The Gondwana Game Reserve is a unique conservation area with an amazing variety of wildlife, including Africa's Big Five: lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalos and leopards. As a private game reserve, Gondwana has an important role in protecting native species and restoring the natural ecosystem of the Western Cape.
This project combines wildlife conservation with hands-on research and practical fieldwork. As a volunteer, you support the team at the reserve with wildlife, habitat restoration as well as conservation activities that help protect this special environment.
Your work supports ongoing conservation efforts, from collecting important wildlife data to maintaining the reserve. Every animal observation, every restored habitat area, and every research activity helps to better understand and protect the ecosystem.
Your Project
Your home for the next weeks is in the middle of the Gondwana Game Reserve, a private wildlife reserve near Mossel Bay on South Africa’s Garden Route. You live surrounded by mountains, valleys, and untouched landscapes, right in the heart of a protected area where wildlife roams freely.
Your daily tasks include:
- Going on game drives in the national park and observing wildlife
- Counting animals and collecting important information such as location, habitat and behaviour
- Checking and maintaining camera traps used for wildlife research
- Sorting and analysing camera trap data and supporting research projects through accurate documentation
- Learning animal identification, tracking and conservation techniques
- Assisting with vegetation management and maintaining the natural environment
- Supporting habitat restoration and conservation work
Your days are a mix of adventure, research and hands-on conservation work. Most mornings start early with a drive through the reserve, searching for wildlife and collecting observations. Other activities include practical maintenance tasks, data work and time to explore this unique ecosystem around you.
Location: Your camp is located directly inside the Gondwana Game Reserve near rMossel Bay in the Western Cape, approsimately four hours from Cape Town. The nearest airport is George, where you are picked up and transferred to your new home in the reserve.
Who You Will Be Working With
You work with an experienced conservation team and rangers, who share their knowledge about wildlife, ecosystems and conservation in South African.
Together with other wayers volunteers, you become part of a small community living and working in the reserve. Many volunteers arrive alone and leave with lifelong friendships – because sharing sunrise game drives, campfire evenings, and unforgettable wildlife encounters creates a special connection between everyone involved.
Our team in South Africa supports you throughout your stay and makes sure you have local contacts whenever you need help.
You are never on your own: other wayers volunteers live with you in the camp, join the daily activities and experience this adventure alongside you.
What We Expect From You
No previous experience is required. What matters is that your curiosity, your respect for nature and your willingness to learn. Life in the bush is different from everyday life at home. You should enjoy being outdoors, be comfortable with early mornings, and understand that conservation work also includes hands-on work like maintenance in the reserve.
Flexibility is important: wildlife cannot be planned. Some days you may spend hours searching for animals on a game drive, while other days focus more on research, habitat work or learning about the ecosystem. Things work differently in South Africa than at home, and an open, patient attitude makes all the difference. The minimum age is 17 and the minimum stay is two weeks.
What You Can Expect From Us
Before you leave, we prepare you with an online seminar, access to the wayers Lounge, our digital wayers Workbook and the chance to connect with other participants before departure.
Before and during your trip you receive:
- Support from our experienced wayers team before, during, and after your journey
- Help with travel preparations and insurance information
- A chance to connect with other participants before departure
- Airport transfer from George to you accommodation on the scheduled arrival day
- A welcome introduction by the local team
- Personal support throughout your stay
- Wildlife activities such as game drives and bush walks
- A 24-hour emergency number with support in Germany and South Africa
Life at the wayers Home
The wayers Home is located directly inside the Gondwana Game Reserve. Here, your everyday life looks a little different: instead of city noises, you wake up surouded by nature and may even spot wildlife just outside your accommodation.
You share the camp with other volunteers and prepare your meals together. Threre are community areas where you can hang out after cooking dinner together, have a work out session, have a camp fire and share stories from the day’s adventures.
Surroundings: The reserve is located along the famous Garden Route, one of South Africa’s most beautiful regions. The area combines impressive landscapes, mountains, coastline, and diverse wildlife. Besides your conservation activities, you can explore the surrounding area with optional excursions, visit beaches, discover the Garden Route, or simply enjoy the incredible nature around you.
This is not a typical holiday safari as you are not just watching animals from a distance. You become part of the conservation work that helps understand and protect this unique ecosystem.
Look forward to unforgettable moments. Spot elephants on a game drive, enjoy the sunset over the bush, and realise that Africa isn’t just a place you visit, but a place you experience.
Travel with Confidence
As a German tour operator with over 22 years of experience and more than 70,000 participants sent abroad, wayers supports you with visa guidance, insurance information, and a personal welcome on arrival, backed by a 24/7 emergency line in Germany and on the ground.
