Volunteer Programs in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

I'm back and I had the best time ever!!!!! Sorry I'm replying so late and thank you for making this trip possible. I absolutely loved volunteering in South Africa.

I joined the Wildlife Conservation in South Africa, Port Elizabeth at 17 years old and had an amazing experience! The staff were all very helpful in settling you in and I met people from all over the world across different age groups and really bonded with everyone during my short stay there! Definitely something you can go do alone (like I did) or go with a friend!

I'm out here now and this is my first week and a half have been really good. Everyone's really nice and I'm really enjoying it. We've already been in Jeffrey's bay for surfing and soon, we'll do the safari!

Kate was so helpful. Everything was set out really simply and was flexible with timing. I did South Africa wildlife conservation and it was great. The highlight was seeing 4 of the big 5, and the incredible people I was with. At one point I was momentarily put in the wrong group during the activity, but I was quickly put in the correct group and got to meet even more people!

My daughter booked a weeks volunteering in South Africa for her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Oyster were fantastic throughout, providing all the information, ensuring we had everything completed and the experience was excellent. Thank you Kate and Georgie, highly recommend.

I had an amazing time in South Africa, made lots of friends from all over the world, and saw some incredible animals on game drives, as well as helping with tasks such as tree chopping, going to a local school, and planting trees. Kate was super helpful, and this made the trip go really smoothly, I would definitely recommend!

I LOVED my time in South Africa doing the conservation experience! I was unsure what to expect but this exceeded everything I was anticipating! The accommodation was good (but cold, bring warm clothes if weather doesn’t look good!), the other volunteers were really nice, staff were friendly and approachable, food was decent and activities were good as well, however not as hands on as I was expecting - generally wildlife monitoring in the park however I only went for one week and the activities vary week on week so my experience may not be a good representation of all the activities . I fed the big cats, did game drives, collected litter around the park/on the edges of the fence, went on a walking safari, and did quad-biking (however I had to pay for this last activity myself, would recommend!). I also advise to go for two weeks + as 1 week went by very quickly, especially as I went to Port Elizabeth on Friday. Accommodation in PE deffo needs some work but it is still sleepable and the hot showers were nice! Overall an amazing time!!! Best holiday of my life so far!!!

I just wanted to thank you Kate, and the organisation for, what by all accounts, has been such an amazing experience. It seems my son has made some great friendships, loved the staff and is thinking about next year already. Thank you for all of your support over these last few months, you made every step of the process seamless, were so responsive and professional and again I so appreciate everything.

I had a great time and an overall amazing trip. The people and staff have been amazing. The vets have also been extremely informative and friendly. This trip has definitely been eye-opening Overall I had a positive experience at the reserve itself and all time with the vet’s was very positives.

It’s absolutely fantastic here. The atmosphere is brilliant and everyone, from the staff to the other volunteers, has been so kind and welcoming. I’ve loved working with the kids and being a part of something positive. It’s been a rewarding and enriching experience so far, and I’m grateful to Oyster for making this opportunity possible.

My four weeks at the wildlife reserve were nothing short of amazing. I’ve felt truly happy here and have learned so much about animal care, conservation, and teamwork. I met so many kind and interesting people, and every day brought a new, exciting challenge. This experience has confirmed my passion for veterinary work. Thank you, Oyster!

I went to South Africa for a little over two weeks and in those two weeks I participated in two of Oyster Worldwide trips (one week per trip plus a couple days between flights for transport purposes) and I had an amazing time. The main reasons I went on this trip is for work experience however I also had my birthday during my time there and it was important to me that there would be no complications. I had a very kind and informative member of the admin team, her name is Kate, who helped my sister and I during the entire process, from the booking of flights, to the arrangements of mid-trip transport (my experience was unique due to taking part in two different excursions which were located in different areas of South Africa- Kate helped us arrange overnight accommodation due to flight times, transport to and from the airports and so much more when it came to moving from one excursion to the other). Kate also was extremely helpful when I had some technical difficulties when trying to access my personal oyster worldwide portal and she very efficiently got it sorted for me. This was my first time flying long haul as a young person and my first time flying without my parents and naturally I was nervous about the many things that are entailed in the planning of a trip like the one i was on, Kate made my experience a lot more comfortable and explained everything clearly and concisely and overall much more manageable process. I am so grateful to her for helping make my trip as magical as it was and it has definitely convinced me to user Oyster Worldwide again in the future.

The most memorable experience I had during my trip was being able top work hands on with the penguins! As much as I have loved them my entire life, I had no real idea how physically strong and resilient they are!!

Kate was brilliant as the 'go-between' sorting out any queries I had before my son set off on an amazing adventure - volunteering in South Africa for four weeks. Communications were prompt and very informative.

My son was 17 when we booked his trip to South Africa as part of his Gold Duke of Edinburgh award. I just wanted to let you know what an amazing time he had at the reserve. He loved everything about the trip, had some fantastic experiences and met some lovely people. Thank you so much for helping us along the way. You were able to put our minds at rest and answer our questions. I will definitely be recommending your company.

The Wildlife conservation experience was amazing thank you Oyster Worldwide, I loved every second and had the best experience ever, I wanted to say thank you for being able to help with everything and allowing me to do this.

It was all very well organised from the very beginning. All the staff were absolutely amazing, so lovely and welcoming. The highlight was seeing all the animals thriving in their natural habitat, and the knowledge and care the staff showed towards them.

First two weeks have gone really well, I’ve had the chance to not only coach sport but also teach and spend some time in childcare. Definitely starting to settle in a bit more now as it was a little difficult with the most of the other volunteers being a bit younger and Dutch but I think we get some more people joining next week. The volunteering itself and the programme is amazing, the kids are truly inspiring and I’m loving every second I get to spend with them!

Hi!! It’s amazing out here and everything went to smoothly regarding flights and pickup to get to the reserve! The staff are amazing and everyone gets on so well and life is very surreal right now! I am very happy and doing very well and excited for the 7 weeks ahead after having such an amazing first week!!

My First week was very good! I‘ve made so many experiences. That‘s incredible. It was great that we had some introduction days first and went to school the first time on Tuesday. It was shocking to see the townships and the life there, but although they seemed to be happy and that‘s wonderful! I love the project and the children are so cute! It’s Perfect that I can coach and teach. The first days were sometimes a hard because of my homesickness and because everything is new and I didn‘t know anybody here. But I know that in a few weeks it will feel more like home here!