Volunteer in South Africa, live in the bush and work with wildlife at a game reserve in the magical landscape of Limpopo.
| Minimum Duration: | 2 weeks |
| Cost: | From 725 Euro per week |
| Minimum Age: | 18 years |
Going on an African Safari is a standard bucket list item for most travellers. But do you want to go to a National Park with there are hundreds of other tourists clicking away trying to capture a picture of the same Leopard? Or do you want to experience a private game reserve with close encounters with wildlife and learn how conservation and research works?
Get stuck into this project and experience a different African Safari by volunteering at Siyafunda Wildlife & Conservation in Limpopo, South Africa.
This Wildlife Conservation project provides a unique and professional experience for volunteers in the African Bush and gives you the opportunity to observe and be a part of the research and monitoring teams on the reserve.
The focus of the Siyafunda project revolves around some of our key species; elephants, lions, hyenas and leopards. You will also be involved with monitoring our breeding initiatives comprising buffalo, Livingston eland and nyala. Habitat work also plays an important part of the monitoring process.
Activities
Monitoring forms the basis for the majority of our research assistance on this reserve. The project conducts monitoring drives in the mornings and afternoons to see the animals when they are most active. Time is also spent on foot to track the more elusive animals, which is an amazing way to experience the bush. Volunteer involvement is based around several key focus points;
- Elephant monitoring
- Lion monitoring
- Breeding of Buffalo, Eland and Nyala monitoring
- Hyena monitoring
- Leopard monitoring
- Small mammals surveys
- Birds and Raptor monitoring
- Habitat conservation
- Local community involvement
Other volunteers
This project is specifically selected to give you a unique and personal experience. Khaya believes in smaller projects with a limited number of volunteers to guarantee this uniqueness. Volunteer numbers therefore differ from 1-10 and as volunteers come and go numbers can differ. Most volunteers are from the UK, USA and Western Europe.
Accommodation
The Twines camp has no fence around it so you will see free roaming animals and birdlife during the day. They visit us in the garden and we regularly see the elephant herds coming to drink at the waterhole. The main building with the office has a large comfortable lounge with a book and movie library where volunteers can spend their free time reading field guides and other books or watching documentaries in the evening. We also have a volleyball court at the camp, or you can jump into the pool for a cool off!
The volunteer house accommodates a maximum of 10 volunteers in five cosy rooms which has two people shared sleeping arrangements. Each room has a washbasin and an en suite bathroom, which is shared with the adjoining room, consisting of a shower with hot running water provided by eco-friendly solar heaters and flushing toilets.
Next door is the kitchen with an outside eating area. The kitchen offers cooking facilities for volunteers to prepare their breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fridge is always filled up with fresh veggies and fruit, cheese and a variety of meat. Volunteers help themselves with tea, coffee, cereal and toast in the morning. For a late brunch you can do sandwiches or salads or have a tasty fry up. In the evening, after game drive, the volunteers cook a delicious meal together or just braai (South African BBQ) in our Boma, where we light up the fire after sunset.
In the evenings we spend most of the time under the South African stars and light up the fire in the boma. We sit around enjoying a well-earned drink and an amazing dinner, telling stories of the day’s adventures.
Meals
Cordial fruit drink, tea and coffee are provided. Soft drinks, alcoholic beverages (beers and ciders) and snacks like chocolate are not available in camp but you can buy them on the weekly town trips. All food for breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided, as well as fresh fruit. However, food is only re-stocked once a week so once it’s gone it’s gone! If you have any special dietary requirements, please inform us before your arrival so that we can accommodate them if possible.
Laundry
There are washing machines available for use at the camps, washing powder is supplied. Clothes are line-dried, no dryers available.
Daily transport
During your time on the Reserve, you will be under the supervision and instruction of a qualified Game Ranger, who has a vehicle. Trips to the store is made once a week.
What is included?
- Transfers for arrivals and departures on Mondays to/from Hoedspruit
- All food (except snacks, soft drinks and alcohol)
- Accommodation
- All linen (except towels)
- Monday to Friday housekeeping service
- All training for assistance with our research
- All travel within the reserve
- Assistance to organise travel in the local area
- An outing every two weeks to interesting local attractions outside of the reserve (entrance fees to be paid by volunteers)
What is excluded?
- Flights to South Africa
- Transfers to town Tuesday to Sunday if required
- Personal insurance
- Internet (small fee payable for access at camp)
- Towels
- Entrance fee to local attractions
- Other personal items such as alcoholic drinks, soft drinks or snacks.
Start dates
All collections and drop offs of volunteers are done on Mondays throughout the year so please arrange your travel to coincide with this. If you are unable to do so, please advise us promptly and alternative transport can be arranged for you at your own expense.
Hoedspruit, South Africa
The project is situated between the Drakensberg Mountains and the Kruger National Park in the heart of the Lowveld. The reserve in which it is located is dedicated to the protection of animal species at the risk of extinction.
