
Cape Town Internship FAQs
Our reputation speaks for itself. We’ve been in the business of placing interns at incredible organizations in Cape Town since 2006. We are one of the only programs in South Africa with formal university partnerships—a testament to the quality matches we create between interns and host sites. Unlike other providers, we exclusively offer internships in the city of Cape Town, allowing our team to focus its talents on managing a single program location. We offer a variety of weekly activities that will help you engage the city’s vibrant culture while establishing friendships with other interns in the program. Participants also have access to our safe, secure, and affordable program housing.
GoAbroad.com rated VACorps as the #1 Internship Organization in Africa (#3 in the world!) in 2020 and GoOverseas.com awarded VACorps with three 1st Place Community Choice Awards in 2020 (Categories: Support, Fun, and Growth). Our amazing alumni are busy forging successful careers throughout the world thanks to their internship experiences in South Africa with VACorps. So yes, there are more than a few reasons you should consider our program if Cape Town is your top choice destination for an internship!
For internships ranging from 1-3 months, we charge a flat fee of $2,975. To learn more about what’s included in this cost, please visit this page HERE.
We do not facilitate paid internships for VACorps participants. By law, non-citizens cannot receive compensation in South Africa without a Permanent Residency Permit or a General Work Permit.
On the upside, internship sites that are hosting you on an unpaid/voluntary basis are more likely to give you a meaningful internship role because they are not motivated to receive maximum “value” in exchange for monetary compensation. Paid internships often involve menial tasks and administrative responsibilities whereas the internships we create for our participants will deliver a far more meaningful and immersive professional experience.
Because VACorps offers flexible scheduling (most participants stay in South Africa for 4 – 12 weeks), we have unbundled housing costs from the VACorps program fee. You will pay your accommodation fees directly to our housing provider, Rent-a-Room, who will only charge you for the exact number of days that you will be living in program housing.
To learn more about program accommodation and the latest daily rates, please visit our accommodation page.
VACorps does not issue credits directly but our staff and internship sites will assist you with any paperwork your school requires in order to gain credit hours.
Because VACorps is a proudly South African company that aspires to promote greater pan-African participation in our program, we offer a special $1,000 AU scholarship discount to anyone who can prove citizenship from a country within the African Union.
Be sure to view our neighborhood tour and program housing videos on our YouTube channel.
No! We work on a rolling applications basis which allows you to arrive and depart whenever it suits you best. With this being said, we do encourage you to arrive in South Africa during one of our recommended arrival dates. Please refer to our Program Calendar for more information.
**VACorps offices are closed during the last two weeks of December for the Christmas holiday period**
No! Many VACorps program participants are recent college graduates looking to gain professional experience in their respective fields of study. We regularly host seasoned professionals who are looking for a career change or a career break.
You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the VACorps program. Exceptions to this rule will be considered if you have graduated from high school and also have permission from your guardians to participate in the VACorps program. The average age of VAC interns is 20-23.
Before offering you the opportunity to apply to the VACorps Program, our Admissions Team will ask you several questions to learn more about you as a prospective candidate. We will invite qualified candidates to submit an application to the program, a process that involves a questionnaire submission and video interview.
Weekly excursions video HERE.
Otherwise, Cape Town Magazine and Lonely Planet are great sources of information, in addition to our Go Abroad listing which showcases the program with alumni and staff interviews as well.
VACorps program tuition is distributed in such a way to ensure that you have a quality program experience in Cape Town. The following chart offers a breakdown of how your tuition is allocated: