Gap Year Internships

The internship tasks vary hugely across the different programs we offer. Depending on the type of internship you’ll sign up for, you can get practical work experience in areas such as communications, marketing, project management, content writing, fundraising, and business development. Most internships are quite flexible and offer you to dabble in a variety of tasks, so that you can explore your skills.

Regardless of your specific focus, you’ll gain an understanding of the nonprofit sector in the context of a developing country, as you’ll be part of a charitable organization. More specifically, you might be working on environmental, human rights, education, wildlife conservation, or animal welfare projects.

Through your gap year internship in Africa, you can expect to explore your unique talents, do some valuable experiential learning, and develop a range of skills. You’ll also make a difference on the ground, to a cause you feel passionate about.

Just send us your motivation and resume, and we’ll find you the right opportunity! Some internships require a certain amount of skills and/or experience, but for most of them, you just need to be motivated and excited to learn. We offer a wide range of gap year internships, all with different focus areas, and we’re confident we can find something suitable for you.

We offer gap year internships in nine different African countries; South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana. There’s a great variety of settings; you can be based in a buzzing city, in the middle of the African bush, in a rural village, or on an island in the Indian Ocean. Wherever you’ll be based, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful scenery, interesting cultures, and an abundance of travel opportunities.

Yes, you will. The requirements are different for each country, and we’ll give you all the information you need to get fully prepared for the experience. We’ll be here every step of the way.

Yes, absolutely. It’s always important to be aware of your surroundings, educate yourself on recommended precautions, and use good common sense. It’s always good to be vigilant and well-informed – and we’ll assist you with this. Our Roots team will make sure you have all the information you need for a safe experience during your internship.

Most of our gap year internships have a minimum length of eight weeks, and you can usually stay for as long as you wish. Or you can do multiple internships. Each internship listing has information on the specific requirements, but if anything is unclear, do let us know!

There are costs involved in international travel, and since our nonprofit internships are unpaid, we understand that this can be an obstacle. But there are ways to fundraise for the experience, and you might find that people are willing to help you make it happen, especially since you’ll be working for a good cause. On our fundraising page, we list some ideas of how to go about this.

And, if spending some time in Africa really isn’t an option for you, but you’d still like to have the work experience, you can opt to do one of our online gap year internships. (Or a combination of the two, if that works for you.) Which segways nicely to the next question.

We’re happy to offer a number of remote internships. As an online intern, you’ll still be part of an NGO in Africa, and you’ll be doing a lot of the same work that you would do on the ground. You’ll be in touch with your supervisor and other colleagues on a very regular basis, using a range of digital platforms. In a working world that is increasingly moving towards a distributed working model, gaining experience in working remotely can be a beneficial thing. Plus, you’ll gain international experience from the comfort of your own home.