Here’s why you should apply for an Internship in Cape Town

Completing an internship abroad is an amazing way to further your career, get some practical, hands-on experience in a different setting, and to test to see if an industry is right for you. So, whether you’re pondering taking a gap year, panicking because your studies are coming to an end and you have no idea what to do (you’re not alone), or simply want to take a career break and venture into something new, we can all agree that internships abroad are awesome.

But, once you’ve made up your mind that you want to fly halfway around the world for this kind of opportunity, the challenge becomes choosing which location is right for you.

This post should help set you straight, as we share the three main reasons why you should apply for an internship in Cape Town with African Impact.

Cape Town is the best city in the world

It’s not just us saying this; The Telegraph, The Guardian, The New York Times, and many other travel magazines and publications name this incredible city best in the world year after year. Why is that? We suspect that it’s because the Mother City (what most Capetonians affectionately call it) offers something unique for everyone.

The combination of nature, culture, adventure, history, and sheer beauty is sure to win any heart. After all, there’s only a handful of destinations in the entire world where mountains and forests collide with vibrant city-life and oceans teeming with marine giants.

How does this sound? Starting the day with an early hike up one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World, Table Mountain, followed by a relaxing snooze on one of the city’s blue-flag beaches. At lunchtime, it’s time to try some of South Africa’s world-renowned wines at a tasting in the leafy, rolling hills of Constantia. If that hasn’t worn you out, you can stop at the chic V&A waterfront for a shopping spree, before ending the day at an award-winning restaurant. Did we mention that Cape Town is one of the world’s best food cities?

But that’s just one day in the city. A quick jump in an Uber (or the Big Red tourist bus, if you want a more informative trip) can see you waddling alongside penguins at Boulder’s Beach, donning a wetsuit to try your hand at the city’s most popular surfing spot, Muizenberg, or taking a tour of Cape Point National Point. Expect your jaw to drop at the dramatic scenery and spectacular views from the cliff-tops – you might even see a shipwreck or too as this rocky, wild region is famous for its nearly-3000 sunken ships.

Further afield, you can straddle the point where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet (also known as the southern-most point of Africa, Cape Agulhas), leap from a plane over shimmering sand dunes, or leap from a bridge, for that matter, on the world’s highest commercial bungee-jump.

All this and more is at your fingertips when you choose to complete an internship in Cape Town.

No matter your field of interest, there’s something for you

Cape Town, unsurprisingly, is one of African Impact’s most popular internship destinations, given the combination of extraordinary, sustainable, and varied programs on offer. As well as it being a hub for innovation and development in Africa, it has also been home to African Impact’s main office for the past decade. We live and breathe this city, and are invested in fostering incredible opportunities for our participants. This means our interns have unparalleled access to many different partners, across multiple fields and industries, each of which has worked with African Impact for a number of years.

So, whether you are studying – or simply interested – in a medicine or hospital internship, veterinary sciences internship, gender equality internship, education, and social work internship, or occupational therapy internship, we’re sure there is an internship in Cape Town suited to you.

African Impact internships are like no other in Cape Town

African Impact is a globally-recognized volunteer and internship organization that has just been named the Top-Rated Organization by GoAbroad.com for the third year in a row. Since 2004, we’ve developed over sixty impactful volunteer projects that have transformed African communities and conservation initiatives across East and Southern Africa, and have since begun offering unique internship opportunities that complement each of our program bases.

As leaders in the meaningful travel industry, African Impact knows how important the decision of choosing the right internship and organization is, which is why we support you every step of the way. It’s very important to us that you get exactly what you want out of this experience, as well as to ensure that your time and money is spent on something that is valuable to the local economy and community where you complete your internship.

Unlike many other internship operators, we are an African company, meaning that we live and work alongside you on the ground to support you in every aspect of your internship in Africa. Our team, as well as the professionals you work alongside in your daily internship role, will help you develop new skills, gain work experience and provide you will professional and personal support that will help in your future career.

Here’s what’s included in the internship fee:

1. Professional and personal support

We have a team of fully-trained managers living at each location with you, meaning you are supported 24/7 throughout your placement and know you always have someone watching your back. In your day-to-day internship role, you’ll be supervised by an expert in your chosen field. Added to this, you’ll also be partnered with your own Personal Development Coach who will work with you to explore future opportunities and growth.

2. Cultural immersion

Every internship placement supports a local partner, meaning you’ll be immersed daily in the culture of your chosen internship destination. When undertaking an internship in Cape Town with African Impact, this means spending each day in one of the vibrant township communities like Langa or Khayelitsha.

3. A great place to live

You’ll be welcomed with open arms to our private intern and volunteer accommodation, where volunteers, interns and staff live all year round. In Cape Town, you can look forward to 3 meals a day cooked by our lovely in-house chef, as well as easy access to one of the most popular surfing spots in all of Cape Town, Muizenberg beach.

4. Networking opportunities

Having worked in Cape Town for over a decade, African Impact has an enormous network of academics, professionals and peers for you to connect with.

5. Ensured wellbeing

We provide 24/7 support, which means more than just offering your accommodation and meals; we live and work with you, putting your safety and welfare first at all times.

6. Purposeful learning

African Impact will work from you from the start, before you’ve even locked down which specifically internship you’d like to join, and clearly define and meet your learning objectives throughout your placement.

7. Exploring new ideas

We are open to being part of your individuality and love exploring new ideas and suggestions to help enhance your internship.

8. Long-lasting impact

While learning and growing throughout your internship in Cape Town, you’ll also contribute to a wider cause, making a long-lasting impact in Africa. We feel that it’s very important that your time and money goes to a good cause.

9. Goals and evaluations

Starting before your placement, and continuing throughout, we focus on goal setting, evaluation and feedback sessions which will be completed with your intern supervisor. This ensures that you can make the most of your internship placement, regardless if its needed for studies, or simply just personal growth.

10. Degree of excellence

We are multi-award-winners for the quality of our programs, so be sure to read through our reviews and check out the awards we’ve won for our innovative, sustainable, and transformative initiatives.