisdom from ... read more
Matt Russell
Genre of Internship: IT/Software Development
Dates of Participation:
September 2011 - December 2011
From the first day I arrived in Cape Town, feeling like a naïve tourist at the airport to the final hours I spent trying to squeeze in one last hike, surf, and climb in a ... read more
Robbert Casier
Genre of Internship: Marine Conservation
Dates of Participation:
September 2011 - December 2011
Last year, almost 600 tons of abalone were confiscated in South Africa. That is about six times more then the legal total allowable catch of abalone for the entire country. Not surprisingly, abalone is on ... read more
It seems impossible to summarize the past few months in a fifteen page paper complete with pictures, diagrams and videos. I know this, because I tried to do just that for a class back home. ... read more
Luke Cleary

Dates of Participation: Between June 2008 & August 2008
"Chances are, if you’ve made your way to the testimonials page of this website you’re already on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. Go for it. Stop mulling it over and book your flight already.
"I interned for a premier adventure tourism company for two months, Cape Xtreme Adventure Tours, in a modest yet incredibly dynamic and effective marketing department based in Muizenberg. Under their tutelage I’ve taken home more skills and knowledge than in three full years of traditional university schooling. I’ve made contacts and memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.
"But VACorps is more than an internship-placing organization; it’s an experience. Oliver and Sean will go to any lengths to ensure that your adventure is tailor-made to fit your career aspirations. Their list of contacts is impressive. Their knowledge of Cape Town and surrounds—rather, all of southern Africa and beyond—is comprehensive. You’ll find distinctly South African opportunities arise every week, from SCUBA diving to mountain climbing, from sampling the Cape Winelands finest Shiraz to enjoying the colorful township culture, food, music, and dancing in the Cape Flats. VACorps’s courteous and down-to-earth staff will be there to present you with these opportunities to add value to your internship. Take pause before you sign up, though—there is one serious drawback to engaging in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; coming home after a few months in Cape Town will indeed be much harder than you’d expect." -Luke Cleary. Champaign, Illinois. September 2008.

-Luke Cleary participated in the VACorps professional internship program from June to August, 2008.













































