South Africa: Pre-Departure Information

Volunteers will be accommodated at our volunteer house which is comfortable, secure and ideally located within a few minutes of our project work, beaches, a shopping mall and internet cafes.  You may be required to share ablutions and bedroom with other volunteers of the same sex.  All bedding is provided, so you will not need to bring a sleeping bag with you, unless you are thinking of doing a camping safari during your stay and an extra cover sometimes is useful in the colder months (March – August). Regardless of which house you end up staying at, all meals, laundry and transportation to and from your projects and tourist activities will be provided and organised by your volunteer co-ordinator. ACTS staff are also available to organize tourist activities, which will be at your own cost.

Visa

A few things to let you know and to remind you of, before your arrival in South Africa; Please check that we have your arrival and departure times and flights correct to avoid any confusion. US passport holders do not need a visa to enter South Africa, EU passport holders do need a visa but this is available for purchase upon arrival. Please allow US$ 30 for visa fees should your country be required to pay. On arrival at the airport, please make sure that you apply for a 90 day Holiday Visa. Passports must be valid for 6 months after your departure for you to be allowed entry into South Africa. Please check the expiry date.

If asked for an address in South Africa please put the ACTS office address: Team House, 96 Beach Rd, Noordhoek, Cape Town

There is a US$ 30.00 airport departure fee when leaving unless this is prepaid in your ticket. Please check that this is included or bring cash to cover this. Please make sure you confirm your departure flight 72 hours before leaving the project.

Airport Pick-up - We will meet you at the airport!

You will be met at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) by ACTS staff. You will then travel to your placement on ACTS transport. Please put the Team House address on your visa form: 96 Beach Rd, Noordhoek 7979, Cape Town, RSA

Accommodation

Volunteers will be accommodated at the Team House, a 10 bedroom house used to host international missionary teams. The house is located on the pristine white sands of Noordhoek’s ‘Long Beach.’ The house has a resident chef who provides all meals. The house also has satellite television, wireless internet and a telephone. Internet and telephone may be used at minimal rates. At all times there will be secure lock-up facilities that will allow you to protect your valuables. Accommodation and ablutions will be same-sex by room only.

Weather & Climate

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate dominated by the wet and dry seasons. For both dry and wet season, you will need to bring outdoor clothing as well as a hat and sun block; the sun can be very harsh to your skin.

April-September: Winter (Wet Season) Nights and early morning are cold and can reach as low as –2°C while midday can reach up to 25°C, if you are arriving during this time, ensure you bring some warm clothes. Rain jackets are also recommended as the wind and rain in Cape Town is infamous for providing frigid outdoor experiences.

October-March: Summer (Dry Season) Days can get very hot. You need light clothes although there might be a day the temperature drops so ensure you also bring a sweater. It is a time of little rain and glorious warm, late evenings and breathtaking, postcard vistas of the surrounding bay at sunrise and sunset.

Meals

All meals will be provided by ACTS during your stay, unless you choose to eat out at some of the excellent restaurants and cafes in the area.

Communication and Electrical Appliances

• Email will be available at the House and volunteers will be able to check their email at a small fee.
• You will be able to use your mobile phone in South Africa if you enable international roaming before you leave home.
• We have British (round) plugs in South Africa. There is electricity and adaptors for most countries - you will be able to use all normal electrical appliances such as hair straighteners; iPod; camera chargers, etc.
  

Clothing

Please make sure you bring comfortable clothes, as well as clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. It is accepted in South Africa to wear shorts and skirts, but the clothes you wear on the projects should not be revealing. From May to August, nights can be cold, so make sure you bring some sweaters and warm clothing.

Malaria and Sun Precautions

Please bring effective sun screen recommend SPF factor 20 and above particularly for summer. Malaria is not present in Cape Town though mosquitoes and other bugs may be present during your stay. Simple bug spray should ensure that you minimize any annoyance.  If you intend to travel outside of Cape Town during your visit to Africa, please ask our staff to confirm whether the areas you intend to visit are affected by Malaria.

Volunteer Expectations and Conditions of Stay

Africa provides an ever-changing environment and power failures, water shortages, temperature fluctuations and other uncontrollable situations do occur. You will need to remain flexible, understanding and good humoured. “African time” can be difficult and frustrating for those used to a very structured life so this is something to keep in mind!

Once you arrive in Africa, your care is the responsibility of ACTS and our trained project managers. We always aim to provide you with all your daily needs, keep you out of harm’s way and support you in your volunteer work. In exchange, we ask you to attend work punctually and to behave consistently in ways that reflect well upon ACTS and our project managers. We ask that you to dress according to local norms while in public and to treat people on the work site with kindness and respect. In addition, ACTS insists that volunteers avoid any contact with drugs and any culturally inappropriate activities relating to alcohol. The ACTS projects rely on networks, and those networks are held together by good relations. If a case should arrive in which our staff feels that volunteers have repeatedly behaved in ways that contradict the basic spirit of this agreement, we reserve the right to remove you from the program.

We view the volunteer experience as a commitment that includes a willingness to overcome challenges of various sorts. In cases where volunteers are experiencing difficulties, we strongly encourage creative, collaborative solutions. At the same time, we respect the ability and freedom of our volunteers to make their own judgement and understand that volunteer work only functions well when volunteers retain the will to participate fully and energetically.

Packing Checklist

Please be aware that your clothes are going to get dirty! In addition, it can get very cold during the evenings in the wet season (April-September) so please bring a warm jacket/fleece and long trousers.

• Passport, insurance certificates & personal documentation, including some certified copies stored separately.
• You can draw local currency (Rand) from most ATM's using most major debit cards, or alternatively you can bring cash or travelers checks in most major currencies. Please be sure to inform your bank that you are traveling, otherwise they may stop your card when they see foreign withdrawals being made.
• Camera with enough film and batteries for the duration of your placement (you will have electricity on your placement to charge batteries)
• Notebook and pen
• Sunscreen & lip salve; Sun Hat
• Trainers
• Sandals
• Sunglasses
• Warm, waterproof jacket for the Wet Season (April-September)
• Fleece type pullover (it can get very cold at night)
• Long trousers
• Swimwear; Beach Towel
• Positive attitude!

Contact Us

Contact us to organise your mission, volunteer project or holiday to Africa. Get in direct contact with us via phone/email or fill in our simple form and we will get back to you.