Living Conditions in South Africa

Communications

Mail

Mail takes a minimum of two to three weeks to arrive, often longer. Advise your family and friends to number their letters and to write “Airmail” on the envelopes. Packages sent via airmail can take from six to nine weeks; those sent by surface mail take around six months. Your address during training will be:

[Your Name]
Peace Corps
P.O. Box 9536
Pretoria 0001
South Africa

Telephones

Upon arrival in South Africa, every Trainee is given an opportunity to email and telephone a family member or friend in the U.S. However, during most of pre-service training, you will have infrequent opportunities to use telephones or the internet, if at all. Cell phones are widely available in South Africa. You will find that most people have cell phones, even in the remotest parts of the country.

Internet

Your site may not have electricity, so the ability to use a personal computer is not guaranteed. The Peace Corps office in Pretoria has computers available in the Volunteer resource center for Volunteer use. Volunteers may have access to the internet via smartphones and other computer devices, although the signal can be inconsistent and lapses in coverage are common. You are encouraged to bring your personal laptops and tech devices to complete online assignments, reporting requirements, and connect with others.

Housing and site location

All Volunteers live with a host family at a site located anywhere from one hour to nine hours from the capital city of Pretoria. In South Africa, it is the norm to live within the compound of a host family and have your own room/dwelling separate from the main house. Peace Corps ensures that all Volunteer housing meets a minimum standard. Housing will vary widely in South Africa. Some Volunteers have running water and electricity, others will not. Volunteers with access to electricity often experience significant outages for hours or days at a time (known as "loadshedding" or "load reduction").

Housing varies from mud houses with either thatch or tin roofs to brick homes with tin roofs. You need to be very flexible in your housing expectations because there is no guarantee that you will have running water or electricity. If you do not, you will collect your water from a well or borehole and spend your evenings reading by candlelight or lantern. Volunteer sites will live in districts within a few hours of the capital, Pretoria, where the Peace Corps Office is located. Nearby shopping towns will normally have banks, a variety of shops, markets, local restaurants, and guesthouses. Villages will also have small shops (tuck-shops), veggie stands, and related places to purchase food and provisions. Volunteers may use public buses, minivans, or hired taxis as a main mode of transportation. Volunteers typically work in locations that are within one to two kilometers from their houses. If your main mode of transport for work requires a bicycle, Peace Corps can guide Volunteers on steps to purchase a bicycle.

Important to note that living in rural settings generally means that Volunteers may be exposed to neighbors who are raising chickens and livestock or have guard dogs and other animals that can be very noisy at inconvenient hours. In some communities, there may be loud gatherings for church and other social gatherings. It is not uncommon to see children running around freely and playing as well, perhaps in nearby playgrounds or in the neighborhood. It is thus important for applicants to be prepared for neighbors/neighborhoods that may not be quiet all the time, and community members may not have the same sensitivity to noise as you might.

Living allowance and money management

Volunteers receive a monthly allowance in local currency that is sufficient to live at the level of the local people. The allowance covers food, housing, household supplies, clothing, transportation to and from work, utilities, recreation and entertainment, and incidental expenses. Peace Corps Volunteers are expected to live at a level that is comparable with that of their host country counterparts. The Peace Corps discourages Volunteers from supplementing their living allowance with funds from home. However, Volunteers often bring additional money for vacation travel to other countries. For this, credit cards and traveler’s checks are preferable to cash. If you choose to bring extra money, bring the amount that will suit your own travel plans and needs. 

Food and diet

The staple food in communities where Volunteers live and work is maize (corn), prepared as a thick porridge called pap and eaten with vegetables or a sauce. Many fresh fruits and vegetables are available in South Africa, and with a little creativity, you can enjoy a varied diet even in rural areas. Volunteers either prepare their own food or share meals with their host family. You can determine what the best arrangement is for you once you have been assigned a site. Fruits and vegetables are available seasonally, which means some things will not be in the market year-round. A variety of meat and dairy products are also available.

Though most South Africans are meat eaters, vegetarians are able to eat well after becoming familiar with local food items and their preparation. Most South Africans do not understand vegetarianism and will not normally be prepared to serve a vegetarian meal if you are a guest in their home. However, a sensitive explanation of your preferences will be accepted. Most vegetarian Volunteers have no difficulty after an initial adjustment period.

Transportation

Volunteers’ primary modes of transportation in South Africa are public buses and combies (minivans) loaded with people and goods. Combies travel between towns on irregular schedules (i.e., when full), so travel on this form of transport is never based on exact timing. Bus schedules are fairly regular, but buses generally are not available in some rural areas. Many Volunteers receive an all-terrain bicycle (along with a helmet) to facilitate their work. It is Peace Corps’ policy that helmets be worn when riding. Note that these are men’s bikes, which can be difficult for women to ride when wearing a skirt. Many female Volunteers wear shorts under their skirt to solve this problem. Volunteers are not allowed to drive, own, or operate motor vehicles, including motorcycles (two- or three-wheeled). Violation of this policy can result in your being terminated from Volunteer service.

Social activities

Volunteers will be invited to participate in many communal, religious, and social events during their time in service. Participating in these events is a great way to integrate with host family and community. These are very common during the festive season around Christmas, New Year's, and Easter. We encourage Volunteers take part in these occasions as they will enrich your cultural understanding of South Africa and offer an opportunity to share your own U.S. customs and rituals.

Professionalism, dress, and behavior

While Volunteers may see the influence of Western culture in daily life in the country, norms in urban and rural contexts in South Africa may differ. Volunteers must take their cues from the local context and abide by the social guidelines outlined below.

Personal appearance and cleanliness are important in South Africa. Volunteers with visible body and facial piercings or tattoos will need strategies to conceal them when possible. Volunteers are looked upon as role models in the community and are therefore expected to be neat, clean, and well-groomed even in informal occasions. In the community, Volunteers should follow a casual business dress code. Volunteers should consider wearing clothes that cover shoulders, modest-length skirts and shorts, and be neatly groomed. Women should wear long skirts/dresses and headscarves when meeting with village chiefs. As visitors in these communities, Volunteers should always maintain a clean and groomed appearance as this affects the community’s perception of the Volunteer. Hair should be clean and combed, and beards should be neatly trimmed. Volunteers spend much of their time in the field, so it is advisable to bring clothing that is comfortable and modest. Footwear appropriate for considerable standing, walking, and biking is also a necessity.