Career Breaks and Grown Up Gap Years in Africa

Quick Travel Guide to Africa

Many people choose to travel to Africa for a career break or grown up gap year full of adventure. A career break or gap year in Africa can include anything from volunteering on a wildlife conservation project, travelling through the famous African Game Reserves on safari in Kenya of Ghana, or even bungee jumping off the beautiful Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. For a more serene adventure try a guided tour through the South African Winelands.

If you are thinking of taking a career break, alternative holiday or golden gap year in Africa, you may wish to know the following:

When to go

If you're planning on making Africa a stop on your career break or gap year, you'll probably be wondering about the best time to visit. Well, remember Africa is huge and holds 53 countries so it's pretty hard to summarise climate in such a big land mass, it depends where you go!

Weather

Africa's varying weather and climate is largely controlled by the continent's location astride the equator and the fact that it is almost equally in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. To get reliable information on the best time to see the country you are planning to visit, we recommend you check a website focusing in that country. However, as a general rule of thumb, starting from the equator and working outwards:

1. The climate near the equator is tropical, with high temperatures throughout the year and a rainy summer season.
2. North and South of the equator the climate is semi-arid to arid - with the most extreme conditions found in the Sahara in the North and Kalahari in the South
3. On the Northern and Southern coasts of Africa the climate is usually similar to the Mediterranean - with subtropical temperatures and a concentration of rainfall mostly in the autumn and winter months.

Useful Links:

BBC: African Weather Page

The Weather Channel: African Weather by Satellite

Things to do

There are so many great things to do on a gap year in Africa, whether it's joining an amazing overland expedition, taking part in a life changing voluntary programme, working on a game reserve or just experiencing the beauty and diversity of such an amazing continent.

We've picked out some of the best.

Experience the sunset on the Serengeti, Tanzania

Let's face it, think of Africa and you think of big cats, giraffes, wilderbeast and zebras (well, we do!). Africa is THE place for a Safari and no African gap year is complete without going on Safari. Many people say you haven't lived until you've seen a Serengeti sunset so we reckon since you're going all that way you should stick it on your itinerary. Better yet ... volunteer on a game reserve placement and see the sunset whenever it takes your fancy!

Visit Tanzania Tourism Website

Visit South Africa

South Africa has a fascinating human and cultural history and it has grown from the dark days of Apartheid to become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the continent. Let's see... you can go shark diving on the Western Cape (we're pretty sure that Great Whites are harmless!), climb Table Mountain for an amazing view of Cape Town, go on safari in Kruger National Park and even bungee from one of the world’s highest drops – the bridge over the Blaukrans River on the Western Cape (a mere 216 metres above sea level and a breathtaking view - if you can keep your eyes open!)

Visit South Africa Tourism Website

Take a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls

Or see it from the ground if you like your feet on the old terra-firma! However you decide to view one of the finest natural spectacles on earth, if you're planning to be in Zimbabwe or Zambia, view it you should!

Visit Zambia Tourism Website

Volunteer in the Region

There are a huge variety of voluntary placements available in Africa. For more information and links to organisation syou can contact visit our Volunteering in Africa page.