South Africa Community Building Project

  • Who?Groups of 3 -10 students aged 18+
  • When? Projects have flexible dates and run all year round
  • Where?Mfuleni, South Africa.
Community building in South Africa
Community building in South Africa

There is so much work available for groups to get involved with on our Community Building Project in South Africa. Working in the township of Mfuleni where many families live in inadequate accommodation, volunteers play a key role in the building of better quality homes, making Mfuleni a more comfortable and safer place to live.

You will join a building team and work alongside the local villagers by assisting at all levels of building and construction of the cinder block homes. During your placement you will be involved in digging a foundation in the sand, mixing and pouring cement by shovel and wheelbarrow, placing cinderblocks to build walls and rooms, building a roof, or putting the finishing coat of paint on the completed house.

The building work takes place early in the morning and late in the afternoon so you'll have plenty of time to get involved in township life by organising sports or games and doing some informal teaching.

Mfuleni is a relatively new township 40 kilometres from Cape Town. The majority of the community was moved there in the late 1990s following flooding and fires in different townships across the Western Cape. This is a poor township with a number of pressing problems, however, despite this the people of Mfuleni have stayed and worked together to try and uplift their community and make it a better place for all. South Africa is a unique environment in which to spend time volunteering abroad and is a thriving and lively destination for a work experience placement.