Environmental/Social Enterprise Internship
Overview
Are you passionate about the environment? Are you considering a career in the climate change or environmental industries? Perhaps you’re interested in marketing, education, fundraising, event coordination, or graphic design and need to get some valuable work experience towards your university entry. Cape Town is definitely one of the most beautiful, fun and interesting places to do your internship and we’ve got the perfect project for you. Get hands-on experience at a Cape Town-based social enterprise that facilitates urban greening, reforestation and eco-education projects in Southern Africa. You’ll learn about every aspects of running environmental projects including all the support structures like marketing, fundraising and so on. And you’ll get to live in vibrant, amazing Cape Town – it’s going to be the best internship you could ask for!
Internship Highlights:
Gaining insight into the career you dream of
Getting hands-on experience with a fun, dynamic team who is looking forward to having your help
Living and working in beautiful Cape Town and making friends from all over the world.
At a Glance
Project duration: Min 8 weeks
Location of project: Central Cape TownAirport to fly into: Cape Town International (CPT)
Activities: Getting to the project: A 15 minute walk.
Working hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Accommodation: A funky residence in central Cape in an en-suite shared dorm room, with up to three others. (We do offer single rooms too – please inquire about availability and fees.)
Food: Breakfast is not included; you will need to purchase and cook your other meals (budget approximately US$50 per week) or eat at local restaurants
Return transfer: this is for your own cost. However the in-country team can assist with booking final transport. Budget on approximately R350.
You need to organize: Flights, insurance, visas, return airport transfer, local transport, food.
Internship Experience
This is a dynamic organisation whose major aim is awareness of the environment and promotion of sustainable living. They work hard to inspire greener, conscious living through tree-planting, green events, education, social media and other fun awareness projects. They need volunteers to lend a hand in every aspect of their function: from people who know how to get them publicity with marketing, PR, communications and social media, to event organisers, fundraisers, financier and also those who are in the environmental business and horticulture. Working under experienced industry professionals, you’ll get particular insight into the career you’re considering, as well as a holistic view of this fascinating, green-thinking industry.
Itineraries
Day 1 (Monday) – hello and welcome!
Arrive at Cape Town International Airport (airport code CPT) where you’ll be met by the team who’ll take you to your accommodation and settle you in. Once you’re settled you’re free to enjoy Cape Town until tomorrow morning.
Day 2 – Get to know the ropes.
On your second day in Cape Town, the team will stop by to pick you up and introduce you to Cape Town and the project during a fun orientation day. You’ll have lots to look forward to and it’s a great opportunity to ask any burning questions you may have.
Day 3 and following weeks – Get stuck in!
Now that you know your way around the office and have met the team, it’s time to get down to business. Under the guidance of the mentors to whom you’ve been assigned you’ll start getting to know what’s expected of you and what you can contribute. Any ideas and suggestions you’ve got, or fun ways to get involved, are more than welcome! The more you give to this project, the more you’ll get out. And remember to always ask questions if you need to know something. Your mentors are always happy to help out.
Days 6 and 7 (Saturday to Sunday) – it’s the weekend!
Spend your free time as you please. Cape Town offers so much to do. There are loads of stunning beaches to choose from, where you can get a tan and relax. Or you could visit the city, climb Table Mountain, check out a penguin colony, go wine tasting or pop in to the many fascinating museums and art galleries. Alternatively you could just chill at Once with friends.
Your last day (Monday) – goodbye, we’ll miss you!
It will be sad to say goodbye to your newfound friends at the office but you’ll be taking home many special memories and so much experience to add to your future career. The return transfer to Cape Town International is not covered within your project fee but our regular transfer company will be able to organise the journey. Budget around £25/R300.
Your Role
This project takes interns in the following areas:
Marketing, Public Relations, Communications & Social Media. These interns will be involved with running promotions, researching marketing opportunities, assisting with developing marketing plans, managing printing processes, compiling marketing documents, boosting the project’s online presence and social media.
Fundraising & Product. These interns will be involved with researching grant and award opportunities, applying for grants and awards, assisting with fundraising events, helping run online fundraising campaigns, assisting with securing corporate sponsorship, assisting with selling and running group plant days, doing marketing and sales related research.
Event Coordination. These interns will be involved with planning and coordination of events, parties, festivals, and other project activation's, assisting with securing product sponsorship, helping run events on the ground.
Horticulture, Beneficiary Coordination. These interns will be involved in managing and developing the project’s tree nursery, doing tree nursery admin, visiting their beneficiary locations to monitor trees, writing up monitoring reports, going out on planting days.
Graphic Design. These interns will be involved in designing brochures, flyers, posters, and other marketing material, designing graphics for website and social media, running art direction, designing templates.Note: Experience is required so we need to see a portfolio when people apply for this internship.
Urban Greening.Many trees have been planted at almost 300 sites. Before and after planting we regularly visit these sites to see if they are suitable for planting (before) and monitor (after). As an intern you will be assisting our beneficiary manager and will spend a lot of time outdoors visiting beneficiaries, assist in running educational workshops and capturing data.
Requirements
Marketing, Public Relations, Communications & Social Media:
Native English speaker (or very good English language skills)
Excellent writing skills (less relevant if you are more interested in the market research)
Experience with social media
Must be able to work with deadlines
Like searching for new and interesting information
Fundraising & Product:
Experience with fundraising and/or applications for grants/funding
Strong writing and communications skills
Event Coordination.
Multitasking, time management, hands on mentality and being on top of things since you are dealing with lots of different people (suppliers, artists, partners, etc.).
Must be able to anticipate project needs, problem solving under pressure, focus on work priorities and meet deadlines with little supervision
Willing to work occasional evenings and weekends.
Own laptop
International driver’s license
For software specific: experience in events (or school camps/scouting camps/etc) and/or organizing and planning.
For hardware specific: must be able to move, 'think on your feet' and lift heavy gear
We would prefer interns for events to stay 3 months or longer
Horticulture, Beneficiary Coordination
Love working outdoor
Hands-on mentality and love getting your hands dirty
Love trees
Nice to have: some greening skills/experience
Nice to have: experience/knowledge of trees
Graphic Design.
Graphic Design graduate and thus able to navigate easily through PS and various other design programmes
Strong abilities in conceptualising, branding and creative strategy
Keen interest in the environment and must loooove trees!
Passionate about brand development and sustainability
Has a 'just do it' attitude
Loves fun
Is not scared to be daring
Is not afraid of hard work of all types
Can commit for at least 2 months (3 to 5 days a week)
Must be ready to lead the treevolution through design!
When applying for this internship, please send us a (link to) portfolio of your work!
Urban Greening:
Detail oriented
People skills
Strong language and written skills
Nice to have: experience with database management / data capture
Nice to have: environmental and tree knowledge
About the Project
This social enterprise wants people to reconnect with the planet and they’re going out of their way to help it happen. They plant trees in urban greening and reforestation projects and
spread the word of environmental awareness through festival, events and workshops. They’re a fun, dynamic team who will expect you to work hard and play hard too!
While you're here
Accommodation
You’ll be staying in a trendy residence/backpackers/guest house in a vibrant part of Cape Town’s CBD. You’ll be sharing an en-suite shared dorm room with up to three others. (We offer single rooms too – please inquire about availability and fees.) There are hot running showers and flush loos.
Meals
Breakfast is not provided, otherwise you’ll be self-catering in the full equipped communal kitchen. There’s a barbeque outside or, as we call it in SA, a braai, which is the best way to cook on a warm evening. Within a couple of minutes’ walk there are restaurants and takeaways of every kind you can imagine so you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Facilities and the area
Rooms have safety lockers, universal chargers and reading lights.
Free WIFI.
Washing can be done at the laundry down the road: simply drop off your clothes and pick them up later!
Cape Town has a temperate climate but winter is still chilly so pack warm jumpers and even some cosy socks as SA doesn’t have central heating.
Bedding is provided but bring a sleeping bag for away weekends and extra warmth.
Bring along a towel
Within a few minutes’ walk is a supermarket, banks and other shopping, as well as bars and
Hop on the bus and you’ll reach beautiful beaches and Table Mountain in less than 10 minutes.
Cape Town
Cape Town is probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, set on a peninsula which is surrounded by sea and edged with kilometers of pristine white sandy beaches. Right in the middle of the city is the World Heritage site, Table Mountain and the rugged back of the mountain which extends all the way down the Peninsula. The Cape is famous for the amazing, iconic, flat-topped mountain, beautiful fynbos (which is unique here and is the smallest, richest floral kingdom in the world), penguins, beaches, history (including Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned), amazing food at awesome restaurants, dazzling nightlife and so much more. There’s so much to see and do in your free time you’ll never be bored – but if you want some advice on where to go and what to do, simply ask
our local team.
Advice & Safety
Throughout your programmes you will have the support and guidance of the programme co-ordinator and team. You will be provided with competent assistance and help with any questions or advice you may need during your stay and someone will always be available in
case of emergency.
What you get
Expert help-desk
We're always available to offer support and guidance before, during and after your trip.
Thorough project briefing materials
Once you’ve booked you'll receive a full pack of all the information you need for the project. It contains general information about volunteering, your specific project and South Africa as well as advice on safety, visas and inoculations.
Airport pickup
Don’t worry about arriving in a new country on your own. We’ll be there to welcome you and take you to your accommodation.
Arrival orientation
Soon after you arrive you’ll attend a thorough orientation with our team. It covers everything you need to know about your next few days, dos and don’ts and your safety. You can ask any questions and find out more about the fun stuff to do around Cape Town and South Africa.
Accommodation and meals
Accommodation is included with all projects and meals are included with some. We only use locally-owned and operated accommodation so that part of your placement fee is filtering back into the local economy. Most projects offer homestay, guesthouse or shared volunteer houses as standard accommodation, but some offer the chance to upgrade to a more comfortable living standard.
24/7 emergency support
We’re always on hand in case of an emergency.
After you've booked
- You will receive a welcome email confirming your booking
- You’ll receive a full project pack with all the info you need
- You’ll be asked for any extra info if we need it – such as doctor’s notes for medical conditions, or maybe a CV on some projects
- You’ll need to pay if you haven’t paid already (at least 90 days before travelling)
Then the fun starts! Next you should:
- Book your flights
- Arrange suitable travel insurance
- Get a visa for your trip if it's needed
- Visit a nurse or travel clinic for advice on inoculations and malaria prevention
- Start packing and come and join us!
*Remember to keep our contact details in a safe place in your hand luggage in case you need to contact us during your travels.
About South Africa
South Africans are patriotic and passionate about their country. And it’s not despite the country’s famously troubled history – it’s because of it! The people of this democratic country are so proud of how far they have come from the dark days of Apartheid and it makes us grateful for the diversity of cultures and languages that make up our amazing rainbow nation.
South Africa is a country of diversity in so many ways. It’s not a big country but travelling across the length and breadth of it, you’ll encounter an incredible range of climates and landscapes. There’s beautiful Cape Town, with its Mediterranean feel, pristine white beaches, sparkling oceans and magnificent Table Mountain providing the craggy backdrop for every setting. Travel east along the Garden Route with its picture-postcard coastal villages and you’ll eventually reach Durban and surrounds, a tropical area where the sun shines almost every day, the sea is warm and the surfing is fantastic! Then there’s the rugged Drakensberg mountain range, a place of rich Zulu heritage, spectacular views and jagged sweeps of peaks. Further north you’ll hit South Africa’s famous ‘veld’ or bush where you’ll find Africa’s big five and many thousands of other species of animals, hiding out in landscapes that are lit at sunset by the most vivid orange, pinks and purples.
There are so many things to see and do here that you’ll need years. But if your time is limited, here’s our top five must-dos:
Game viewing
You can’t come to Africa and not experience the amazing animals, the wild and beautiful African bush and the chorus of an African dawn. Kruger National Park is the most popular choice but there are a host of other parks in the northern parts of South Africa and the Free State as well as KwaZulu-Natal, offering a range of options from the most luxurious accommodation with chefs at your service to DIY game viewing and camping.
Adrenalin adventures
Adventure is the name of the game in this crazy country and if it’s outdoors and adrenalin-inducing, you’ll find it here. From the highest bungee jump and highest commercial abseiling in the world to shark cage diving, downhill mountain biking, trail running, walking safaris, big wave surfing and multi-day hiking, there’s something for ever thrill seeker.
Beaches
South Africa has thousands of miles of glorious coastline, with Blue Flag beaches and hidden gems dotted along its length. There’s beaches for the glamorous, where you can go to see and be seen, beaches perfect for families, beaches for walking, beaches for swimming and beaches for watersports. There’s probably beaches which have never been trodden by a tourist before. Go on, we dare you to find it!
Nightlife, restaurants and entertainment
No holiday would be complete without a few good nights out and South Africa knows how to entertain. With so many cultures making up our population, there’s loads of delicious food on offer full of every fresh ingredient you could think of. There are pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes to suit every taste. South Africa is famous for its wonderful wines and there’s a craft beer revolution happening right here. Pack your dancing shoes!
A taste of township and culture
South Africa has a rich, tumultuous history dotted with dismal lows and incredible highs – and full of astounding stories from amazing people. It’s what makes South Africa the colourful place it is. Museums of every shape and size document the various aspects of our human and natural history, arts and culture – you’ll find them all over the country. Or why not take a township tour and experience the true heart of South African culture? If you’re visiting Cape Town, come to Kommetjie and visit Masiphumelele with the Township Sisters, our special Volunteer and Explore partners, and help support the sustainable development of this vibrant township.