Volunteer Preflight Travel Information

PREFLIGHT TRAVEL INFORMATION

Get ready to pack your bags for your adventure! Here are a few things you should know before you go.

“Give back to others, see spectacular sights and cultures and have fun on a life changing experience”

A LITTLE BIT OF PAPER WORK

Most of our volunteer projects require a little bit of paperwork before your arrival. Please read through the below requirements to see if they apply to you!

BOOKING FORM

The last page of this document is a booking form, that will help us collect a bit more information about you to prepare for your arrival, along with your flight information. You may not have your exact details yet, but please fill out the general information and return the form to us as soon as possible. Once your flights are booked, please email us so we can add it to your file.
POLICE CLEARANCE FORM

Most of our programs work with children, if your program does, we require a police clearance form. This is usually easy to obtain on your government website or from your local police station.
UNDER AGE REQUIREMENTS

If you are under 18 and are traveling to or through South Africa, please note that the South African Department of Home Affairs, requires certain documentation from you before letting you cross any of its borders
MOZAMBIQUE MARINE PROJECT
For participants booking for Mozambique Marine Project, the following requirements are mandatory and will be checked upon booking:

You will need to be a capable swimmer (able to swim 100m unassisted) and snorkeler; being able to hold your breath to dive down would be an advantage

Participants who sign up for a 2-week project must have either their open or advanced water dive certification

Participants who have pre-existing medical conditions or are over 45 years of age must also bring a medical clearance letter permitting them to dive

Accredited divers must bring their dive cards (listing their last logged dive) with them to the project site

WHAT TO PACK

Please pack as lightly and compactly as possible as space and weight are limited. Ideally, you should not have more than 22kg of luggage and should be able to fit everything into a 60-liter backpack plus one small daypack. In order to help you prepare for your experience with us, we’ve put a recommended packing list together for you!

GENERAL ITEMS

Mobile phone with roaming OR “unlocked”(Buy local network SIM on arrival)
Sunglasses/Sun hat/Bandanna/Sun cream
Insect repellent
Day pack/rucksack for everyday
Small torch (a head torch is preferable)
Toiletries/ Hand sanitizer & wet wipes(You can easily buy toiletries on arrival in Swaziland & Cape Town)
Personal first aid kit/ Painkillers
Boots &/or sturdy trainers
Flip flops/Sandals/Swimwear
Fun &/or casual wear for the weekend!
Light waterproof jacket

LADIES – A Knee-length skirt recommended to be packed. Nothing revealing on top or bottom for your project work.

GENTS – One pair of trousers for project work is recommended in case you are to meet chiefs or elders.

MOZAMBIQUE EXTRAS

Anti-seasickness tablets
(Only if you suffer from seasickness and will be on the water)
Underwater Camera
Towel
Malaria Medication*

*Any volunteers taking Mefloquine, Lariam, Mephliam, Tropicure (or any other derivatives) as antimalarial treatment (prophylaxis) be warned it causes increased risk of sea sickness. Please talk to your doctor to find out which medicine works best for you.

ADDITIONAL CLOTHING NOTES:

If your project involves working with local community members it is important to note a few cultural standards that can improve how you are received as a volunteer. In community areas, the way you dress sends a message. For men and women, hygiene and cleanliness are extremely important. Although many of the people you are working with may not have a lot, they will always dress in their best outfits, making sure they are clean and presentable. Please keep this in mind when venturing to local areas or schools.

For ladies in particular, it is very important to be aware of the social standards of dress. In the communities where you will be working it is very inappropriate for a woman to show any skin above the knee or mid-drift (stomach), this can even be considered disrespectful. To get the most out of your experience, keep safe and well respected in the communities you will be working in, please pack outfits that hold yourself to this standard. Leave your short shorts at home!

OOPS! I FORGOT SOMETHING

If you’re running out of room in your suitcase, or fear you may forget something important, don’t worry! In all of our destinations, you will be able to find essentials, comparable products (i.e. toothpaste, shampoo, soap, bug repellent etc).

Swaziland & South Africa has nearby shopping centers with a wide selection of brands and products to choose from. If you are looking to save space, you will have an opportunity in the first few days in-country to pick up any supplies you may need. Mozambique also has access to essentials, however, the variety of brands and types of products is far less.

FOOD MENU

Joining us in Mozambique? This is for you. This standard menu is an example from August 2023, so there may or may not been changes. Vegetarians and most food allergies can be catered for. In order to support you during your experience fully, please advise us at the time of booking if you have any food allergies or preferences, so we can cater for these in our meal plans. We will do our best but be prepared your food selection may not be as varied as other participants. If your food allergies/preferences are quite restrictive, we may require you to pay an additional fee to allow us to cater for you.

FOOD MENU

STAYING CONNECTED

ELECTRICITY

The South African 3 pin plug is commonly found in Swaziland & South Africa. Adapters are available locally for the European Round Pin plug. You are advised to bring an appropriate adapter for your electronic equipment. Please note that South African plugs rarely feature in ‘Worldwide travel adapters’ and an adapter specifically designed forSouth Africa is recommended.

Mozambique uses the European 2 pin plug and also the South African 3 pin plug.

PHONE & INTERNET

It is recommended that you bring a phone with you that is “unlocked” so you can purchase a local SIM card.

Data is most commonly purchased by the gigabyte through a local mobile network SIM card. You are advised to switch off automatic updates and notifications on your mobile device as this will reduce the number of gigabytes you will use. Wifi also generally available at accommodation establishments and restaurants, although please remember you will be volunteering in a developing country and therefore the wifi speed will not be at the level you are used to.

Swaziland has one mobile and Internet provider available which is MTN. You can purchase a SIM card very cheaply upon arrival within Swaziland and can purchase prepaid phone credit and mobile data to use whilst in Swaziland. (Do not buy a SIM card at the airport, it will NOT work when you arrive in Swaziland).

South Africa has three mobile and several Internet providers available. Mobile providers are MTN, Vodacom, and Cell C. You can purchase a SIM card very cheaply upon arrival within South Africa but you will need to produce your passport and most likely your letter of confirmation of volunteer project in order to comply with the RICA laws and can purchase prepaid phone credit and mobile data.

Mozambique has several mobile networks including Vodacom, Movitel, mCel, and MTN, and you can purchase a local SIM card and airtime cheaply but you will need to produce your passport.

ATM’S & CURRENCY

Visa and MasterCard are accepted in larger venues and shops In Swaziland & South Africa there are plenty of ATM’s available to withdraw local currency. Mozambique projects are based in Tofo, there is no ATM in the small town, the closest is a short Chappa (bus) ride away.

Swaziland’s currency is the Emalangeni, which is linked to the South African Rand. Rand notes can be used withinSwaziland as well as Emalangeni, but the Emalangeni can only be used within Swaziland.

South Africa’s currency is the Rand. Rand notes can be used within some bordering countries such as Swaziland, but only Rand is accepted in South Africa.

Mozambique’s currency is the Metical (meticais). Most small restaurants and shops will require cash. If you are on an All Out Africa tour your guide will help you exchangeSouth Africa Rands to Meticais at the border (Some small shops may accept Rand, Dollars, and Euros too).

HOW TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHTS

SOUTH AFRICA

BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR FLIGHT

All our volunteer projects commence on the first MONDAY OF THE MONTH, as this is when All Out Africa staff can personally collect you from the airport.

Airport transfers on this day are what is included as a part of your project fee. If you arrive on another day, additional charges may occur.)

If your project/expedition begins in South Africa (Capetown) and you are travelling from abroad you will need to fly into Cape Town where you will be met by an All Out Africa staff member.

VISA FOR SOUTH AFRICA

It is your responsibility to check if you need a pre-arranged visa. Should you need a letter to assist with a visa, please let us know and we will happily assist. Most nationalities can obtain a 90-day tourist visa upon entry

ARRIVALS

You will be given an ‘International Arrival/Departure form’ on your flight – please fill this in on the plane before landing. When you are filling in the Arrival/Departure form please remember that participating with All Out Africa counts as ‘tourism’ for immigration purposes.

If you do transit through OR Tambo International Airport, your first stop will be at the Immigrations Desk where you will have to hand them your passport and your Arrival/ Departure form that you would have filled out on your flight. Your passport is stamped/endorsed by the Immigration

Officer and he/she will issue you with a visa.

You will then proceed to the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage. From here you will proceed to Domestic Departures Terminal B in preparation for your flight to Cape Town.

When you arrive at Cape Town International Airport, your first stop will be at the Immigration Desk where you will have to hand them your passport and your Arrival/Departure form that you should fill out. Your passport is stamped/ endorsed by the Immigration Officer and he/she will issue you with a visa. Please ask for a normal tourist visa.

For your destination details please write down All Out Africa and if asked for the postal address please put: ALL OUT AFRICA, 8 Edward Street, Hout Bay, Cape Town

You will then enter the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage. Once you have your luggage make your way to the exit (signposted in English). There you will be met by one of our staff (holding an All Out Africa sign and will be taken to the All Out Volunteer accommodation.

IF FOR SOME REASON YOUR FLIGHT IS DELAYED CONTACT Greg (Cape Town Projects Coordinator) +27 79 267 9472

DEPARTURES

When you arrive a member of All Out Africa staff will request your flight departure time and will organize a transfer for you from Hout Bay to Cape Town International Airport.

MOZAMBIQUE

BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR FLIGHT

All our volunteer projects commence on the first MONDAY OF THE MONTH, as this is when All Out Africa staff can personally collect you from the airport.

Airport transfers on this day are what is included as a part of your project fee. If you arrive on another day, additional charges may occur.

If your project/expedition begins in Mozambique you should fly to Inhambane. You may do this by flying to Johannesburg in South Africa or Maputo in Mozambique then take a connecting flight to Inhambane. To ensure your journey is fluid and easier, please try and book your connecting flight to Inhambane on the same day that your flight lands in OR Tambo or Maputo.

Please make sure you arrange a valid visa for Mozambique prior to flying. You can get a visa in Mozambique on arrival only if your country of origin does not have a Mozambican embassy.

VISA FOR MOZAMBIQUE

It is your responsibility to check if you need a pre-arranged visa. Should you need a letter to assist with a visa, please let us know and we will happily assist.

Currently, immigration requires all tourists going directly to Mozambique to apply for a visa before they travel should their home country have a Mozambican Embassy. You can get a visa in Mozambique on arrival only if your country of origin does not have a Mozambican embassy. If you are staying longer than 30 days be sure to get a single entry (not a multiple entry) visa. Visas can still be purchased at land border crossings, although this cannot be guaranteed and it is recommended (and often cheaper) to obtain a visa at the Mozambican Embassy.

ARRIVALS

You will be given an ‘International Arrival/Departure form’

on your flight – please fill this in on the plane before landing. When you are filling in the Arrival/Departure form please remember that participating with All Out Africa counts as ‘tourism’ for immigration purposes.

If you transit through OR Tambo International Airport, your first stop will be at the Immigrations Desk where you will have to hand them your passport and your Arrival/Departure form that you would have filled out on your flight. Your passport is stamped/endorsed by the Immigration Officer and he/she will issue you with a visa. You will then proceed to international departures to prepare for your flight to Inhambane.

If you transit through Maputo, Mozambique you will pass through the Immigration Desk where you will have to hand them your passport and your Arrival/Departure form that you would have filled out on your flight. Your passport is stamped/endorsed by the Immigration Officer and he/she will issue you with a visa. You will then proceed to domestic departures to prepare for your flight to Inhambane.

For your destination details please write down All Out Africa and if asked for the postal address please put: ALL OUT AFRICA, Tilak Lodge, Tofo Mozambique

You will then enter the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage. Once you have your luggage make your way to the exit. There you will be met by one of our staff (holding a sign and wearing a T-shirt with the All Out Africa logo).

IF FOR SOME REASON YOUR FLIGHT IS DELAYED CONTACT Jule (Mozambique Projects Coordinator) +258 876 738 334 only available for calling or +49 1515 3046810 for whatsapp.

DEPARTURES

When you arrive a member of All Out Africa staff will request your flight departure time and will organize a transfer for you from Tofo to the Inhambane airport.

THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR FLIGHT

All our volunteer projects commence on the first MONDAY OF THE MONTH, as this is when All Out Africa staff can personally collect you from the airport. If your project/ expedition begins in Eswatini and you are traveling from abroad you will need to fly into Johannesburg.

Airport transfers on this day are what is included as a part of your project fee. If you arrive on another day, additional charges may occur.

The bus leaves for Swaziland once all participants have arrived or at 13:00 at the latest, so please ensure you book a flight that arrives before the shuttle departure (allowing time to collect bags and pass through immigration).

If your flight arrives at a later time you will need to arrive a DAY EARLIER and stay overnight in Johannesburg. For these instances, we recommend that you book with our trusted backpackers in Johannesburg, Doves Nest Guest House.

To book a room at Emerald Guest House Contact:

Tel. +27 66 139 9248 info@airportinn.biz | www.emeraldguesthouse.za-southafrica.com/en/

Emerald Guest House will pick you up at the airport transport you to the guest house, and return you to the airport to meet our staff on the arrival day. If you need assistance making your booking, please let us know.

When you are returning home, the transfers leave in the morning, so please organize for your flight to depart OR Tambo after 14:30, or alternatively, you will have to travel the day before and spend a night at Emerald Guest House.

*Overnight accommodation in Johannesburg is not included. Payments will need to be made directly to the guest house.

VISA FOR ESWATINI

ARRIVALS

You will be given an ‘International Arrival/Departure form’ on your flight – please fill this in on the plane before landing (it is sensible to make sure you have a pen on the flight with you). When you are filling in the Arrival/Departure form please remember that participating with All Out Africa counts as ‘tourism’ for immigration purposes.

When you arrive at O.R Tambo International Airport, your first stop will be at the Immigrations Desk where you will have to hand them your passport and your Arrival/Departure form that you would have filled out on your flight. Your passport is stamped/ endorsed by the Immigration Officer and he/she will issue you with a visa. Please inform the Officer that you are traveling to Eswatini and they will usually give you a transit visa.

For your destination details please write down All Out Africa and if asked for postal address please put: ALL OUT AFRICA, Box 153, Lobamba, Swaziland

You will then enter the baggage reclaim area to collect your luggage. Once you have your luggage make your way to the exit (signposted in English). There you will be met by one of our staff (holding a sign and wearing a T-shirt with the All Out logo).

You will pass through immigration upon entering Eswatini and the All Out Africa staff member will assist you in getting the entry stamp and the visa you require.

IF FOR SOME REASON YOUR FLIGHT IS DELAYED CONTACT Tiphiwe (Bookings Coordinator) +268 7645 7832

DEPARTURES

When you arrive a member of All Out Africa staff will request your flight departure time and will organize a transfer for you from Eswatini to OR Tambo.

HOLIDAYS & WEATHER INTERRUPTIONS

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS & SCHOOL BREAKS

Many of our projects work with school-aged children. Because of this, our projects may vary from the project brief descriptions during public holidays and/or school breaks. Our project coordinators will arrange additional activities for volunteers to work on during this time or you may assist on another project during these times until work returns to the daily norm.

If you are concerned you have booked during one of these times, please let us know so we can check any overlap of these time frames with your booking.

WEATHER INTERRUPTIONS

In southern Africa, no matter your destination weather can play a role in daily activities. Unlike western countries, many people in the communities we work with depend on public transport or walking to get from place to place. The areas in which they live may even become difficult to navigate in poor weather situations. For this reason, please be flexible if plans change, meetings are canceled, or your schedule changes due to rain etc. Our project coordinators will ensure that you have activities to keep you busy if you are unable to go to your project site for any reason.

In Mozambique, many of our activities will be on the water. Safety is always our top priority and we will cancel any water activities if we consider the conditions to be unsafe. This could be due to rain, lightning, high winds, rough water (waves) or strong currents. We will do everything we can to make sure any missed activities are made up before the end of your experience, however, this will be based on availability.

DONATIONS

Many of our volunteers ask us what type of things they can bring with them to donate. Sustainability is the key idea behind everything we do, therefore if you choose to collect items to bring with you we ask that these items can be reusable, educational, sports-related etc. (i.e. Soccer balls can be used for our Sports Development program for over 300 kids each year! Colour or shape flashcards can be a useful learning tool all 6 of our teachers can use in the classroom.)We discourage one-on-one donations, such as clothing and toys, as there is a chance that someone will be left out.

We also recommend that you save your fundraising efforts until you return home. Many volunteers find a special project or find a connection to a specific area whilst they are volunteering, that they want to help. Our Foundation also has many projects that you can help us fundraise for, such as garden projects, building projects or NCP sponsorship!

For more information about donations or sponsorships, email info@alloutafrica.org

PREFLIGHT TRAVEL INFORMATION

“Give back to others, see spectacular sights and cultures and have fun on a life changing experience”

A LITTLE BIT OF PAPER WORK

BOOKING FORM

POLICE CLEARANCE FORM

UNDER AGE REQUIREMENTS

MOZAMBIQUE MARINE PROJECT

GENERAL ITEMS

MOZAMBIQUE EXTRAS

OOPS! I FORGOT SOMETHING

ELECTRICITY

PHONE & INTERNET

SOUTH AFRICA

MOZAMBIQUE

THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS & SCHOOL BREAKS

WEATHER INTERRUPTIONS

OTHER PROJECTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

2018 African Responsible Tourism Awards- We’ve been long listed!

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Get Involved

Volunteer Projects Contact

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Volunteer Preflight Travel Information

PREFLIGHT TRAVEL INFORMATION

“Give back to others, see spectacular sights and cultures and have fun on a life changing experience”

A LITTLE BIT OF PAPER WORK

GENERAL ITEMS

MOZAMBIQUE EXTRAS

OOPS! I FORGOT SOMETHING

WEATHER INTERRUPTIONS

OTHER PROJECTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Share this:

Like this:

Some Interesting Links

Get Involved

Volunteer Projects Contact

Adventure Tours contact