Best South Africa Wildlife Conservation Volunteer Program

I stayed at Rusermi River Lodge in Balule Reserve in South Africa. I had an amazing trip, met some great people from around the world. The manager and guides were all experts and taught us so much about the local wildlife, tracking, birds, local ecology and culture. Highly recommended!!

Life is made of moments. And this moment lasted two weeks. Two weeks during which I forgot to breathe. I was too focused listening to the sound of nature, to the alarm of a baboon, to lions roars, to elephants trumpets, to hyenas, to birds songs and my friends laughs to jokes that I cannot repeat here. I was too focused filling my eyes with beauty, a beauty I have never seen before. The savanna and the Olifant river. I was too focused paying attention to our guide’s instruction on how to move, how to not make a sound, how to freeze if we would have encountered danger, how to read animal tracks on the beautiful red soil we were walking on. How to check for the wind direction in order for the animals not to spot us. Learning that if there are hyenas there is probably a leopard somewhere as they follow him. That if there are lions there are no hyenas. That if an elephant is sweating is probably stressed by our presence. That you should never look a leopard in the eyes, while you should never turn your back on a lion. Sometimes it feels like I am still there: I close my eyes and I am sitting in the dark with my friends and we are quite, so quite that breathing sounds noisy. We were focused on waiting for the lions to come pass in front of us. In those moments we were just one, deeply connected by the excitement of what could have happened from a moment to another. Asking Africa for a sign. And let me tell you, Africa would always take the call. Rusermi is not just a place, it’s a home built with love. The owners put their heart into every detail and make you feel like part of the family from day one. And the guides are simply amazing. They don’t just teach you about the bush, they share their passion in a way that makes you feel safe, curious, and completely connected to nature. It was the most incredible experience I had in my entire life and will definitely go back! Thank you Rusermi

I had an amazing experience booking this project via IVHQ. From start to finish they guide you with excellent help. I had an amazing time during my volunteering project, where I learned a lot, met a lot of amazing people and made even more amazing memories. Stop doubting and go on an adventure!

This company welcomes mature volunteers when it suits there needs. I was told that my life experience would be an asset to the South Africa Kruger Program. I sent several emails asking questions about my ability to contribute without hindering the program due to a medical concern. They 100% assured me that I would be fine. I registered and paid my $500 fee in July 2022 for June 2023, then had to change my date to September 2023. I had to consult a travel doctor about the risk I was taking to go to South Africa because I was taking particular medication for a chronic condition. I was advised to not go ahead with the volunteer work overseas because of legality of my medication being regarded as a drug that if detected would result in a criminal offence and jail. I submitted all medical paperwork with a detailed facts and asked that IVHQ exercise there discretion. I was told that I should have read there refund policy in regard to registration fees. For me it’s not about the money, I want younger travellers to know that this company keeps your registration fee and basically forces you to do a volunteer program with them regardless of your circumstances.

It was absolutely amazing the amount of information and guidance you were given before starting your trip. It was super easy to book it with IVHQ and will definitely be recommending. I really feel it has boosted my confidence and opened my eyes to different cultures and enabled me to help the beautiful environment and wildlife of South Africa. Definitely do it, it is such an amazing opportunity to meet people and learn so much along the way.

I enjoyed being immersed in the bush in the Kruger area in South Africa, doing game drives and bird counts. It’s a good opportunity to have a different experience and feel like you can contribute to a cause.

When we saw lions haunting a juvenile zebra right in front of our eyes was just incredible! The volunteer experience had a great impact on my personal development. It made me think about my future path and strongly influenced my priorities and way of life. Do not overthink it, just do it!

The best moment of the program was when we saw the lions right before leaving, still in bikinis because we just went out of the pool. I loved to learn and understand a lot about wild animals. It might be scary but you feel quickly safe and welcomed and don’t want to come home. Go for it!

My program manager was very helpful and always available if I needed any answers. The local team was knowledgeable, helpful and friendly, very easy to approach if needed. I have learned so much and met so many lovely people during my time and will treasure these memories. I love meeting so many people from around the world and learning so much about the animals and the environment. Learning about the danger wild animals are in and the impact the environment has on them was very impactful. Go with an open mind, work hard to achieve your goals and you will have the best experience of your life and meet so many lovely people.

The local team did very well supporting us and listening to our needs. The local coordinators were great to be around! The accommodation was pretty good considering how remote and out in the bush it really was. Cleanliness was shared responsibility which some volunteers didn't take seriously, so the nature of that is what it is. The local team did their best making sure everyone contributed equally. Meals were pretty typical meals that volunteers took turns preparing. Depending on the group I felt they were well prepared for the most part. There was always enough food to eat at camp and the local team did a very good job ensuring we were stocked up weekly. I Seeing the wildlife in its natural habitat was a surreal experience that I absolutely will never forget. Seeing this part of the world gave me new perspective on Africa, African wildlife, and how much work really goes into preserving this natural habitat. You can only grow by putting yourself in a place where you are out of your comfort zone! Putting yourself in these programs really gives you an unmatched perspective that you can only get by visiting the local population. Both trips I've done with IVHQ so far have been overall incredible and positive experiences.

The local team staff of IVHQ at the reserve in Kruger, South Africa were absolutely the best. The incredible wildlife moments was favorite part of the trip and I love helping the managing of the nature reserve.

I arrived with no expectations. That made for a enjoyable and rewarding experience. As an older volunteer I was hoping to be readily accepted by the younger volunteers and staff. I was made to feel at home and an intricate part of the experience. It was rewarding to watch the young work through challenge both physical and emotional. I was able to experience some pretty remarkable moments while talking and interacting with the other volunteers. After my volunteer experience, I just want to continue to be open to adventure. Because of this experience I’ve made a decision to not allow fear to be part of my decision making process. And to live life before the next phone call changes it.

Amazing service and support form IVHQ. As a solo female traveler, I felt extremely prepared and safe and had contact details of people both at home and at my final destination. The local team was very welcoming and shared a lot of knowledge and experiences with the group which meant we could truly understand what it is like to live and work in the bush. The trip provided me with so much more than I was expecting. I contributed to wildlife conservation and developed skills relevant to a future career in that field. I witnessed wild animals grazing, hunting, feeding, and grooming firsthand, creating a feeling that is incomparable to anything else I have felt and comes unmatched to seeing animals in captivity. I went through a process of self-discovery, developing my self-confidence as a person. The experience of living and working with people from all around the world who start off as complete strangers is amazing and opens your eyes up to new cultures and ways of living. It was such a refreshing and rewarding trip! I fell in love with the camp as soon as we drove in on that first day. Its remote location allows you to immerse yourself in the wildlife, with lions, baboons, cheetahs, and elephants passing right by the camp. I will forever miss going down to the garden wall to watch the hippos in the early hours of the morning and the cheeky monkeys that play all over the camp constantly waiting for an opportunity to steal food. I enjoyed cooking for the camp and alternating so that each group had the opportunity to cook. This definitely helped me with my cooking skills as some volunteers were more experienced than others and we could learn meal ideas from each other. You should know that it is normal to feel overwhelmed and scared by the idea of volunteering abroad, but to know that you are traveling solo, but you will not be alone. It is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience where you can safely discover new countries and cultures, expand your knowledge, learn skills, meet new people and make friends whilst making an incredible contribution to wildlife conservation.

I really enjoyed being in the bush 24/7 with great volunteers and an amazing local team. I've completely confirmed my love for animal conservation and the bush. I appreciate the experience is different for everyone however I can guarantee you would regret not volunteering abroad a lot more than you would regret doing it.