Perhaps not the first country you think of for festivals, South Africa has a full calendar of events, marking everything from food to (some people's!) urge to push their body to the limits.
Festivals in South Africa - Cape Town New Year Festival - January - Cape Town People of the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town mark the new year with floats and minstrel bands, which can be seen for around a month after January 1.
Festivals in South Africa - Klein Karoo National Arts Festival - March/April - Oudtshoorn An annual celebration of Afrikaans art and entertainment that takes place in Oudtshoorn and involves theatre, food, wine, dancing, crafts - and a tribute to ostriches.
Festivals in South Africa - Comrades Marathon - June (June 15 2008) - from Durban to Pietermaritzburg At 86.7 miles, the Comrades Marathon puts the London Marathon in the shade somewhat. Runners begin early in the morning, follow an undulating path over hills and valleys and stumble over the finishing line several hours later. Non-South African citizens can enter but it's fun (and a lot less exhausting!) just to join the thousands of spectators cheering them on.
Festivals in South Africa - Cape Town International Jazz Festival (formerly known as the North Sea Jazz Festival) - March/April - Cape Town Arguably the best jazz festival in Africa, with home-grown and international stars playing over two nights, photography exhibitions and a free community concert.
Festivals in South Africa - National Arts Festival - June/July (26 June - 5 July 2008) - Grahamstown South Africa's answer to the Edinburgh Festival, this festival includes music, opera, dance, films, exhibitions and lectures and has a blossoming fringe scene.
Festivals in South Africa - Knysna Oyster Festival - July (4 July - 13 July 2008) - Knysna Quays Sample the oysters, which are taken from Knysna Lagoon, and you'll realise why there's a festival dedicated to them. Among the events are oyster cooking (and eating!) competitions, puppet shows and a whole series of sporting contests.
Festivals in South Africa - Cape Town Fashion Week - August (8 - 11 August 2008) Cape Town Leading South African designers show off their creations at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. There are even talks on careers in the fashion industry.
Festivals in South Africa - Hermanus Whale Festival - five days in September/October (24 - 28 September 2008) Walker Bay, Hermanus Standing on a cliff, beer in hand, watching one of nature's greatest productions - life doesn't get much better! The festival is held to celebrate the calving and mating of the whales, and includes South African's version of the Mexican wave, the Welcome Wales Wave Walk, concerts, cabarets and sporting events.
Festivals in South Africa - Rustler's Valley Festivals - throughout the year - Rustler's Valley Music festivals take place at various times of the year in the shadow of the Maluti mountains, with extravaganzas at Easter and New Year. If you're going to be in the area, ask at a tourist office or check the local press.
South Africa is a fantastic destination for a gap trip and planning your gap trip to coincide with a festival you are interested in makes it even more exciting.
Take a look out our South Africa gap programme below and you could be checking out the festivals in South Africa in no time!
27 trips have been found based on your filter/sort
Get up close to elephants and lions on a Big 5 game reserve, surf the waves in Jeffrey’s Bay and take in the wonders of the amazing Garden Route on an all round South African adventure!
Experience an exciting and varied volunteer project on a beautiful Big 5 Game Reserve near to South Africa’s coast. Assist in conservation management whilst learning new skills and meeting some great people. You will also have the opportunity to take part in a worthwhile community project.
If you are patient, enthusiastic, enjoy working with children and want to gain some valuable volunteer experience, then this worthwhile programme is waiting for you!
Swim with great whites…in a cage! Sail through Sharks’ Alley, among seals and penguins, while you record shark activity. Tuition on shark behaviour, underwater filming and lots more will give you an in depth understanding of these magnificent creatures.
This is a unique opportunity to reach and experience the heart of real South Africa in a small community near Cape Town and get involved with the children as you help with their sports activities at the school, one thing is for sure, their enthusiasm will be unbelievable!
Sample some of Africa’s exhilarating highlights. Camp in Kruger National Park with the big five, do a volunteer placement in Swaziland and learn to scuba dive in Mozambique. An adventure with a bit of everything!
There are hundreds of children in Cape Town’s inner city who live in poverty and are do not have the opportunity of an education and who have to grow up quickly to be able to survive. They do not experience a childhood that you or I take for granted. This is where your help will prove invaluable!
Join our action packed adventure tour whilst taking in amazing scenery and getting involved with worthwhile volunteer work. Enjoy the best of South Africa's wildlife and try your hand at abseiling, zip slides and sky high canopy tours.
Help the local children of the Masiphumelele township learn the basic skills they need in life including literacy, language and communication skills. Your interaction can greatly influence a brighter future for these disadvantaged children.
This is a great opportunity to experience the real South Africa in a small community near Cape Town, as well as making a massive difference to children’s lives by helping them to reading. Not only is this a very rewarding project but you will also be helping towards a generation of children build a brighter future.
Surround yourself with some of Africa's most beautiful animals on this fantastic 2 week volunteer project. Located in South Africa, you will be assisting in caring for Lions, Leopards and Hyena's as well as many other species of wildlife.
Travel to an amazing location in South Africa where you will not only have the opportunity to soak up the wonderful surroundings and lifestyle but also help brighten the lives of orphaned and disadvantaged children in Cape Town
Nurse injured and orphaned monkeys, plus baboons, snakes, crocodiles and any other animals needing attention. Longer-staying volunteers have the chance to work on sites that release monkeys back into the wild. Project Video Now Online
Take an unforgettable tour of southern Africa, getting close to game in South Africa, working with orphans in Swaziland and snorkelling with whale sharks in Mozambique. Indian Ocean beaches provide a paradisiacal finale!
Play a part in protecting South Africa’s beautiful Wild Coast. Work at a lion cub centre, sleep under the stars, learn about wildlife management, go on game drives and bushwalks, and more – perfect for outdoor people!
Get yourself on course to manage a game farm or nature reserve. Surrounded by the Big Five and other African wildlife, you’ll learn about educational bush walks, how to identify animals, game tracking, navigation and more. Project Video Now Online
Put your love of photography to good use on a World Heritage Site. Photograph elephants, rhinos and many other creatures for a database, and possibly magazines. You’ll also teach local children about their surroundings.
Need a career change? Want a qualification? Always dreamt of working alongside the wildlife of Africa? Then this is field guide course in South Africa is the ideal programme for you!
Help teach invaluable computer and sport skills set amongst Africa’s most spectacular scenery. This is a great teaching project, especially for first time travellers or those who may be nervous about taking the first step to teach. Project Video Now Online
Live a horse lover’s dream! Help with the day-to-day care of neglected and abused horses and build up their confidence. You’ll be able to ride the Wild Coast’s spectacular beach and bush trails too.
Get up close and personal with Africa’s wildlife, from Black Mambas to Baboon Spiders. As a reptile centre volunteer, you’ll be involved in research, feeding, building enclosures, demonstrating and much more. Project Video Now Online
Help provide much needed medical assistance and educate the local community about HIV/AIDS awareness on this medical programme in the beautiful location of St Lucia.
Actively help to save endangered wildlife species in Zululand by initiating, implementing and managing some of the most exciting monitoring projects in this part of South Africa.
Set off on an incredible journey across the world’s most fascinating continent! Discover the hidden secrets of the African plains and get to know its wildest inhabitants as you walk with lions and hang out with monkeys! Zimbabwe - Namibia - South Africa.
Experience some of the best sights and culture in Southern Africa whilst giving vital help and support to desperate families in two project locations. Combine volunteer work with children and families in need with travelling along the stunning Wild Coast and Garden Route from Swaziland to Cape Town.
Project Video Now Online
