Volunteer in Africa 

Picture Africa. You’ve probably pulled up images of sun-baked deserts, grassy plains and large animals lounging in pools of sun. Yes, volunteer work in Africa offers you ample opportunity to experience all of this, but in reality, there’s so much more to the African continent. 

When you join a volunteer program in Africa you could see firsthand how rainforests creep out in every direction on the islands of Seychelles, where the year-round rainfall is high. You could assist in safeguarding endangered and critically endangered lemur species on the tropical island of Nosy Be in Madagascar. Or travel to a private game reserve in South Africa, home to lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Here you’ll work alongside an international research team and contribute to critical wildlife conservation work.

All of GVI’s volunteer programs are closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Our programs focus on creating positive change through a variety of locally-led initiatives, including conservation and environmental sustainability, community development and education. We work in collaboration with a number of partner organisations, local communities and non-government organisations (NGOs) on the ground, including:

• Madagascar National Parks.
• Karongwe Game Reserve Association, Rhino Revolution, EarthRanger, Kruger2Canyons Biosphere and Wildlife Protection Solutions in South Africa.
• Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA), Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) and Coral Watch.

Participants in our Limpopo wildlife volunteer programs have the opportunity to support community development initiatives alongside conservation efforts. Through GVI’s partnerships with local schools and education centres, participants contribute to educational projects, encouraging community engagement and connecting people with wildlife.

We offer sustainable and ethical volunteer opportunities in Africa with a focus on:

• Marine conservation
• Wildlife conservation
• Endangered species conservation
• Climate change
• Volunteering with animals
• Citizen science

In addition to our Planet-focused programs, you can also contribute to community-focused volunteer programs in Ghana, Madagascar,  Tanzania or South Africa. Here, you can contribute towards achieving the UN SDGs by participating in programs focused on:

• Women’s empowerment
• Gender equality
• Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion
• Teaching
• Public health
• Sports
• Construction
• Early childhood development
• Business and micro-enterprise

In Ghana we work with various stakeholders, such as governmental bodies, community-based organisations, schools, and groups that focus on the empowerment of women and girls. We also support ChildSafe, a global child protection initiative.

GVI’s volunteer programs in Africa are community-led. This means that volunteers work in collaboration with the local community on projects identified by the community as important. By supporting on-the-ground partner organisations, GVI’s volunteer programs focus on addressing global issues in a sustainable way. 

As a continent, Africa has the second largest population in the world. In spite of that, many African countries have a history of making their resources go further. Volunteer work in Africa will see you working in partnership with local communities and learning from them. This is an opportunity to find out about Africa from those who live there, and experience the wide variety of countries and cultures that make up the African population.