Non-profit and Charity Internships in Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is facing many developmental challenges. From extreme poverty in local communities to gender inequalities that disadvantage young women, there is a great need in Africa for positive and sustainable development that puts the lives of African citizens, wildlife and communities first.

Incredible African-based non-profits are leading the fight against these issues. Collaborating with locals, non-profit organizations work with communities to discover sustainable ways to promote positive community development. If you are looking to gain valuable work experience in the non-profit sector and make tangible, real impacts on sustainable development, joining a non-profit internship in Africa is the perfect opportunity to achieve these goals!

Our Non-Profit Internships in Africa

As an intern on one of our non-profit internships, you’ll support the daily operations of an incredible NGO working in Sub-Saharan Africa. These internships are highly customizable, allowing you to explore a specialty of interest within the framework of international development. Taking on essential responsibilities for your non-profit, you’ll be an integral team member of your organization, supporting their goals, initiatives and impacts through your daily work!

Internship program fees

Our non-profit internships start at £1249 for placements in Africa and £620 for online internships.

If you join us in Africa, these costs cover your accommodation, meals, airport transportation, training, and 24/7 full support from our staff throughout your internship. For online interns, these costs cover expenses for your dedicated intern supervisor, personal development plan, access to a variety of multimedia, personal and professional development workshops, and full support from the African Impact team!

African Impact Sustainability Fund

As a commitment to sustainable development in the communities we work in, all interns pay an additional £20 to the African Impact Sustainability Fund. This money goes directly to the African Impact Foundation, which independently ensures the sustainability of our projects in local communities, guaranteeing impacts continue long after volunteers and interns leave. If you have additional questions about this donation, you can visit our page on the Sustainability Fund here.

Who can join an International NGO Internship?

We believe non-profit internships are a life-changing experience that should be accessible to anyone keen to gain experience in the non-profit sector, no matter where they are in their professional journey! As such, we do not require applicants to have extensive professional experience or university education in this industry to join these internships. In the past, we’ve welcomed everyone from college students, individuals taking a gap year, and people looking for a career change!

Our non-profit internships are highly customizable, meaning you can utilize your unique skills to support a local organization. Whether you are a passionate writer looking to pursue a marketing and copywriting internship, or a finance student looking to support fundraising management, there are plenty of opportunities to apply your unique skills and career experience to your internship.

Additionally, as part of our commitment to safeguarding African communities’ privacy and well-being, we require all interns to complete a criminal records check before joining us in Africa. This requirement is firm and deeply ingrained in our stance on Responsible Volunteering and our Child Care Policy. To learn more about these policies, please visit the following link.

Can you find NGO internships in Africa without a degree?

Absolutely! Our intern programs regularly welcome students in school or on a gap year who have not yet completed their degree program. During your internship, you’ll receive regular support from staff eager to ensure you are thriving in your placement organization. Regardless of your previous experience or education, we’ll provide you all the assistance you need to have an incredible internship experience!

Intern Support Staff

At your non-profit placement organization, you’ll work closely with a trained expert in the charity and NGO career field. This expert will be an incredible resource throughout your intern journey, adding depth to your experience by expanding your understanding of the social, human rights, and political challenges of NGOs’ operations in Africa.

Additionally, you will also have the supports of a Professional Development Coach and an Educational Trainer. You will have regular meetings with your Professional Development Coach, who will work with you to ensure you meet your professional and personal goals in your internship and beyond. Your Educational Trainer will be an invaluable resource for helping you communicate any intern research you conduct into reports that’ll support your placement organization’s goals long after you complete your internship.

Our non-profit internships are an exciting opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in the international development sector. You won’t be fetching coffee or making photocopies when you join one of these internships. Instead, we’ll take you into the heart of operations of award-winning NGOs in Africa, where you’ll do incredible work for local communities each day.

These internships are customizable to your strengths, skills, and interests. Within your placement organization’s main goals, there will be plenty of opportunities to focus on what interests you most. Here are a few of the exciting tasks and projects you could participate in as an NGO intern.

Community Engagement

For a non-profit to truly make sustainable impacts on a community, developing and maintaining strong relationships with locals is essential. As a non-profit intern, one of your main focuses will be leading community engagement campaigns to support these goals! Here you’ll participate in exciting tasks like running community workshops, having meaningful conversations with locals, and spending time in your community to develop a deeper understanding of the issues they are facing.

NGO Management, Administration and Marketing

When you aren’t participating in community engagement, a large part of your internship responsibilities will be assisting in the day-to-day functions of your placement organization. Here, there will be unique opportunities to gain invaluable exposure to the behind-the-scenes management of the incredible non-profits working in Africa. Projects here are highly customizable and can consist of running marketing campaigns, managing donations, and conducting research to measure impact!

Why African Impact?

African Impact is a world leader in offering incredible, high-impact volunteer and intern abroad experiences. As an African-based company, running impact-driven internships in Africa is in our blood. Our internships provide interns with the perfect blend of adventure and practical work experience in their area of interest.

Operating in some of Africa’s most stunning destinations, from the Greater Kruger Area to Zanzibar, joining an NGO internship is the adventure of a lifetime. During your time off from working, you’ll have opportunities to participate in exciting activities with fellow African Impact volunteers and interns in the area!

Further, you’ll be able to connect and form deep relationships with people in your placement community, where life-changing cultural exchanges can take place. Combining this with all the invaluable career experience you’ll gain during your internship, joining us is the ultimate international intern adventure.

Is it safe to intern for an NGO in Africa?

Absolutely!

As an African-based company, we live and breathe incredible internships in Africa. We take our interns’ safety and comfort throughout their internship seriously. We carefully design each of our internships to ensure everyone is safe at their placements.

To learn more about our safety protocols, please visit our Safety Tips. If you have any additional questions, we would be glad to answer them! You can contact us with any further questions that you may have.