Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa should take careful consideration, to ensure that you contribute to real conservation work that is carried out by reputable organizations. Below are some important questions to ask when researching wildlife volunteer programs in South Africa.

What to Ask When Considering Wildlife Conservation Volunteering

1. Are the groups small and effective?
2. Is the organization supported by globally recognized conservation authorities?
3. Is the organization Fair Trade Tourism Certified?
4. Has the organization being awarded for their wildlife conservation work?
5. Does the organization allow interaction with wild animals?
6. Does the organization follow a Model of Responsible Voluntourism?

Research into ethical wildlife conservation volunteering projects should go further by reading about the experiences that conservation volunteers have had with the organization. Look for reviews and testimonials on websites that list programs about wildlife conservation volunteering abroad.

Follow the organization’s social media platforms and see how active and engaged their audience is with their content. There are plenty of groups, forums and Facebook pages that talk about wildlife volunteering in Africa, such as Volunteers in Africa Beware, which lists the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to Wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa specifically.

Can the Wildlife Conservation Organisation Show Their Impact?

Wildlife ACT has been offering wildlife conservation volunteering opportunities since 2008. Our volunteer programs began with our Endangered Species Monitoring project and has extended to offering a Marine Conservation project in the Seychelles. We now also offer Conservation Training Courses to educate participants about how real African wildlife conservation is carried out.

We are pleased to share our conservation impact with a detailed report highlighting what we continue to achieve and how our wildlife conservation volunteers from around the world have helped to reach such milestones. We hope that the above will help you make an informed decision when it comes to wildlife conservation volunteering in South Africa.