Join our Township Teaching volunteer project and make a meaningful impact by educating and supporting children in Knysna’s underserved township communities along South Africa’s breathtaking Garden Route. As a volunteer, you’ll assist in primary and high schools, helping with subjects such as English, Mathematics, Physical Education, Music, Drama, Dance, Social and Natural Sciences, Accounting, Technology, Special Needs and leading reading groups in school libraries.
| Starting days | Starting days are Monday to Friday in the South African school term (see below for dates). Closed for December and to the 15th of January. |
| Minimum Requirements | 2 weeks and longer subject to visa requirements. A minimum age of 17 years old and older. |
| Cost | £850 for 2 weeks and £350 for each additional week |
| What is included | Food, shared accommodation, meeting you at the airport, airport collection and drop-off, weekly transport to and from your project, donation, pre-departure support, in-country staff, 24- emergency help and more |
| What is not included | Flights, visas, travel insurance, spending money |
| Best for | Gappers, career breakers, families, post-retirement gappers, couples, teaching students, qualified teachers, sports students, drama teachers, music teachers, dance instructors |
Project Description
With our Township Teaching volunteer project, we work within several schools in the townships of Knysna. Mainly primary schools although we also do work with a local high school too for more mature and experienced volunteers. All these schools are government schools which cater for the poorer communities and charge very low school fees and in some cases, nothing at all. Therefor amenities and facilities are very basic, and classes are big with teachers having to cope with larger numbers in the classrooms. In the past we have seen classes with learners of over 60 in a class although the average is around 45 learners per class.
English is taught from Grade 1 in South Africa, so we normally focus on the older classes from Grade 4 upwards although many volunteers prefer helping with the little ones. The learners mother tongue is often isiXhosa or Afrikaans, so the learners learn English as a second and sometimes third language. Volunteers really help a lot in this area as just by spending time with the learners they improve their conversational English making them more confidant with the language so we often as volunteers to try and do a few English classes too along with the other subjects they would like to assist with.
Volunteers give additional support to teachers and help wherever possible from lesson plans, taking lessons, marking papers and assessments, and coming up with fresh new ideas to keep the class stimulated. Help with social media, fundraisers, sports events, or talent shows is also hugely appreciated. For those not so confidants of their teaching abilities, there are work books to assist you with your lesson plans which are all based around the South African syllabus so you have guidelines to work from which is a huge help
There are a variety of areas volunteers can assist in.
- Foundation phase classes of Grade RR, Grade R and Grade 1
- Drama, dance, and music in Creative Arts classes. Please let us know how your talents can be utilised here.
- Physical Education and Sports which often take place in Life Orientation classes
- Teaching English- always a huge plus!
- Mathematics
- Small reading groups with the librarian in the library
- Natural Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Technology and in some cases Computer skills depending on school
- There is also a class for children of special needs both mental or physical of all ages
The school day starts at 07h45 and ends the latest at 14h30. There are two small breaks in between for a snack or even just choir practise if music is your love.
If you already have a qualification, skill, or experience, we will be extra happy to be able to put it to good use on your placement. If you are using this project for practical credits for your studies, please let us know so that we can liaise with your university lecturer. If you do not have any qualifications or previous experience, then do not worry! The whole idea of volunteering is to provide help and assistance wherever needed, immerse yourself in a different culture, and make a lot of memories- both for you and the learners!
Please look further down for our after-school activities for information on what can be done for the remainder of the day
School terms for 2025
| Term | Start | Ends |
| 1st | 15th of January | 28th of March |
| 2nd | 8th of April | 27th of June |
| 3rd | 22nd of July | 3rd of October |
| 4th | 13th of October | 10th of December |
This Township Teaching volunteer project runs in the South African school terms only. We do suggest you try and book closer to the beginning of term and not the end as that is when assessments and exams take place. The last 3 weeks of the 4th term of the year are never a good time to volunteers as when the children have finished writing their final exams, the majority only attend school to pick up their reports and the numbers are very low in the classroom
If you are not able to volunteer in the dates of the school term and can only volunteer in the school holidays, we suggest that you get involved in our Youth Development and Social Work volunteer project as there is a holiday program to keep all the local community children safe, busy and occupied with fun activities.
After-school activities
There are a few activities that you can take part in after-school. You can either help the after-school club with the youth development centre, assist with grassroots soccer coaching, visit the local elephant park, do some shopping, have lunch at the Waterfront on the lagoon edge, hike the Pledge nature reserve or just getting a well needed nap as the children can be exhausting as they have so much energy. Please note that after-school activities do not take place every afternoon.
Accommodation
The Township Teaching volunteer accommodation is shared with volunteers from other Knysna-based projects. This self-catering cottage is within walking distance of Knysna’s town center, offering easy access to shopping malls, restaurants, takeaways, gyms, nightlife, entertainment, and essential services.
Accommodation options include shared bedrooms with other volunteers or single rooms, depending on how many volunteers we have. The cottage features a satellite TV, shared bathrooms with showers, basins, and toilets, as well as a laundry room equipped with a washing machine and tumble dryer.
There is a fully equipped kitchen for preparing meals, with an indoor dining area. For outdoor dining, a braai (BBQ) facility and picnic area are available. During the hot summer months, you can cool off in the swimming pool. The accommodation also provides Wi-Fi for your convenience. There is a cleaner once a week and linen and towels are provided but volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
Couples, friends, and families are welcome, with accommodation available to suit different group sizes.
If the volunteer cottage is full, we have other self-catering options that are walking distance to the town centre and its amenities and very comfortable.
Food
As a volunteer on the Township Teaching volunteer project, you will receive a food allowance to cover your basic grocery needs for self-prepared meals. During your induction, you’ll be taken on a grocery shopping trip to help you select foods that meet your dietary preferences and requirements.
Knysna offers several grocery stores, along with a variety of excellent restaurants and takeaways for those days when you prefer not to cook. The kitchen is fully equipped with an induction plate, microwave, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster, and grill for your convenience.
Volunteers are responsible for cleaning up after preparing their meals, and it’s important to maintain a tidy living space.
Location
You will need to fly into George Airport between 09h00 and 16h00 for your airport collection where you will be met by your Volunteer International Adventures representative and driven to your volunteer accommodation in Knysna. On completion of your Township Teaching volunteer project you will be driven back to George Airport in time for your return flight which must be any time after 10h30. If arriving by coach from Cape Town, you will be fetched and dropped off at the coach depot in Knysna. Arrivals and departures must be Monday to Fridays and not weekends.
Knysna is one of South Africa’s favourite towns based around the beautiful Knysna estuary with views of the iconic headlands. It is not known as the jewel of the Garden Route for nothing and is surrounded by magical forests, farmlands and a breath-taking coastline dotted with blue flag beaches which are great for swimming, barbecuing or just simply watching dolphins surfing in the waves. It is also home to the famous elusive Knysna elephant which are the most southern free roaming elephants in the world and there are still hot debates about the numbers with some saying there is only one left and others a small herd of about 4.
The area that Knysna is situated is the Garden Route of the province of the Western Cape and it is a dream for animal lovers and extreme sports enthusiasts as there are numerous private wildlife reserves, national parks, whale watching, predator sanctuaries, primate sanctuaries, elephant sanctuaries, wolf sanctuaries, skydiving, paragliding, sandboarding, numerous interesting markets and so much more so boredom is not an option.
Our projects take place mainly in the local townships in the poorer areas where we do our best to try and lighten the load for the teachers, schools and NPOs assisting in the area with hands on help and financial support
For more information or to book our Township Teaching volunteer project, either fill in the contact form or please email info@volunteerinternationaladventures.com. You might also be interested in our Teaching project in Zanzibar.
I took two school trips to Knysna as an opportunity for pupils to gain life experiences and learn about other cultures. The trips were a huge success and this was definitely down to the help of Sharon. Her involvement in the Knysna community is incredible. She genuinely cares about her community and as a result creates opportunities for those visiting to see the best of this beautiful part of the world.
Without a doubt, Sharon’s hard work and enthusiasm for her job made this trip what it was. As someone who was responsible for 23 pupils under 16 I felt extremely comfortable and confident with Sharon there. No stone is left unturned to give you an amazing chance to experience something special.
-Mark Hanson, United Kingdom
“Although I volunteered over 10 years ago, the experience of teaching in South Africa has remained with me ever since. I met some amazing people, made fantastic friends and created not only lasting memories for me but also for the kids that I taught. I went with the expectation that I would be teaching primary school kids English however I left with them teaching me so many new cultural skills and life altering views on the world. I fell in love with the school and the kids so much that I returned a year later and also again in 2015. Not only was teaching amazing but also the activities and adventures we went on when school was out. Bungy jumping, sky diving, zip wires, kayaking… the list is endless. Sharon is wealth of information and looks after all those who volunteer so well. She is worth her weight in gold and really helps make the adventure and experience the best it can be. I would recommend doing any of the programmes that Volunteers International Adventures run”
-Denise Bennett, United Kingdom