Volunteer Programs in Hoedspruit, South Africa

During your stay, you'll enjoy unbeatable riding experiences and learn about South Africa’s wildlife in the bush. This program offers a taste of local life and unforgettable memories. You'll participate in trail rides alongside giraffes, zebras, and many different antelope, improve your riding through jumping and flatwork lessons, and gain skills in yard management, first aid, schooling, and natural horsemanship. You'll also experience incredible wildlife sightings during game drives, seeking elephants, rhinos, and big cats. Hosted by Traci Thomson, an accomplished rider and conservationist, and her team, you'll enjoy a fun-filled, enriching adventure, making lifelong friends and memories while exploring the best of South Africa. All riding abilities accepted.

Save animals' lives at one of Africa's largest and longest-serving rehabilitation centres! Spend your days nursing injured, poisoned, and orphaned wildlife back to health, while supporting the conservation of these species' futures and learning about every aspect of animal rehabilitation. Gain hands-on experience working with a huge variety of Africa's iconic wildlife! From preparing food for cheetahs, monitoring life-saving operations on a leopard, to bottle-feeding orphaned bush babies. You will learn all about the conservation efforts, biology, ecology, and behaviour of the fantastic species at Moholoholo from a team of experienced project staff. Your role as a volunteer is crucial in ensuring the successful rehabilitation and eventual release of animals back into their natural habitats. For those unable to return to the wild, you'll help provide a lifetime of care and comfort within the sanctuary. Other passionate volunteers will surround you at this busy project, so you’ll make lifelong friends while being in the middle of the picturesque African bush. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help conserve African wildlife from large carnivores to birds of prey!

Become a part of the day-to-day life at the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC). HESC offers the opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the Centre's work. Wildlife Conservation Experience (WCE) is a 21-day program divided into 3 main sections: conservation, participation, and sightseeing. Conservation: The program focuses largely on conservation, wherein students acquire in-depth knowledge through several activities. These include targeted informal lectures, external courses from professional organizations, and physical work at the Centre. Participation: WCE participants get involved in the everyday care of many animal species at the Centre – cleaning, feeding, and assisting with or observing any veterinary activities occurring during their stay. They gain specific and personal knowledge of HESC's animals and operations/work. Sightseeing: The program enables participants to put theory into practice through direct observation in the wild or at other Centres specializing in research and conservation in areas different from HESC.

100% of your payment goes to this charity! This exceptional experience provides volunteers with the unique opportunity of teaching children to protect the environment and to care for rescued wild animals. You will inspire a generation of local children to become passionate about wildlife conservation. Please note that the animals are unfortunately kept in captivity only because they are not able to return to the wild. Volunteering with us isn’t just about working. You’ll also learn about the local customs and beliefs, language, and traditional food. Our staff will teach you about the secrets of the Sepedi culture while cooking delicious food or dancing around a bonfire! Plus, you’ll have the chance to explore more of South Africa through half-day and full-day trips. This volunteer program is an incredible learning experience for participants of all ages and backgrounds. It runs from mid-January to mid-December every year, with start and end dates on Saturdays. You can stay with us from 1 to 12 weeks, depending on your availability.

Since 2016, we’ve been supporting the most vulnerable children, many from broken families, by providing three meals a day and sensory-based play learning. In 2025, we care for 62 children (from a few months old to 5/6 years old) who benefit from this essential early education. As a volunteer, you’ll assist with classroom tasks, create play-based learning activities, and support developmental learning. You’ll have the chance to learn directly from our team while contributing to the children’s growth in a meaningful way. On some days, you’ll also accompany the Rise Creche Coordinator on outreach visits to other preschools we support. Stay on-site at Shik Shack Backpackers Gain hands-on teaching and childcare experience Make a real impact in a local community Our Core Programs: Green Kidz – Environmental Education - 11 local schools Social Enterprise – Supporting small businesses Agro-Ecology – Sustainable farming techniques suited to African conditions Rise Crèches – Early Childhood Development Eco Village – Recycling and community outreach Weekends? Explore South Africa! (Optional tours available) Apply today & join us to make a lasting impact!

Join us for a unique volunteer experience where you'll work with horses, engage with local wildlife, and support the community through after-school programs, helping children with homework and meals. Located just 30 minutes outside Hoedspruit, Thandolwami Bushlodge spans 70 hectares of wild savanna, home to giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, elands, ostriches, nyalas, impalas, jackals, duykers, and sables. Our nine well-trained horses roam freely among the animals and are cared for in stables where volunteers help feed and tack them for outrides. Bambelela Horse Safaris offers immersive Volunteer Horse Safari experiences with a minimum commitment of two weeks. We welcome volunteers aged 18 and older, with group sizes limited to 4–5 people for a more personal experience. Riders must be at least intermediate level, as we do not accept beginners or novices. A weight limit of 80 kg applies.