Political Science Internships in Cape Town

I am grateful every day that I took a leap of faith and moved to Cape Town. My internship at the Legal Resources Centre has strengthened my commitment to using law as a tool to secure justice and create systemic change. It was a privilege to assist attorneys with case and policy research on issues such as refugee protections, LGBTQ rights, and public housing. I hope to carry forward not only the skills I gained, but also the ethos of advocating for society’s most vulnerable. Throughout my internship, I gained extensive experience in research and memo writing. Some of my favorite projects included analyzing Department of Home Affairs regulations on citizenship application requirements and conducting cross-country research on how courts interpret constitutional guarantees to the right to food. Seeing the real-world impact of these issues on people’s lives reaffirmed my desire to pursue work that meaningfully improves access to justice. VACorps did an excellent job facilitating an immersive experience—from managing day-to-day logistics to helping us build meaningful connections. Through the Culture Series, museum visits, and everyday conversations with locals, I gained valuable insight into a political and social landscape very different from my own, and one shaped by a recent democratic transition. There were no dull moments during my 11 weeks here. Each sunset, hike, beach outing, trivia night, and winery visit has made this an incredibly memorable experience—and has made saying goodbye all the more bittersweet.

I fell in love with this beautiful city, its landscapes, and its people. I decided to come here as a political science student because the history of this country fascinated me. This internship at a sustainable development NGO helped me gain a better understanding of it and nuanced my knowledge. It was my end-of-master's internship and my first professional experience in my field of activity. It helped me have a clearer vision of what I want to do, and I was involved in several projects regarding the Sustainable Development Goals. It was really interesting and worth it! I am going to miss Cape Town so much; I met incredible people here. I started yoga in Obz and discovered so many places thanks to all the VAC activities. This program exceeded my expectations, and I am so grateful for this beautiful opportunity and cannot wait to come back to Cape Town!

I am so grateful for my experience here in Cape Town and for the staff that facilitated my experience (special shout-out to Kholi and Kus for helping Cape Town feel like a home away from home!) I gained an enormous amount of experience in policy research that I believe will be invaluable and gave me insight into my future career path. I learned a lot from my supervisor as a person and as a mentor. This has been an absolutely transformative experience, from exploring the city to my internship. I would advise newcomers to take full advantage of the city through VACorps activities but also through independent initiatives.

What an incredible experience this has been... I can't believe it's at the end. There has been so much to do and so many people I've made life long friendships with that Cape Town has become like a second home to me and I will be back to visit. I chose Cape Town for an internship because I was studying Political Science/Sociology and what a perfect place to learn about democracy than in a place where everyone is still learning what that looks like and how it functions. My internship experience has been incredible, having the chance to meet so many people in government and parliament, and learn firsthand what it takes and what is expected from people holding these offices has taught me more about where I want to go and what I want to do when I get home. I now have a much clearer understanding for post graduate studies because of the willingness of so many people to help think-tank some ideas and throw some new ones at me that I never even considered. I've been here now 3 months, and though I am happy to go home I will miss everyone my hiking and running group, my work colleagues, my house family and my VAC family, everyone who has been actively involved in making this experience so wonderful just by being who they are.

I chose Cape Town as a place to intern abroad because I have always been eager to go to Africa and I felt that Cape Town would be a perfect fit for me. I decided to do an internship because after graduating University and working for two years I wanted to travel more but also get some experience in my field of interest, so I thought interning abroad would be a good option. Observatory was a great neighbourhood to live in, with everything you need pretty much within walking distance. I was placed in a 6-week human rights internship program with Kelly Stone, an independent policy researcher and human rights lawyer. Kelly was an awesome supervisor and it was a pleasure to work with her. I would suggest my internship site to anyone interested in the field of human rights. The internship itself was super rewarding and gave me a lot of insight into things like South African law and policing in South Africa. My internship gave me the opportunity to work independently, as well as part of a team and I feel like it was a perfect balance for me. A couple of things I loved the most about interning in Cape Town was the people that I met through VAC and the friendships I have made. I loved being able to explore Cape Town on my days off, whether it was alone or with a friend. The weather was also fairly warm during my stay here, which definitely didn't hurt. Also, the weekly activities were a great addition to the program as they were a great opportunity to go and meet other VAC interns and explore South Africa. I am grateful for the support and guidance I received here by the VAC staff and my internship supervisor. They were always responsive and willing to answer any questions I had. I would definitely advise people to come do an internship through VAC.

I began looking for an internship because of my future career path with the State Department which requires abroad experience. This internship specifically was preferable because it provided the closest experience to the government and I also hope to work in South Africa some day. Coming to such a beautiful city was unintentional but it added such a new level of adventure to my experience. The constant accompaniment of mountains on my daily commute is a beauty I will never forget and something that I am sure to return to. Being able to visit parliament and have a personal relationship with parliamentary members is an experience unlike anything else I have ever experienced and a unique experience to this area. I was able to truly experience politics, not just study them, and I learned that this is truly the career that captures my interest. I feel as though I spent almost every day at Rust (this was, in fact, written there). It became a second home to me during my stay and the employees there became some of my best friends. My stay here has been for 10 weeks. I wouldn't recommend anything less than 8 weeks. It took me a lot longer than I anticipated to adjust. Although after the first month, I stopped noticing the differences between South Africa and America and began to love most of the aspects about being here. What was originally shocking, protecting myself from crime and taking questionable public transport, became my norm. Now that I have a better understanding of South Africa and its personality, I don't want to leave. VACorps did provide some really awesome weekly activities. The activities gave that sense of adventure which is difficult to do on one's own without an extensive knowledge of the area. My only pieces of advice are to leave extra room in your suitcase (don't bring things you can buy here), to talk with locals as much as possible, and try to have at least one experience that is uniquely yours. Making friends with other interns here is so much fun and extremely helpful but you can here alone (most possibly). Make the experience yours with memories you know that only you will have.

Dear VAC, Where should I start? I had set out on a journey two years back exploring and integrating different kinds of global experiences as asked by my university. Starting from war zones to premiere business hubs, I had gained a taste of it all. However, Cape Town swept me off my feet. Starting from alluring wine yards, fantastic weather and bewildering hikes to a nuanced analysis of this young yet progressive nation at the Parliament, was an experience of a lifetime. VAC by its simple nature seems way too humble for the astounding network of placement sites it has in South Africa. They connected me to an internship site that was a one-stop shop to learn everything about South African Legislation and Policy-making in a short period. I got to sit with the MPs in the coveted Sub-Committee Level Meetings which are the engine of Policymaking for South Africa. With each meeting attended you get to publish a report in a simplified yet Parliamentary manner such that it is understandable to civilians of South Africa. You help in opening a window of transparency straight from the Parliament to the society. Besides, my site also has research projects going on at all the times where you can contribute and learn new tools of analysis. Besides, the weekly activities provided by VAC gives an opportunity explore the amazing place that Cape Town is. Despite the fact that I stayed in Cape Town for nearly 12 weeks, I know I have not exhausted the things I could do there. Also, being the social butterfly that I am, I got to interact with people coming from all the parts of the world who were a part of the VAC family like I was. In many occasions, the VAC staff went out of its way to help in times of need starting from waiting at the airport in the middle of the night since one of connecting flights was delayed in Johannesburg. They are friendly and warm people who make sure that you don't feel homesick at all. Cape Town is serene yet vibrant. It has something for everyone. All you need to do is submit to it and enjoy your time there while learning at each moment. Cheers!