Living in South Africa

Student Guide to Living during Global PACT South Africa

Note from a Global PACT Alum:

You are going to have an awesome time exploring the cities of Grahamstown and Cape Town—I know we did!  And, we do want to keep some of this stuff a surprise,
but here are some of our key recommendations of the must-see sights, restaurants, and activities.  The Global PACT training will be very tiring, but definitely worth it.  You will be busy developing your projects, learning key leadership skills, and taking part in cross-cultural dialogue. On your day off you will be very tempted to just sleep all day.  Our first recommendation is don’t!  Go out and explore the community; talk to the locals, even if it’s awkward at first. The local South African people are your best resource, your best teacher, and your best guide to having a great experience while in South Africa—indeed, far more useful than this guide could ever be, so get

to know them!

Living in Grahamstown

Grahamstown is a pretty, historic town. It started as a garrison in 1812 on the old Eastern Frontier where the British Empire met the Xhosa people. The old town has a beautiful cathedral, a High Street, and the look is Georgian. Today it is a major educational and legal center. It hosts the two premier South African Festivals: the Grahamstown National Arts Festival and the Sasol Science Festival. The town offers the visitor a snapshot of South Africa — its history of splendor and misery, human achievement and suffering.

Grahamstown lies in the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest of South Africa’s nine provinces. The closest city (and airport) is Port Elizabeth, 125 km to the west. The Eastern Cape has a rich cultural tradition -- Xhosa, Afrikaans and British -- and a fascinating history of war and struggle. It also boasts incomparable natural beauty: the austere dry Karoo, thickly forested mountain ranges, and pristine beaches. Grahamstown is close to the Addo Elephant National Park, which offers an unrivalled opportunity to see the Big Seven: elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, whales

and great white sharks, and is surrounded by a range of  private game reserves. The Eastern Cape is malaria free.

Our host throughout the training is Rhodes University located in the heart of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province and owes its unique character to a combination of historical, geographical, cultural and architectural factors.

The entire program is conducted in English, and local international students must submit TOEFL scores for eligibility. Your team will be presented with an integrated series of interactive workshop exercises, each of which builds on the lessons and experiences of the day before.

During a typical day, you will receive six  hours of Global PACT classroom instruction -- three in the morning and three in the afternoon. You will listen to lectures, interact with instructors as a class, and work one-to-one with a small, multi-national group and your individual trainer. In addition, you will frequently make class presentations at various stages of your project. After class, you will generally be left to interact with your classmates as you please; some project work will require you to work after classroom hours are over.

Weekends we visit historically and culturally important sites in the area one day and leave you one free day to explore your host city, shop or just sleep!

South Africa falls below the equator, so you will be arriving there in the middle of winter. Their winters, depending on your location, can range from warm along the KwaZulu-Natal coast to quite brisk in the interior. Grahamstown can be chilly in the mornings and hot by midday. However, temperature fluctuations will make you want to layer clothing, so it is therefore advisable to bring along some warm clothing.

Our courses are led by a training corps of experienced organizers and teachers. They are all Global PACT alums and their backgrounds are as diverse as the countries of the globe. They will be there every step of the way to guide and challenge you both inside and outside of the classroom.