Hout Bay is a lovely little town on the Cape Peninsula, set between the breath-taking Tafelberg mountains and a quiet and clear Atlantic bay. There are only 3 roads for access so Hout Bay is a community of its own, while still easy to reach Cape Town. Here, the problems are smaller than in a large city and it’s easier to see the difference you make.
We currently offer two wonderful projects in Hout Bay.
Our children’s programme is situated next to a township and consists of two projects: in the morning, you support the care of pre-school children and, in the afternoon, you volunteer in an after-school project for kids between 9 - 15.
A wonderful cause to support is the Domestic Animal Shelter, which provides care for domestic animals. You might find it strange to take care of pets in Africa, yet these animals need care like any other creature and the feedback we receive from volunteers is always incredibly touching and rewarding.
Hout Bay is a great place for almost any outdoor sport. Surfing, hiking, cycling, horse riding and many more activities are readily available to you.
One of the absolute highlights of Hout Bay is the beachfront. Enjoy beach walks, popular beach restaurants and a harbour tour. You can visit the seal colony on Duiker Island by boat or take a bicycle up Chapmans Peak drive, one of South Africa’s most scenic drives, and have a picnic at one of the popular picnic spots.
Remember that you will be staying at the Volunteer House in Cape Town, at only 20 minutes away. As a Good Hope Studies volunteer, you can take part in the Good Hope Studies Social Club and meet up with international students from our language school. There are a few evening activities each week and full-day tours, plus overnight safaris and more every weekend.
If you are not a native English speaker, you can combine your volunteering experience with an English language course.
It is important that you can communicate well and understand instructions. This is not only important for your safety and those around you, but also important to make your volunteering experience a great one.
The minimum English requirements differ slightly from project to project (see project details), but usually a minimum of Upper-Intermediate [B2] is required.
If your level is not sufficient or you want to brush up your skills, attending a course before you start volunteering is a great option. This also allows you to get used to the country - its climate, food and other circumstances - before you start volunteering.
Some of our Hout Bay based volunteer projects are also suited to combine volunteering with a language course. You can stay at the same accommodation throughout your entire stay and continue to be in touch with the friends you made during your language course while you volunteer.
You can do the language course before you volunteer, or even while you are volunteering. To find out at which volunteer projects you can volunteer while doing a language course at the same time please contact us.
