Your Pre-Departure Pack: Everything You Need Before You Go
South Africa Coach & Teach
Coach sport and teach English in local communities.
Visa
UK Citizens
The entry requirements for South Africa can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-africa/entry-requirements.
Currently, UK citizens can travel to South Africa and stay up to 90-days visa free. It is your responsibility to check the travel advice and entry requirements prior to travel.
DBS
Before arriving in South Africa, you will need to have completed an Enhanced DBS Check. This is a requirement for all of our programmes. You can book your Enhanced DBS via your Portal. Once you have paid, the team will be in touch in around 1-3 working days with all the next steps information. You will need to submit some documents in order to get this processed so when you receive the email please respond promptly. Once processed, you’ll receive a hard copy of your DBS in the post. Please upload a clear picture of this to your portal.
Please note that a DBS check can take up to 12 weeks to process so we advise getting this submitted as soon as you have secured your place.
Flights
Arrival
Your journey starts in Port Elizabeth. Fly into Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ), where you’ll be met by the local team and transferred to your accommodation. From here, everything is organised. You’ll meet the rest of the group, settle in, and get ready to start your placement together.
Departure
Your experience will finish in Port Elizabeth. You’ll depart from Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ), with your return transfer arranged from your accommodation on your final day. From start to finish, everything is taken care of - so you can focus on the experience, not the logistics.
Important
Please note all flight information must be uploaded at least 8 weeks before your arrival or you will not receive airport pickup.
Insurance
You must have travel insurance to join a FurtherTravel trip. You can request a quote with our insurance partner here. Please upload a photo/screenshot of your insurance confirmation (showing name, dates, policy number etc.) to your Portal.
Vaccinations
Port Elizabeth is a malaria-free zone.
Important - Please note that here at FurtherTravel we are not medical professionals so we can't provide any advice on vaccinations. We recommend you check with your GP.
Emergency numbers
In-Country Emergency Numbers
Police: 10111
Ambulance: 10177
Int Dialling Code: +27
In case of emergency
In case of emergency, please contact your local guide (number in Whatsapp group chat).
In the unlikely event that you encounter any issues with or any aspect of your tour, (like accomodation or activities etc) please reach out to your local guide first. If your local guide is unable to resolve your issue to your satisfaction, please contact our in-country manager who will be happy to assist you further.
UTS Coordinator (emergencies): +27 (0) 79 646 3207
UTS Team: +27 (0) 41 364 0572
UK Office
For assistance from another team member, feel free to reach out to our UK office (Monday to Friday, 10am–6pm): +44 (0)161 222 3780
Itinerary
From day to night, your itinerary’s packed with unforgettable moments. Here’s the lowdown.
Accommodation
Overview
United Through Sport HQ
You will be staying in shared rooms with your fellow volunteers. Room sizes vary and are split by gender.
Your accommodation will have the following facilities: bunk bed, shared shower & toilet facilities, locker/storage. On site, there’s also a shared lounge space with TV, a kitchen/dining area, games room (with pool, table tennis, darts) and a swimming pool. Free wifi is available.
All rooms are allocated on arrival for Camp, so if you wish to ensure you share a room with somebody in particular just let our guides know and they will ensure they try their best to facilitate your request.
Important Accomodation Notes-
All of our accommodation is pre-booked for every participant, however due to standard expectations, booking numbers, and delivery of service these may change. However if these do change we will ensure to provide the same standard of accommodation for your trip and provide as much notice as possible.
Loadshedding
South Africa is currently subject to loadshedding, a process implemented by the South African Government in order to protect the National Energy Grid. Loadshedding is a temporary cut off/redirection of the energy supply in order to protect against a full blackout/shutdown.
You can download the 'ESP' app which will use your live location to provide you with the weekly days/times that the power will be cut off in our area. During these periods (usually 2 hours at a time), there will be no electricity across the volunteer accommodation. There are still LED lights at this time, but it is a good idea to ensure your devices are charged before loadshedding begins. We also recommend bringing a torch and power bank. In case of an emergency, the office building does have limited access to electricity during these periods.
*Please note accommodation is subject to change dependant on availability.
More Information
Dress Code
In Schools
There is no strict dress code. We just ask that as a visitor in a foreign country, you respect the local culture.
Elsewhere
Whilst out and about at the beach and on your other activities you will be able to wear swimsuits and strappy shoes such as flip flops and sandals. You will also be able to wear your standard summer clothes such as skirts, dresses and shorter shorts etc. If you want some fashion advice you can always chat to the Camp Team x
Packing List
- Sunglasses/Hat/Sun cream
- Insect repellents/ Mosquito spray and antihistamines
- Reusable water bottle
- Towel
- Travel adaptor (see photo of the plug type below)
- Extension cord to charge multiple appliances
- Torch
- Power bank (see loadshedding above)
- Small medical kit, including rehydration sachets
- Light & comfy wear for activities on hot days
- Waterproof phone case
- Camera
- Padlock for bag and personal belongings
- An unlocked phone, should you want to get a local sim
- Scanned & printed copy of your passport (in case you lose it)
- Trainers, flip flops/sliders
- Swimwear
- A few evening outfits for nights/meals out
- Small backpack for during the day
- Light rain jacket
- Hoodie or warm clothing (it can get cold at night)
- Earplugs for sleeping if needed
- Deck of cards/games
Sustainability
We are committed to planting a fruit tree for every booking we receive, which will offset up to 1 ton of carbon over the lifetime of the tree. Each tree planted not only helps offset the carbon impact of your trip but also provides food, education, shelter, and income for those less fortunate in the developing world. Once you’ve donated and made the world a little more green, you will receive an electronic certificate outlining the impact you have made!
More Information
United Through Sport
As Camp volunteers, you will be hosted by our incredible local partner, United Through Sport. We have been working with UTS for many years, operating volunteer programmes in the disadvantaged communities of the Nelson Mandela Bay. You will join with fellow Sports Coaching and Teaching volunteers from around the world, to help provide the biggest impact possible by gaining firsthand experience of working embedded within the local community. Camp offers full pre-departure support and on arrival in South Africa you will be supported by the UTS team, which includes some former Camp volunteers who now work as local coordinators!
There are a range of different sports you can get involved with including rugby, football, tennis, cricket, netball, hockey, swimming, boxing and more! As well as teaching English in the schools, there are also opportunities to volunteer in childcare/nursery programmes with children aged from 1-5. Don't worry you don't just need to pick one, you can help teach any programme you like!
Safety
Port Elizabeth is South Africa’s fifth largest city and is known locally as ‘The Friendly City’, because of the warmth of its people and its relatively low crime rate. The majority of safety related issues can be avoided to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. When volunteering in the schools, you will alway be accompanied by a local coordinator. While at the accommodation, the permanent in-country staff are resident in the same accommodation and are on call 24hrs a day in case of an emergency. The accommodation is secure and rooms are lockable. Here are some top tips to keep yourself safe:
-Use Uber. This is the safest way to get around and it's relatively cheap too.
-Travel in pairs or groups. You'll become one big family so you're unlikely to be alone when travelling anyway.
-Don't flash the cash (or valuables). We recommend taking a travel card such as Monzo or Revolut and just keep your phone, camera etc. away when you're not using it.
You'll be given an induction when you arrive and the team will advise on local tips and tricks. We've never had any serious safety issues but if you have any questions, there will always be someone on hand to help.
FAQs
How much free time do I have?
You’ll be coaching/teaching in the schools from Monday-Friday. The day usually starts around 8am and finishes around 2pm.
What activities are included?
This depends on how long you choose to stay. At least one excursion is included (usually more). This will be a trip to Jeffreys Bay, the surf capital of South Africa, with transfers and accommodation included.
What kinds of extra activities are available on this tour? *
- Bloukrans Bungee (the highest bridge bungee in the world)
- Skydiving
- Shark Cage Diving
- Safari & Game Reserve Drives
- Canoeing Trips
- Waterfall Visits
- Boat and Snorkelling Trips
*All additional activities come at an additional cost
How much money should I bring?
This can really vary depending on how much you go out for food/drinks and any additional excursions you book.
How do I speak to the group before departure?
We’ll add you into a Whatsapp group around 3-4 weeks before your departure so you can start chatting and getting to know everyone you’ll be traveling with. Before then you can join our Facebook group.
Is there Wifi?
Although we aim to provide a good level of WIFI for the duration of your trip please be aware this may only be in communal areas and may lose productivity or signal due to the amount of applicants using this and South Africa’s unpredictable nature.
Out in South Africa WIFI is normally available in restaurants, cafes and hotel communal areas, but if you wish to have access to the internet throughout your whole trip wherever you go we advise on getting a local sim card on arrival. These can be purchased on arrival after you clear through immigration, in order for your phone to be compatible you must make sure this is unlocked for any network. For a month’s worth of unlimited internet this will be around £20-£30 depending on which local network you use. If you want some advice the guides will always be able to give you a helping hand.
What type of bag should I bring?
Either a large backpack or suitcase is great but we usually find backpacks are a bit easier to carry around We would recommend trying to stay under 20kg if you can.
Should I bring cash or card?
For Camp we always advise using part cash and part travel card to give you more freedom and security for your money. There are a lot of different travel cards that offer no withdrawal fees so our best advice is to look around for the best deal