These answers to frequently asked questions will help inform you about the program in South Africa. If you have further questions, please call the WorldTeach office at 1-800-483-2240 or 617-495-5527. We can also put you in touch with a returned WorldTeach volunteer.
Q: When does the program start and end?
A: The program will begin in late June (around June 20) and end in late August (around August 21). The first week of the program will be spent in orientation. More information on exact dates of departure will be available approximately two months prior to departure.
Q: What language(s) do I need to speak?
A: South Africa has eleven official languages. In practice, English is the only language a visitor needs, and this is understood everywhere apart from the very deepest rural areas. Speaking some Afrikaans or an African language might be helpful, but is certainly not required for participation in the program. With luck, you will pick up some Xhosa and Afrikaans!
Q: When will I find out where I'll be teaching?
A: Teaching placements are determined by the WorldTeach Program Coordinator in consultation with the various host schools that have requested a volunteer teacher. Once accepted to the program, you may express general preferences with regard to your teaching or living situation. In particular, volunteers should express their preference regarding the Simonstown school placement, which involves living the school dormitory. The Program Coordinator will take these preferences and your prior experience into account when matching you with a suitable school and host family. Since WorldTeach also has to take into account the needs of the host schools and communities, we cannot guarantee any particular placement. This process of matching volunteers with placement sites is done once the Program Coordinator has received information on all the volunteers in the group. You will receive information about your placement site, teaching assignment and host family about one month prior to departure. Until then, please be flexible and keep an open mind.
Q: Where will I be living?
A: During orientation, which volunteers will spend together, each volunteer will live with a host family in a middle class area. WorldTeach chooses host families both because of their interest in cultural exchange and the safety of the location. Volunteers at one of the sites may live in single rooms provided by the site.
Living with a host family can be challenging as you adjust to new cultural norms. However, it is also usually one of the most memorable and exciting experiences WorldTeach volunteers have. Flexibility will go a long way toward making your host family stay a meaningful experience for you.
The Simonstown hostel (dorm) offers a chance to live with Grade 11 & 12 scholarship students from across southern Africa, however it offers little privacy and poor quality food. It is not a placement that suits all volunteers but offers an excellent cultural experience and opportunity to serve. Please indicate on your form if you are interested, or not willing, to be placed at Simonstown.
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Q: How will I travel to South Africa?
A: WorldTeach arranges travel for the group departing for South Africa from a departure city in the USA. The group will meet at the departure city airport and then travel together to Cape Town. The international round-trip flight from the departure city to Cape Town is covered by the WorldTeach program fee. More details of the group flight arrangements will be available about 2 months prior to departure. You will then be asked to confirm your travel plans by a certain date so that WorldTeach can finalize the group air tickets.
Each volunteer is responsible for getting him/herself to the departure city (often New York). Many volunteers are able to find discounted or teacher/student fare domestic connections from the internet or student travel agencies such as www.studentuniverse.com or www.statravel.com.
Q: Can I make my own travel arrangements?
A: You may opt out of the WorldTeach group flight. You should arrange your own flights if you plan to travel in South Africa before the program starts, or if you do not plan to leave from the United States.
If you choose to travel independently to South Africa, you must plan to arrive in Cape Town on or before the date of the group flight's arrival, so that you do not miss any orientation activities. Volunteers traveling independently must inform the Program Manager in writing of their travel plans. If you purchase your own air ticket to South Africa, WorldTeach will deduct from your program fee the cost of one ticket on our group flight.
Transport to the South Peninsula can be arranged in advance by the program manager, but the volunteer must cover the cost of the transport.
Q: Can I come home during the summer?
A: As a WorldTeach volunteer in South Africa you are under contract with your host institution and are responsible for working full time. This will be a busy summer and there will be little time to fly home. If a family emergency or event requires you to go home during a term you must clear your absence with your school director and arrange coverage for your classes. Any trips home or other personal travel will be at your own expense. You might want to suggest your family or friends visit you in South Africa, ideally at the end of your service so that you can spend more time with them.
Q: Will there be a chance to travel to other places?
A: Any travel you choose to do will be at your own expense, and must be during weekends or after the program has finished. In previous years the Program Coordinator has arranged tours of the Cape Town area on various weekends, at additional cost. These have proven very popular and details will be sent to volunteers in advance. It is easy to reach central Cape Town by train and from there to enjoy various attractions, such as Robben Island.
Since South Africa is a very large country volunteers are asked not to travel beyond the city area during the program, but rather to plan additional touring before/after the program. You should bring your own spending money for personal travel.
Q: Do I need a visa?
A: Visitors to South Africa are required to have at least two blank pages in their passports in order to receive an entry visa. Most passport holders, including the UK and US, do not presently need a visa in advance. Strictly speaking, your passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond date of planned return (Note: if you plan to travel, Botswana requires passport holders to have at least 12 months validity).
Please note that visa requirements are subject to change. WorldTeach will keep you up to date on any changes.
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Q: What immunizations will I need?
A: The most comprehensive source of information on immunizations and travel health is the Center for Disease Control's website at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ . This site provides recommendations for travel to Africa as well as detailed information on specific diseases. Also refer to the Healthy Travel guide that WorldTeach will send you when you confirm your participation in the program. You must consult your doctor or a travel health specialist about immunizations and other health needs. Please understand that WorldTeach staff are not qualified to give medical advice. All we can do is tell you what immunizations are usually recommended for travel to South Africa - only your doctor can give you specific medical advice.
Upon entrance to South Africa, you will not be required to show any information about immunizations, and none are necessary except that against TB (which most people have as a child).
Please note that Cape Town is NOT a malarial area.
Q: What if I get sick? What are the medical facilities like in South Africa?
A: Adjusting to a new environment, diet, and climate places demands on your body and health. Living in a new culture and taking on new professional responsibilities will be tiring. You will get sick at certain times; it is unavoidable. But you will also learn how to look after yourself, maintain your health, and seek treatment for sickness.
Pharmacies are widely available ('apteek' in Afrikaans). Quality private hospitals are available in all major centers of South Africa. The government hospitals vary in quality but some of the teaching hospitals offer high standards of treatment for serious problems.
As a WorldTeach volunteer you will have health insurance coverage that includes emergency medical evacuation insurance. For medical expenses such as doctors' visits, prescribed medicines, etc. you pay up front, keep the receipt, and then file a claim to get reimbursed by the insurance company. All volunteers are covered under the WorldTeach group insurance policy; it is not optional. The policy has been designed specially with WorldTeach volunteers in mind. If you have a pre-existing health condition that may require further treatment you should consider maintaining your own health insurance coverage as well. You will be sent the health insurance policy description when you are accepted as a volunteer.
Cape Town offers a number of adventure activities, such as sky diving and shark-cage diving. Please note your insurance does not cover these!
Q: Is it safe?
A: Many people visit South Africa every year as tourists, students, or on business and crime rates among visitors are relatively low. However crime rates are high in poor areas and your Program Coordinator will require you to follow certain rules, including not walking alone in such areas, always using transport (buses or private taxis) rather than walking on the streets whenever possible, and not carrying valuables. Volunteers will need to be ‘streetwise’ at all times. Volunteers not following these rules have been victims of robbery in the past.
The Cape area and much of the rest of the region is malaria-free. However, before traveling to northern Natal, Kruger Park and countries to the north of South Africa you should consult a medical advisor about anti- malarial prophylaxis. The water supply is of excellent quality in the cities and towns and does not need to be purified.
Rates of HIV exceed 20% in many areas and represent a major crisis for the country. For the sensible tourist this represents no direct threat. All blood supplies are checked for HIV and needles disposed of in hospitals. TB rates are high in the township areas, but should not pose a threat to a healthy person. Ensure that you have been vaccinated ('BCG').
Cape Town has, in the last five years, instituted a major campaign for public safety and crime has been drastically reduced. This does not mean one should leave common sense at the door: be aware of your surroundings, and if you are not sure about something, ask.
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Q: What should I take with me?
A: When you confirm your participation in the program you will be sent a booklet called Welcome to Cape Town. This booklet will contain a suggested packing list. We do not recommend taking a lot of electronics, as they are easily broken or stolen. Try to pack light; you will need to be able to move your bags easily, and you will find most things are available in Cape Town. In terms of teaching materials, the WorldTeach field staff will have some teaching books and materials that you can borrow or copy. You might want to take your own books, activities, or other materials that you think will be of use to you during your year. Posters or pictures from magazines, popular songs, or videos are valuable teaching tools that are harder to come by in South Africa! You can also speak with a returned volunteer for advice on packing.
Q: How much money should I take with me?
A: The amount of spending money you will need is very subjective. Cape Town has excellent restaurants, shops and attractions. Although transport costs are relatively low volunteers often choose to take private taxis rather than trains or buses. Thus spending varies enormously between volunteers. You will need your own spending money for personal costs such as transport to your school (about $2 per day) communications with home and social activities, and for paying up-front for medical expenses. Volunteers in other WorldTeach programs recommend taking or having access to about $1,000-1,500 in spending money, or more if you intend to do a lot of touring. These days, few travelers use Traveler's Checks. All ATMs in South Africa (and they are very common) accept international cards. You may want Travelers Checks and dollars and more than one card as a backup. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted, Diners and American Express slightly less so.
Q: Will I have access to email in South Africa?
A: Internet access is available in most homes and in E-cafes. If someone lets you use the phone, be sure to give them at least R1 per minute local/ internet and R2 per minute international/ cellular. You should not use the phone of your host family without permission and without offering to pay.
South Africa has a highly developed cellular network (GSM) and mobile phones are widely available for $50 or less. It is also very cheap to buy a SIM card and pre-paid vouchers are widely available, so if you have a GSM phone, bring it along. The terrestrial phone network operates much as in any developed country.
Q: Can I speak with a returned WorldTeach volunteer?
A: Yes. We can put you in contact with a returned WorldTeach volunteer who would be happy to tell you about their experience and answer your questions. Contact the office by phone (1 800 483-2240 or 617 495-5527) or send a request by email to info@worldteach.org.
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