Applications for CorpsAfrica South Africa Cohort 3 of the 2026/27 Volunteer Programme are open for young graduates, to serve 12 months in rural communities.

The launch of Cohort 3 marks a key milestone for the organisation. Since launching in South Africa in 2024, CorpsAfrica has empowered volunteers. Founded in 2011 by former Peace Corps volunteer, Liz Fanning, CorpsAfrica recruits and trains young Africans to live and work in rural communities.

Volunteers partner with residents to identify local priorities and design solutions using existing community assets, instead of imposing outside ideas. The model has now expanded across the continent and empowered hundreds of volunteers to lead community-driven projects.

The country director, Kelo Kubu said the lessons from the first two cohorts have shaped the new recruitment drive.

“The first two cohorts have shown what is possible when young Africans choose to serve alongside communities rather than for communities. We now better understand our communities and the cycles of the year, particularly in agriculture,” she said.

For Cohort 3, CorpsAfrica will place more emphasis on youth entrepreneurship, supporting more agriculture projects and digital skills training to bring digital services closer to communities.

The volunteers will be placed for 12 months in Limpopo (Greater Tzaneen Municipality and Mogalakwena Municipality), North West (Greater Taung Municipality, Moretele Municipality and Mogale City Municipality) and Northern Cape (Sol Plaatje Municipality and Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality).

The programme starts in early September 2026 and ends at the end of August 2027. The first six weeks are dedicated to intensive pre-service training. Volunteers then spend 10 months living in a host community.

The volunteer work includes supporting ECD centres and primary and high schools with admin, awareness campaigns, and career guidance for Gr 11 and 12; facilitating entrepreneurship training for rural youth; assisting with business registration and providing technical support; and implementing small-scale, high-impact projects.

Depending on the community they are placed in, volunteers also attend weekly tribal council meetings and monthly regional check-ins. “Mondays are check-in days. Each region has up to 10 volunteers,” she added. Selected volunteers will receive a monthly stipend of R5 500 and a data allowance of R350.

Beyond community impact, the programme builds skills in leadership, project management, community engagement, entrepreneurship, monitoring and evaluation, problem-solving, cross-cultural communication and professional development.

CorpsAfrica also runs an alumni programme focused on employment and entrepreneurship. It includes financial support for short courses and conferences, coaching and mentoring, and a six-month entrepreneurship incubation programme. Many alumni go on to work in development, government, business, and international organisations.

CorpsAfrica is seeking South African graduates who:

• Hold a university degree or equivalent qualification.
• Are passionate about community service and social impact.
• Are willing to live in a rural community for 12 months.
• Want to grow as leaders while contributing to South Africa.

Applications are open now and close on July 17. Interested applicants can apply via the CorpsAfrica website or on the SA Youth platform. The SAYouth.mobi platform is zero-rated, so no data is required. The application takes about one hour.

Shortlisted candidates will go through two rounds of online interviews, followed by police clearance, qualification confirmation, and reference checks.

“There is nothing to lose. Being of service to your country is something you might not get from other organisations. This is an opportunity to give back,” she concluded.

For more information and the application link, visit https://www.corpsafrica.org/apply/#current.