I want to Apply

Application

requirements

APPLICATION PROCESS

pre/post accom

Are you ready to volunteer with LEO Africa? We can't wait to meet you at our project!

If you would like to have more information on our program, please write us an email at enquiries@leoafrica.org. We look forward to assist you with any questions you may have!

As of 2020 we will be operating a non-smoking policy to support our conservation efforts.

Booking your trip to LEO Africa is easy. Please follow the steps below and choose your best option to get in touch with us and book your stay at LEO Africa. We highly recommend to book in advance to avoid disappointment! Last minute bookings, if space allows, are welcome!

Send us an email at enquiries@leoafrica.org to enquire about available dates or for more information. (We kindly ask you to add our email address to your contacts and mark it as "safe" to avoid correspondence ending up in the spam folder; moreover, if you could add a cell phone number to the email it will be great; we will use it only if we have the suspect that the email has not been delivered).

Download the application form and email the completed form to us at enquiries@leoafrica.org. Please remember that our arrivals are on Sunday and departures on Saturday.

If you have any problems with the downloading the application form, please contact us and we will send it to you straight away!

Application form

Download our latest brochure to find everything you need to know about volunteering at Leo Africa.

Download our brochure

requirements

In order to volunteer at LEO Africa, you do not need to have a previous experience; however there are some requirements and guidelines that are important to follow to ensure you safely can have the best experience with us. In order to volunteer with LEO Africa, you should:

Be able to get on and off a 4x4 vehicle unattended
Be able to walk 1km unattended
Have travel/medical insurance: see below
Non smoking
18+ years old (or 16+ if accompanied by an adult)
Have a medium/Good level of English (the language in which the program runs) to understand the guides and the other volunteers (however some guides can assist with Italian, French and Dutch).
Be flexible to the life in the bush which may not always run on schedule.
Be able to be out for 10-12 hours in the field every day, sometimes with extreme heat (up to 40 degrees Celsius).
Be able to live and work in a group with international people with different backgrounds
Be open-minded and willing to contribute to wildlife monitoring, conservation and sustainability

Price and Duration

PRICES AND DURATION

LEO Africa provides a free service to the reserve where we operate and we don't receive any financial benefit from the reserve or other entities. For this reason, the financial support from the volunteers is vital, as well as their help in the field and at base.

LEO Africa does not receive any funding from the government, the reserve or any other institutions and are solely reliant on the contribution from our volunteers and donors.

The prices paid from the volunteers are used for their food, accommodation and for expenses incurred in running the programme, such as: vehicles, fuel, maintenance of the vehicles and house, salaries, research equipment, camera traps, batteries, laptops and anything needed to run and improve the programme’s quality and level of performances. We are very conscious of our impact on the environment so we try our best to recycle and do not change items or buy new items until the ones we have are no longer usable.

Thanks to the financial contribution from volunteers, we purchased two second hand electric scooters who are charged with solar energy and Koos (the Owner of LEO Africa) built three solar vehicles that are used, i.e. to service our camera traps and for fence patrols. This allows us to be even more eco-friendly reducing the use of fossil fuels.

Once your booking has been confirmed, we kindly ask that you please to pay a 50% deposit to secure your booking. The remaining payment should be processed no later than 30 days prior arrival please.

All past volunteers will benefit from a 10% discount!

The Volunteer ambassador programme is reserved to our past volunteers who would like to spread our name and get extra benefits for the next visit. For more info please write us at enquiries@leoafrica.org.

Transfers organised by LEO Africa on wheels are included in the prices!*

Flights, medical insurance, excursions, extras and meals outside camp are not included.

Elephant Monitoring Game Drive with volunteer

Flight Visa

Flight and Visa information

Our weeks run from Sunday to Saturday.

There are two options to get to LEO Africa, according to the week of arrival/departure.
Option 1 - Minibus Transfer Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport to LEO Africa
We organise a road transfer with a Minibus from Johannesburg OR Tambo airport to LEO
Africa and vice versa every other week (included in the price) with a private company or
through us directly - please ask for the dates should you prefer this option.
Should the minibus be your arrival option, volunteers need to stay over on Saturday
night at a guesthouse close to the airport (ask for recommendations) to be ready for early Sunday morning pick up. The journey with the minibus from the airport to LEO Africa will take approximately 6 hours with a couple of stops along the way for comfort breaks, lunch and shopping before reaching camp.
Inbound Journey Departs on Sunday AM at 7.45 AM from Johannesburg OR Tambo Bus Terminal
Return Journey Transfer gets to Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport at 17.30

Option 2 - Transfers from Hoedspruit Airport or Kamogelo tourist center to LEO Africa

Should you prefer a short transfer option, every other week, you can arrive/depart at
Hoedspruit Airport where we will be able to pick you up or drop you off (Transfer to/from
LEO Africa included in the price) or we can assist you booking a road transfer with a third
party company (please ask for details).
Further information will be given at the time of booking and based on your arrival/departure
dates. Please do not book flights without consulting with us first! This applies also to
volunteers who need to organise a private transfers. This allows us to facilitate all transfers
and flights in a timely manner.

Please remember that before booking any flight, your reservation must be confirmed by us to avoid disappointment.

If you have the need of arriving and departing in dates different than the ones indicated above, please contact us. We might be able to assist you, based on the availability.

No visa is required for passport holders of most European and North American countries for a stay in South Africa of less than 90 days. Please double check with the South African embassy of your country if you need a visa. This is your responsibility as laws and agreements between countries might change any time. Please remember that your passport has to be valid for at least 6 months from the date you land in South Africa and will need to have three free pages. If you need a visa, please contact us and we will do our best to assist you with the documentation needed.

The price of the land transfer organised by LEO Africa is included. For transfers requested on different days, costs will be quoted based on the volunteer's needs.

The volunteer programme runs throughout the year and has a limit of 11 volunteers per week.

The minimum volunteer duration is 2 weeks and the maximum is 12 weeks.

A private room with ensuite bathroom is available on request and at a small extra cost per week.

If you would like to carbon offset your flight and contribute to a more environmental way of living, please visit Climate Care.

Please note if you choose to self drive:

If you have hired a car for your travels in South Africa, you have the option to drive to LEO Africa. As our weeks start on Sunday, we kindly ask that you arrive Sunday afternoon.

We look forward to welcoming you on your once is a lifetime African adventure!

Pre/Post leo Africa accommodation

If you prefer to land in South Africa on saturday/depart on Sunday, you can book an overnight stay in Johannesburg.

We recommend these two guesthouses which are located in Johannesburg near OR Tambo airport and have been previously booked by volunteers.

Sunrock Guesthouse, a lodge with all its charm and hospitality, run by owners Arthur and Ina Johnson assisted by a well-trained, professional team. Their home has a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere, full of books, music, good wine and home-cooked meals. The guesthouse is 4 km from O. R. Tambo International airport, and there is a complimentary pick up and drop off service to and from the Airport. Free WiFi and breakfast are included in the price.

Emerald Guesthouse, a more affordable option. The guesthouse is basic but it provides free breakfast, wifi and transfers from/to the airport every hour between 5.00am and 23.00. Meals options are also available.

Sunrock Guesthouse

Emerald Guesthouse

pre/post accom

Insurance

Travel insurance

Please remember that in order to come to LEO you MUST have a travel insurance!

In order to travel to South Africa, a travel/medical insurance is necessary as a precaution, as if you may need a doctor, we will have to take you to a private facility (they are fairly expensive).

There are different travel insurances available in your country of origin. Some credit cards or insurances back home offer the opportunity to have a medical insurance while travelling.

Let us know if we can help you with anything! :-)

Health and Safety

health and safety

LEO Base is located inside the reserve and it is fenced, to keep the areas safer from dangerous animals, especially at night.

In our daily field work, our volunteers might have the opportunity to experience close encounters with wild animals in their natural environment on board of a 4x4 vehicle. Among the animals that you may encounter while on drive are some of Africa's most fearsome wildlife, including lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, snakes, scorpions etc.. but don't worry, you will always be accompanied by one our our experienced rangers.

To ensure your safety, our staff and field guides are all trained, qualified and experienced in dealing with dangerous wildlife and follow strict health and safety regulations.

All volunteers must sign a detailed risk assessment upon arrival and are provided with a full account of potential dangers - and of course, how to avoid them. If you have any concerns before applying or heading to South Africa, please get in contact with us.

Travel and medical insurance for the duration of your volunteer work are mandatory. In case of emergency, the closest hospitals are located in Phalaborwa and Tzaneen.

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