African Impact Logo
African Impact Logo
Enquire Now

SPORTS COACHING AND DEVELOPMENT

Quick Facts

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town International Airport

Every Second Monday

10 days - 12 weeks

Impact: Sports Development

from $1,495 – $4,695
Apply Now

SPORTS COACHING AND DEVELOPMENT

Provide much-needed sports coaching to children in Cape Town’s townships. Physical education brings many health benefits and helps kids develop important teamwork and communication skills, but sports opportunities are limited so requires a lot of creativity and enthusiasm. As a volunteer, you’ll help teach physical education sessions and coach children in various sports. 

Winner of the Outstanding Volunteer Project Award in the Global Youth Travel Awards 2014.

Read about a previous volunteer’s trip to Cape Town to do our Sports Coaching program and how it can change lives.

Project Highlights

Giving Impact logo
Assist coaches in teaching physical education sessions at schools in Khayelitsha and Langa, township areas of Cape Town
Giving Impact logo
Help design sports classes at schools, which can include new games, fitness tests, and competitions
sport logo
Teach sports at aftercare programs, where you can organize fun games, set up obstacle courses, and coach sports such as football and hockey
Award Top
Bring fresh ideas and motivation to disadvantaged children through physical activity
Accommodation Office logo
Live and work in one of the most beautiful cities in the world

The Destination

sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town
sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town
sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town
sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town

Cape Town is officially one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Framed between oceans and mountains, it’s surrounded by incredible natural beauty, with Table Mountain, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, an absolute highlight. Cape Town is also a place of huge diversity, lively cultures, and a vibrant nightlife. Living here is dynamic and interesting, and weekends will give you a huge variety of exciting activities.

You can, for instance, venture to the top of Table Mountain, go paragliding, take to the ocean by kayak, hang out on some of the many beaches, sip wine at stunning vineyards, head out on safari, enjoy some Africa’s finest restaurants and even take to the skies on a helicopter flight over the city. For those more interested in exploring South Africa’s culture, how about visiting the historic Robben Island, or taking a free walking tour through the city to learn about Apartheid?

Volunteers live in a shared volunteer and intern house in Muizenberg, just 3 minutes away from one of the most popular beaches in Cape Town’s South Peninsula. Aside from being one of the best surfing beaches around (ready to get suited up?), it’s an area filled with vibey bars, cafes, and amazing restaurants. Our team of international and local staff members live and work with you, so expect to see and do more than most tourists could ever dream of.
Breakfast is on your help yourself basis, lunch and dinner are prepared (week days only) for you by a chef from the local community.
At the lodge there is free WiFi to enable you to make contact with home through WhatsApp, Zoom etc. It is also easy to purchase a sim and add data credit to allow you to use your own phone to stay in touch.
Cape Town has a Mediterranean-style climate: wet and cool winters, dry and warm summers. The annual average temperature in Cape Town is a delightful 17 degrees celsius. During the months of March, April, May, October, November, and December you are most likely to experience good weather with average temperatures that fall between 20 degrees Celsius (68°F) and 25 degrees Celsius (77°F). The months of June, July, and August have a high chance of rain. Cape Town has dry periods in January, February, November, and December. The warmest month is January with an average maximum temperature of 26°C (78°F). The coldest month is August with an average maximum temperature of 17°C (62°F).

Project Impact Areas

sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The current South African school curriculum does include Physical Education in their syllabus. However, the time and resources that are dedicated to this subject is limited. Physical activity in youths and adolescents increases concentration, and aids in the development of leadership, teamwork, and communication abilities. In order to contribute to this, you will work alongside a Physical Education couch to plan, design, and implement classes, drills, and tests.

sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town

SPORTS COACHING CLINIC

You will join VUSA Academy, a Sports Coaching Clinic, twice a week to teach rugby to a group of students. This will improve their fitness levels and foster an appreciation for rugby, one of the most lucrative sports in South Africa. These children will also receive academic tutoring and a meal before heading on home after a full day. This project has two aims. The first aim is to keep children safe and productively occupied in the hours after school when many of their caretakers are still at work. The second aim is to grow the individual confidence of each child, while adding to the bank of resources the Academy requires in order to function optimally.

sports-coaching-volunteer-cape-town

AFTER-SCHOOL CARE

After-school and sporting activities are fantastic at contributing to the development of each child in a productive and fun way. They improve essential skills like leadership and teamwork. These programs offer you the opportunity to teach and share your passion, be it ultimate frisbee, baseball, or American football, with kids, grannies, and fellow volunteers alike. There are also workshops that facilitate knowledge sharing where we have historically covered a range of subjects from nutrition to Kayleigh dancing.

Recent Reviews

“South Africa has been the best experience ever – African Impact has been life-changing! Sports volunteering was brilliant. The kids were a pleasure to coach and welcomed me with open arms. The coaches at the schools are doing a great job and I will miss them all greatly! I came to South Africa alone and was very nervous, but everyone did a fantastic job of making me feel this was my home. I’m leaving here feeling more than content and with a completely different outlook on life.”

Mollie Robbie, UK
Sports Coaching & Development, South Africa

“The ultimate experience to combine tourism with doing something meaningful, whilst learning immeasurably beneficial life skills and enjoying the exchanging of cultures and traditions not only between South Africa and your home culture but with every other culture you mix with during your time at African Impact.”

Christopher Duddy, Ireland
Sports Coaching & Development, South Africa

“I had a tremendous 2 weeks working with the sports coaching and development project; the access to meaningful projects within local communities was excellent. Would certainly consider repeating this!”

Simon Martin, United Kingdom
Sports Coaching & Development, South Africa

Frequently Asked Questions

Sports Coaching in Africa

Benefits of sports coaching and activities for kids in developing countries

There are many benefits of sports coaching for kids in developing countries. Physical education can bring many benefits for children and can develop teamwork and communication skills. Sport can also inspire enthusiasm and creativity.

Volunteer as a sports coach – how you can help

When you volunteer as a sports coach with African Impact in Cape Town, South Africa, you have many opportunities to help including assisting coaches in teaching physical education sessions at schools, designing sports classes, teaching sports and organizing games and activities, as well as motivating children to participate in sports and physical activity.

What are the benefits of volunteer sports coaching?

Physical education is so important for children. As a sports coaching volunteer, you can help children increase their concentration and develop leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. You can also inspire and encourage children to develop a passion for many different sports including rugby, football, and any other sport you wish to teach children. During this volunteer project in Cape Town, you can help lead and inspire children simply by teaching, playing, and coaching sports.

How to be a volunteer sports coach?

Being a volunteer coach in Cape Town, South Africa is really easy to do. During your volunteer project, you will work alongside a physical education coach in several different programs such as after-school care, sports coaching clinics, and physical education programs outside of school. Your tasks will include planning, designing, and implementing classes, drills, and tests while also teaching children how to play various sports and participate in fun physical activities. Volunteering as a sports coach may sound simple, but it can make a big impact on the lives of the local kids in South Africa.

Other Activities

You can hike up the magnificent Table Mountain or take the cable car to the top. Once you’ve soaked in the breath-taking view, you can choose to abseil your way down. Surfing lessons, shark cage diving and skydiving are also on many tourists’ “bucket lists”, and Cape Town’s mountain ranges make for great mountain-biking too.
Although the water may be just a little cold, Cape Town has plenty of beautiful beaches to visit, each with its own unique atmosphere. If you are keen to explore the waters, you can dive with the sharks or take a tour to Cape Point Peninsula where you will have a chance to swim with the penguins at Boulders Beach. Cape Town has something for everyone. If you’re not really a city slicker and prefer to discover what nature has to offer, you can experience an African Safari at Aquila Safari – a “Big 5” private game reserve with animals such as the springbok, lion, cape porcupine, olive baboon, leopard, and African elephant. The Cape Point at the tip of the Cape Peninsula lies within a nature reserve within the Table Mountain National Park which is a World Heritage Site. Cape Point is a nature enthusiast’s paradise with many buck, baboons, Cape Mountain Zebras, birds, and a variety of flora and fauna unique to the area.
Cape Town has many iconic sites that make for great photograph opportunities. Take a boat trip to Seal Island, visit the celebrated Robben Island, and of stand on top of the world-renowned Table Mountain, reaching it either by foot or cable car. A convenient and fun way to see more of what the city has to offer is to take the Hop-on, Hop-off City Tour bus. You will also have a chance to do some shopping and enjoy fine dining at the V&A Waterfront or at one of the many local food markets. The famous surfer’s town of Muizenberg, where the volunteer house is based, has a buzzing main street with coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as a beautiful beach just a few minutes away. The house is comfortable and a great social gathering place for volunteers and interns – there is always something on the go. It also provides a relaxing environment should you just wish to unwind with a good book or movie in the evenings.

Apply Now

Once you have submitted your application, a Destination Specialist will be in-touch to discuss the project with you.

Clear

Project Fee Includes

  • Accommodation throughout your entire stay at our African Impact volunteer home in Cape Town – a cozy, safe and lively house shared by our volunteers, interns and staff
  • 3 delicious meals a day cooked by chefs from the local community (weekdays only)
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off by the African Impact team
  • Experienced international and local staff members who live and work alongside you every day
  • A full induction, orientation and training session to ensure you can contribute sustainably
  • All necessary project equipment and resources you’ll need on the ground

Project Fee Excludes

  • Flights
  • Medical or travel insurance
  • Visa-related costs
  • Weekend trips or tours, or any other non-project activity
  • Snacks, soft drinks, gifts or souvenirs
  • Laundry
  • Mandatory contribution of US$25 that is donated to the African Impact Sustainability Fund
Apply Now
1