Coach basketball, boxing, hockey, rugby, tennis, soccer or swimming at township schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. From 4 weeks, $1,435, no application fee.
Volunteer abroad · South Africa
Basketball, boxing, field hockey, rugby, tennis, soccer and swimming at township schools in the Windy City. Housing with a pool, three meals on weekdays, from 4 weeks.
Apply to volunteer See the priceAbout South Africa
Access to good education still differs a lot across South Africa. Port Elizabeth, a port city in the Eastern Cape, is no exception. We work with schools in the townships, many of which have no PE teacher, and run the PE lessons together with them. You coach kids and teens who love to move, compete and learn.
Our partner United Through Sport also uses sports to talk about health and social themes: HIV and AIDS awareness, gender equality. Sports offer a safe, positive environment where kids develop teamwork, decision-making and leadership, and we add educational support so they can make the most of their talents.
Around 18,000 kids a year take part in our projects and activities, and that number keeps growing thanks to our volunteers. Port Elizabeth itself is a lively coastal city of over 300,000 people (1.3 million with the surrounding area), known as the Windy City, a haven for surfers, with great beaches, a relaxed vibe and three languages: English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.
The project
We run this project together with our partner United Through Sport, and coordinator Morgan Harlin, a former volunteer who has lived in South Africa for years, is your point of contact.
In South Africa different communities have their own favorite sports for historical and cultural reasons: soccer in the Black communities, rugby traditionally among white South Africans, cricket in the Indian community, and track and distance running in several groups. Together they make the country one of the most sports-mad places on earth.
You coach at schools in the townships and surrounding towns, in the sport you love, and assist with educational and sports activities at the schools we support. The sports academies we work with keep an eye on talent, so a kid you coach may move on to an academy or club.
Sessions run in blocks: each session ends with a holiday week, which you can spend at the house or traveling, and then a new session starts. That rhythm, plus a big international group, makes South Africa our most social project.
Sports you can coach
Pick one sport or combine two. Every sport below has a local coach you work alongside.
The basketball project creates practices and places to play for enthusiastic players in and around the townships. Basketball gets less attention than other sports here and the basic rules are not always known, so it takes some initiative, and you see progress quickly. You do not need to be a qualified coach: basic knowledge of the game and a love of organizing group games are enough.
Because basketball is still smaller than the other sports, we recommend combining it with another sport for the full South Africa experience.
Run clinics and games for players in small leagues, focusing on dribbling, positioning, passing and shooting, organize formal tournaments and help maintain a township league, and bring workshops to schools.
Boxing has been an important sport in the townships for years, above all as a way to give young people structure, discipline and confidence. Many train with real enthusiasm; this program adds structured coaching and equipment. No official boxing qualification is needed, but basic knowledge of the sport, perseverance and the ability to create a safe, positive atmosphere are.
Our partners also keep an eye on talent: standout boxers can move on to a sports academy or local club.
Support local coaches with warm-ups, technique and sparring, hand out gloves, pads and gear so everyone trains safely, and later help organize small tournaments and demonstrations in the neighborhood.
South Africa has a long passion for hockey and the national team has performed at Olympic level, yet hockey gets far less investment than rugby, cricket and soccer, so kids in the townships rarely get to grow in the sport. Together with local coaches we want to give more kids that chance, and they hope a new generation of talent rises from these neighborhoods. All levels welcome.
You can also join a local team yourself and play weekend matches with other volunteers in a real South African side.
Organize hockey lessons and provide proper equipment, run tournaments with team-building, and teach passing, positioning, movement and team play so your players develop fast.
South Africans are passionate about rugby and feared worldwide as a hard, technical force. Kids play it everywhere, from the street to the schoolyard, and many dream of becoming the next Springbok; this project gives them a structured place to train. The emphasis is not on producing internationals but on getting as many kids as possible playing.
Help organize clinics and matches, provide proper rugby gear, and coach movement, positioning and team play, supported by other volunteers and our local staff with their own training methods.
Tennis is seen as a sport for the wealthy; South Africa has had top players, but none from the townships, where facilities are scarce but the passion for the game is real. Through our project you work with local organizations supported by the Roger Federer Foundation to give young players a chance. All levels welcome.
The project always takes place in the townships, so organization can be loose; accept that things do not always go to plan and it becomes a rewarding adventure.
Run clinics and matches with other volunteers, provide sportswear, organize tournaments with team-building, and teach the basics: serve, volley, forehand and backhand, plus fitness in fun group sessions.
Since the 2010 World Cup the world knows how soccer is lived here; Port Elizabeth hosted matches in its own stadium. The townships are full of enthusiastic, often talented young players who are ready for more chances to play and develop. Basic knowledge of the rules is enough; no qualification or experience required.
Lead practices and matches for your players, provide sportswear, organize tournaments with team-building, and keep an eye out for talent that could move on to a sports academy.
Swimming has two faces in South Africa: a strong national team, and 70 percent of the population who cannot swim, in a country bordered by sea on three sides, with more than a thousand drownings a year, mostly young people from the townships. Swimming South Africa launched a national campaign in 1999 to teach every South African to swim, with the focus on communities with fewer swimming facilities.
The government subsidizes lessons for township schools at local pools, but instructors and assistants are scarce. Qualified or not, there is a place for you, and you earn an official Lifeguard Award as part of the project. Lessons are in outdoor pools, so bad weather can cancel a session.
Teach kids from their very first time in a pool, or coach more experienced swimmers, with qualified instructors always supervising, and bring your own ideas such as one-on-one lessons.
Where you live
At our accommodation in Port Elizabeth there is plenty of room for you and your friends. You always share a room with others; for a longer stay a private room may be possible at extra cost.
The house has a living room, a lounge area, a pool, a kitchen and 24/7 security, and with 15 to 35 volunteers and interns from all over the world it is a lively place.
Pricing
One price covers your program. No application fee, no deposit, no surprises.
$0 application fee · $0 deposit
Not included: flights, travel insurance, visa fees and personal spending. Weekend meals are not included. Flights, visa, vaccinations and insurance are also on you, and we advise on all of them.
Apply to volunteerGood to know
No certificates or sports degree required. You support local coaches and are never on your own. We are not looking for the next South African super talent; we want to help kids of all backgrounds build life skills through sports. Basic knowledge of the rules of your sport and lots of enthusiasm are what matter.
On one of the arrival Saturdays, when many volunteers and interns arrive together for orientation and icebreakers. Sessions 2026: Jan 10 (4 to 12 weeks), Feb 7 (4 to 8), Mar 7 (4), Apr 11 (4 to 12), May 9 (4 to 8), Jun 6 (4), Jul 18 (4), Aug 22 (4 to 12), Sep 19 (4 to 8), Oct 17 (4). Sessions 2027: Jan 9 (4 to 12), Feb 6 (4 to 8), Mar 6 (4), Apr 10 (4 to 12), May 8 (4 to 8), Jun 5 (4), Jul 17 (4), Aug 21 (4 to 12), Sep 18 (4 to 8), Oct 16 (4). The swim program runs January to March and October to November.
Possible, but we advise against it: you miss the orientation and join an existing, often close-knit group. If you must, or the flight is much cheaper, book a hostel for the first nights. Tell us and we will help.
Yes. Tell us in advance and the team in South Africa takes it into account.
There are always other volunteers and interns at the house, usually between 15 and 35, from many countries. Ask us how many are booked for your dates, and we add you to a group chat before you leave.
After the intro call you get our welcome pack and a personal dashboard that walk you through the visa, vaccinations, insurance, flights and what to pack.
Your team on the ground
Morgan is the coordinator in Port Elizabeth. He started as a volunteer, has been involved with the organization for more than six years and lives in South Africa permanently.
He is your point of contact and makes sure you have a great learning experience, so it is best to get in touch with him before you travel.
Ready?
Tell us your sport and your dates. We tell you honestly whether South Africa is the right fit, and connect you with your coordinator before you commit to anything.
Apply to volunteer Prefer an internship?