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

You will be part of the team getting involved in an innovative hybrid of conservation and community activities in South Africa! Anyone aged 16-17 years old can join the trip and it's an ideal option to complete your DofE Gold Residential for those going for Gold!

You will live on a huge wildlife reserve (12,000 hectares), getting to explore this stunning African wilderness while you learn about and take part in hands on conservation activities. The reserve is home to the Big 5 - lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard - as well as a spectacular variety of other wildlife including cheetah, hippo, giraffe, lynx, hyena, warthog, zebra, aardvark, honey badger and porcupines!

Your group will also take part in local community work - engaging and helping the people who live in the area is crucial to the long term success of conservation. The reserve has several impoverished communities nearby and you will support projects to help improve people's wellbeing and environment, while getting to experience local culture.

The 1 week trip will be a fascinating and fun experience: making new friends, experiencing conservation management, helping local people and exploring new places - all whilst living in a stunning safari setting!

Typical itinerary

Your group will start the day with breakfast and a morning volunteering session beginning at around 8am, followed by a lunchtime break and then an afternoon volunteering session from around 2pm to 5pm.  

On Conservation days you'll take a packed lunch to have in the wildlife reserve and on Community days you'll either take a packed lunch to have at the beach or eat at a local restaurant.

Evenings are for you to have dinner, relax and spend time socialising with your group. During the week you'll also have a traditional South African Braai (BBQ) and another ‘Boma’ night where food is cooked over a wood fire followed by local entertainment with traditional dancing and singing!

Here an example itinerary for your week:

Day 1 – Monday - Induction

• Arrive into Port Elizabeth airport, transfer to the reserve
• Introduction to the reserve and briefings

Day 2 – Tuesday - Conservation

• Species identification and observation on the reserve
• Checking wildlife cameras
• Invasive plant species removal and gardening

Day 3 – Wednesday - Community

• Visit to school or education centre
• Domestic animal care
• Sports coaching
• Beach visit and clean up

Day 4 – Thursday - Conservation

• Erosion control - planting vegetation, landscaping
• Removal of old fencelines
• Safari drive around the reserve – looking for hippos and rhinos

Day 5 – Friday - Conservation

• Reserve maintenance
• Tracking lesson
• Erosion control - planting vegetation, landscaping
• Safari drive around the reserve

Day 6 – Saturday – Community

• Infrastructure upgrade at local school
• Community gardening
• Environmental education with local children

Day 7 – Sunday – Exploring the local area

• Beach walk (approx. 7km) along the stunning Indian Ocean coastline
• Walk around and browse shops in the local beachside town
• Padel and pizza!

Day 8 – Monday - Departure

• Morning transfer from the reserve to Port Elizabeth airport

Please note that this is an example itinerary and activities may vary depending on the weather, animal behaviour and what’s happening on the reserve.

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 in town and maybe even a game of padel too!  

Climate

This region of South Africa has a mild winter from May to October. In July, 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 around 20°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."