U18 Trip - Big 5 Conservation (age 16-17)
South Africa

You will be part of the team getting involved in conservation in South Africa! It's an ideal trip to complete your DofE Gold Residential but you don't have to be doing the DofE Award to join it!

You will take part in an innovative hybrid of conservation and community volunteering, allowing you to get behind the scenes and make a lasting difference by assisting on and around a stunning 12,000 hectare Big 5 reserve. The reserve is home to a spectacular variety of wildlife including elephants, lions, cheetah, rhino, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, lynx, hyena, warthog, zebra, aardvark, honey badger, porcupines and much more!

Your time is mixed between wildlife conservation and community volunteering and you will get to contribute to many varied activities, which makes for a fascinating and diverse experience based in a stunning safari setting.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Conservation projects and activities can include:

• Endangered & priority species tracking and monitoring – focusing on behaviour, condition and movement patterns of elephant, cheetah, rhino and lion
• Predator and prey-selection monitoring – behaviour and prey of cheetahs and lions
• Anti-poaching and rhino monitoring – accounting for the rhinos on the reserve
• Elephant research – identifying individuals and collecting behavioural data
• Bird surveys and research (354 species in the area)
• Helping with game counts, vegetation surveys and biodiversity mapping
• Removal of alien invasive plant species and clearing of areas of the reserve / roads
• Removal of old fencing and water pipes for habitat expansion

Each role is accompanied by a briefing so that you understand the activity and learn more about the wildlife reserve. You will be introduced to the many animals and plants found on the reserve through orientation drives and a field booklet which includes animal, plant and bird checklists and identification kits.

While carrying out the work you’ll get to experience the most incredible encounters with the Big 5 - lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard - as well as plenty of other South African wildlife!

Every day is different in the bush and depends on the season, weather, animal behaviour and what’s happening on the reserve.  

COMMUNITY WORK 

The reserve has several impoverished communities nearby and the team believe passionately that you can't succeed at conservation without engaging and helping the people who live in the area. As a volunteer you will meet new people, experience different cultures and help improve their lives and environment.

Community activities can include:

• Soup Kitchen and Early Childhood Centre support (providing vulnerable children with education and a nutritious meal) – helping prepare meals, playing games and doing educational activities with the children 
• Helping local coaches with after school sports (football, rugby and netball)
• Domestic animal care – medication for dogs and cats, supporting vet treatment days, building dog houses
• Helping with environmental education lessons at schools
• Establishing and maintaining community vegetable gardens
• Maintenance of community buildings such as schools

Typical itinerary

Your 1 week trip will be structured as follows:

• Monday - arrival at Port Elizabeth airport and transfer to the reserve where you will receive a full orientation
• Tuesday to Saturday - volunteering each day with conservation and community activities as described above
• Sunday - beach walk and exploring the local coastal town

On volunteering days you will usually have a morning session beginning at 8am, followed by a lunchtime break and then an afternoon session from around 2pm to 5pm. 

Evenings are for you to relax and spend time with your group. On one evening you'll have a traditional South African Braai (BBQ)!

Other volunteers

There are up to 10 volunteers in the group.

Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award

This placement has been approved by the DofE as meeting the requirements for the Residential section of the Gold Award.

Local support team

You will be supported by the local team which includes:

• Amber and Nic – Conservation Volunteering Coordinators
• Malibongwe – Community Volunteering Coordinator

Amber and Nic live on the reserve with you and you will get to know them well.  Amber and Nic combine hands-on conservation experience, field guiding expertise and a shared love for the Kariega landscape! 

“Hard work is vital in conservation practices and volunteers will learn new skills, make new likeminded friends, grow personally, bond with nature, and have encounters with many of Africa’s most magnificent animals.” Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteers stay at the very comfortable conservation centre on the edge of the reserve and you may wake up to the sound of lions calling or see zebras eating at the fence!

There are 6 shared bedrooms and bathrooms, a lovely lounge to relax in, pool table, dining area and kitchen. There are also games and books for volunteers to enjoy. Outside there is a nice garden with BBQ area and a plunge pool.

The house has WIFI and good mobile signal.

Meals

There is a fully equipped kitchen and all ingredients are provided to be able to have 3 basic meals a day. Volunteers help themselves to breakfast and lunch and are divided into cooking teams to take turns preparing dinner.

Here are typical examples of the food you will have:

• Breakfast – toast, cereals, porridge, fruit
• Lunch – sandwiches
• Dinner – pasta / stew / sausages with vegetables and salad

Vegetarian options are available.

There is a rainwater tank at the volunteer house which provides safe, fresh drinking water.

You will need to fly into Johannesburg Airport (JNB) or Cape Town Airport (CPT) and then take a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ). We will recommend which flight to take and put you in touch with other participants so you can travel together.

You will be met on arrival at Port Elizabeth airport and have a private transfer to the project, which takes about 2 hours.

Location and free time

The reserve is situated along the Garden Route and incorporates 12,000 hectares of pristine African wilderness, as well as two abundant rivers. It is arguably the most beautiful of all the Eastern Cape game reserves, with stunning views and vistas. It is located in a malaria-free area.

You are uniquely positioned to explore the reserve each day and as you drive through it you come across incredible wildlife, including the Big 5! 

There is a beautiful small beachside town 15 minutes’ drive from the reserve, which you will visit at the weekend. It has stunning beaches and sand dunes, which you'll get to explore on a beach walk and then you'll have a chance to look around the town and browse the shops. You'll have a pizza lunch in town and maybe even a game of padel too!  

Climate

This region of South Africa has a a mild winter from May to October. The mornings and evenings can be cold (especially on the back of a vehicle as you drive through the bush) but by midday temperatures are usually 20-25°C.

Emmie - 2026

“I have had the best time on the Big 5 Conservation programme in South Africa - it has been such an enriching experience and I have made friends to last a lifetime! Pod Volunteer has been so helpful and kind, sorting everything out to ensure my trip went smoothly and that I had an amazing time! Thank you so much!”

Roze (parent) - 2026

"The volunteer experience exceeded all our expectations. My daughter worked throughout the game reserve, taking on a variety of tasks while spending her days outdoors, surrounded by the incredible wildlife. She loved every aspect of the conservation work, but what truly touched her heart was the time she spent in the local township. She helped repaint a preschool, played with children in the community, volunteered at a soup kitchen, and assisted at a free veterinary clinic. She returned home with a broader perspective, a deeper appreciation for others, and memories that will stay with her for the rest of her life. It was an unforgettable adventure, and I cannot recommend Pod Volunteer highly enough."

Finn - 2026

“POD Volunteer were fantastic in helping me towards the completion of my Duke of Edinburgh Good Award. I travelled to South Africa, where I spent a week on the most incredible reserve. This involved taking four flights in total taxi transfers etc, which was all made simple and easy, especially thanks to Alex from POD. His communication was excellent and all of my questions were answered. Thank you POD Volunteer for making the final step towards my DofE Gold award seamless and enjoyable. Very much recommended.”

Leonie - 2026

“I had a truly wonderful experience and am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the programme. The coordinators were incredibly friendly, supportive, and passionate, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The programme is very well organised, diverse, and meaningful, and it creates a great balance between learning, contributing, and having fun. Thank you for creating such a memorable and rewarding experience.”

Henry - 2026

“Thank you for checking in, everything has been amazing so far thanks lovely group of people here and some amazing experiences already.”

Yameng - 2026

“I’ve just finished the trip and it was truly amazing. I wanted to say thank you for all the support and guidance throughout the process, and for helping make this experience possible.”

Anon – 2026

“Everything was perfect, I`m really happy with my experience. Pod Volunteer supported me step by step through the entire process and everything worked smoothly. My experience was even better than I had imagined!”

Rhydian - 2025

“Had a great time! The combination of animal conservation and community work made the experience all the more interesting. It was also a great opportunity to develop teamwork skills working together on all tasks as well as cooking and spending downtime together too. Thank you so much for your help with all the arrangements. Will be letting the coordinator at school know how fantastic the experience was.”

David - 2025

“The Project is superb. A wonderful mix of community and conservation work. I can’t fault what I’m seeing and doing.”

Evie - 2025

“I’ve had the most amazing week, it’s been one of the best experiences of my life. Thank you so much for your help in organising this trip! ”

Ellen – 2025

“Pod volunteer was helpful in every way when booking and planning my trip to Africa. They provided a comprehensive guide, reviews of the programme, and lots more useful info to make preparation easy.”

Marion – 2025

“The volunteering was wonderful, a perfect mix of community work in villages and conservation in a beautiful reserve.”

Hannah 

"My experience at the Big 5 Conservation project was amazing. I was supported by Pod from the start to the end and always received quick responses to my questions. Everyone at the project was lovely and everyday was an interesting, educational, and fun experience!

Each morning I woke up knowing I was going to have a great day and learn something new while having fun. Every day was a new adventure! My highlight activity was tracking, monitoring and taking data on the herd of elephants - being surrounded by these giants was something I will remember forever. I particularly enjoyed our work in the local community - helping at the soup kitchen, assisting with lessons at the school, and marching with high school students in the Global Climate Strike were the most incredible experiences."

Matilde 

"South Africa is a wonderful country, the landscapes are breath-taking and the people are probably the nicest I have ever met.  Thanks to this experience I will definitely come back to this country.  Our coordinator has taught me so much and I’m very grateful for it.  Thank you for making this experience even more extraordinary."

Daniel 

"It was one of my best experiences in life.  Since the moment I’ve arrived, everyone was so friendly and made me feel at home.  Our coordinator had so much wisdom to share about the fauna and flora on the reserve. 

We were able to see a huge herd of elephant right next to us, an encounter between a white and black rhino, lions walking around and many other fantastic moments.  I’m so grateful for the opportunity of joining this programme."