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South Africa

Program Overview

Welkom. Wam elekile. Amohele-hile.
Known as "the world in one country," South Africa is a land of extraordinary beauty, mystery, and adventure. Experience South Africa’s incredibly diverse cultures, languages, landscapes, and religions as you examine the contrasts between first-world development and third-world struggles. Become part of a once-divided country, now standing arm in arm. Spend five weeks immersed in the vibrant arts, beautiful landscapes, and welcoming communities of the Rainbow Nation.

Orientation in Cape Town
Spend your first few days in the "Gateway to Africa," learning about South Africa’s cultural diversity, its struggle against apartheid, and its transformation to democracy. Journey to Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, visit parliament and the old castle, and travel to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. You and your group will also participate in number of hands-on workshops focusing on dance, music, and drumming.

Grahamstown Arts Festival
Travel to the historic city of Grahamstown to experience the pulsing energy of a world renowned dance, music, and theater festival. Attend a number of performances and take part in the citywide arts festival.

Homestay and Community Service
Discover South African life as you live with a host family and experience their daily routine and culture. Spend a week working alongside local villagers on a community development or public health project. Then travel to the Eastern Cape, Mandela’s birthplace, to explore a rural Xhosa community.

Sample service projects: Work with local care workers on a public health project; build benches at an AIDS memorial in a public garden; plant trees and engage in village beautification projects; participate in an important sustainable development project to bring water and sanitation to a rural community.

Travel: An African Adventure and Safari
After the homestay, travel northwards through the stunning Karoo Desert region and along the dramatic Drakensberg Mountain range. Spend the next three days on safari in the Kruger National Park witnessing elephants, giraffe, hippos, lions, and an enormous diversity of wildlife in their natural surroundings. The final leg of the journey takes you through the extraordinary Mpumalanga region, with visits to God’s Window, Mac MacFalls, the ancient weathered rock formations of Bourke’s Luck, picturesque villages, and the Blyde River Canyon. Complete your adventure with a visit to Johannesburg, and conclude your exploration of the "freedom trail" from apartheid to modern-day South Africa.

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"Having been on a typical European teen tour, I yearned for a more fulfilling and personal experience. The Experiment provided ample opportunities for this type of interaction. I truly loved my host family. Whether it was playing soccer in the streets with my 14-year-old brother, hide-and-seek with my adorable 3-year-old host sister, or just talking casually about life with my mother and father, I loved every minute and can’t wait to see my 'family' again."

-- John Kohorst, Harlan, Iowa