Our story

Conservation Travel Africa offer genuinely ethical volunteer projects, ones that have real, sustainable impact. Our projects are life-changing experiences, for extraordinary people.

Our vision is to restore Africa’s wildlife and wilderness areas to their previous abundance. We do this through our support of grass-roots organisations and ethical volunteer projects. We choose our partners carefully, working with those who share our goal to ensure communities and wildlife can live and thrive together.

We share our love of Africa with travellers looking for an ethical conservation, wildlife or community experience. Our staff have experience of living, volunteering and working across Africa. We use our personal experiences and contacts to ensure volunteers only contribute to carefully selected, trustworthy organisations. We are unified by our passion and vision to only offer a small number of ethical volunteer projects.

Our projects allow people to travel with a purpose and engage in new physical and cultural experiences. Volunteers will contribute their time, skills and energies to projects and people who are dedicated to Africa’s wildlife and communities. We also believe in the importance of taking the time for personal growth and reflection whilst volunteering. So our projects will allow you the opportunity to meet with conservationists and community leaders, and learn from local guides and wildlife experts.

How it all started

In 2012, four African-born friends with backgrounds in tourism realised a need to highlight not only the beauty of Africa, but also its challenges. Harnessing their passion for wildlife they set up Conservation Travel Africa, to enable discerning travellers to immerse themselves in ethical conservation projects, and gain a deep understanding of the obstacles conservationists face in sustaining Africa’s wilderness areas. Our ethical volunteer projects allow you to experience the real Africa in a sustainable and positive way. 

Where we are now

Our projects enable people to experience Africa differently. With CTA, you are not just a bystander appreciating Africa’s beauty – you are a part of the solution. On our programmes you can be sure that you will play your part in supporting projects dedicated to holistic and long-term conservation strategies. Get involved and combine genuine, positive and impactful volunteer work, with extraordinary wildlife encounters and inspiring cultural exchange.

What makes us unique?

We are committed to only sending volunteers to projects we have visited personally; where we know first-hand the work that is being done, and the impact volunteers have. Our ethos is not to simply sell a project, but to have experienced it ourselves. Everyone in our team has lived, volunteered and worked in Africa. Our varied experience and insider knowledge as project managers, researchers and conservationists means we are best positioned to match your personal goals with the most positive experiences. We will take you beyond a simple volunteer trip.

Join us on a life-changing journey.

Our volunteer projects

Through our network of partners and with our varied experience working throughout Southern Africa, we have access to some of the most spectacular and unspoilt wilderness areas, home to some of the world’s most vulnerable wildlife. This includes rhino conservation in Zimbabwe, diving with whale sharks in the breath-taking waters of Mozambique, working with animal victims of the illegal wildlife trade in Malawi and monitoring wild dogs, cheetah and leopard in South Africa. We have a project where you will definitely be of assistance.

Our goal is to ensure that you achieve your personal life and travel goals, experience Africa like a local, contribute to community upliftment, and preserve wildlife and wilderness areas. View our ethical volunteer projects here.

Our people

It is definitely the people that make a company, and we are proud of our dedicated, well-travelled and diverse team, who are based across Africa and beyond. They bring a wealth and variety of travel experiences, career and educational qualifications, and life skills, plus a passion for conservation, for Africa and for ethical travel experiences.

Our partners

We consider the organisations we support our partners, not simply providers of volunteer projects. We work with NGOs, charities and conservation organisations, staffed by reputable individuals. Our programmes are run under the guidance of eco-tourism operators, professional guides and internationally recognised conservationists.

Our mission

Our mission is to connect responsible travellers with wildlife conservation programmes and community projects, to provide life-changing journeys that have a genuine impact.

We are the ethical travel Africa experts.

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