South Africa

	Quick Facts
	Language English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and Sothos are 5 of 11 official languages.
	Host Family Placement In Gauteng, Western Cape, Bloemfontein, and Port Elizabeth, without discriminating between culture groups. Students should be willing to learn the language of their host family, as there is no guarantee they will be placed in an English-speaking family or school.
	School Mid-January to the beginning of December, with a month-long summer break.
	Trips Orientations are included in tuition. December Tour- Coastal Experience of Western Cape is optional for an additional cost. Two week South Africa Cultural Exchange also optional for an additional cost.
	Pastimes Sports like rugby, soccer, and cricket and going to parties, movies, or braais (similar to barbecues).

Variety. Explore a diverse environment as you get to know South African people, whose cultures began in many different places around the world. South Africa can offer you an in-depth cultural experience that you’ll savor for the rest of your life.

As in the US, cultural diversity means family diversity. It’s likely that you will get to attend family gatherings during your stay since family celebrations play a key role in the lives of South Africans. And you will probably enjoy getting to know a lot of people quickly, since South African families are generally large and extended families may all live in one home or close to each other.

Academic Programs

Because of the effects of Apartheid, rural lifestyles, geography, and a lack of financial resources, schools in South Africa vary widely. However, a new curriculum that fosters individual development, critical thinking, and integration of life skills with academic knowledge is being instituted in schools across the country.

During your stay, you’ll probably attend a semi-public school at the senior secondary or high school level where you will wear a uniform. You’ll take courses that are familiar to you in subjects like science, history, geography, English, math, and art. You can also embark on learning a language like Zulu or Afrikaans. Schools also welcome initiatives to start projects or after school activities.

After your arrival in South Africa, you will attend a two-day post-arrival orientation followed by a two-day orientation in the region you are placed in to prepare you for your exchange year.

As an optional program, you may choose to go on the YFU December Tour, a two week Coastal Experience of the Western Cape. The tour is a combination of traveling, sight-seeing in Cape Town, and a camp teaching you about the sea at a cost of around 6,000 Rand.

Another optional trip is the YFU South Africa Cultural Exchange. This program will allow you to stay for two weeks with a host family in one of the other cultures of South Africa. The additional cost will be approximately 2,000 Rand.

Summer Program

Taste of the New South Africa

Built on the education principles of YFU intercultural exchanges, this program is designed to give participants the widest possible exposure to the cultural diversity of South Africa.

Experiences every day life by staying with a host family in pretoria and attending three different schools in the first two weeks. Spend the following weeks visiting sights in and around Pretoria, experiencing the African Wilderness in the world famous Kruger National Park and enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Mpumalanga Province!

The program runs for six weeks from mid-July to the end of August and requires participants to be 15-19 years of age.

Programs, Departures, and Costs

Programs	Code	Departure	Return	Tuition
Year	0905 0682	mid January early July	early January late June	$9595 $9595
Semester	1149 1148	mid January early July	late June early January	$9595 $9595
Summer Taste of the New South Africa	0878	mid-July	late August	$7995

Program tuition does not include visa fees, personal spending money (about 100 EUR per month is recommended), fees for school textbooks or activities, optional YFU trips, or transportation to and from school, if applicable.

Online Resources

To learn more about South Africa, we recommend:

E-mail YFU Alumni from the Alumni Referral List with your questions
Visit your local library to find reference books, travel guides and essays, language dictionaries, and many more country resources
Use an internet search engine to find informative web sites
Embassy of South Africa in Washington, DC web site

"South African communities offer vast opportunities for students to get involved on a grass roots level and make a difference."

- Michele Peters

All YFU Programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
Last Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008