Peace Corps in South Africa: An Overview

Nov 06, 2025 0

The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. The official goal of the Peace Corps is to assist developing countries by providing skilled workers in fields such as education, health, entrepreneurship, women's empowerment, and community development.

Volunteers are American citizens, typically with a college degree, who are assigned to specific projects in certain countries based on their qualifications and experience. Following three months of technical training, Peace Corps members are expected to serve at least two years in the host country, after which they may request an extension of service.

The theme of enabling Americans to volunteer in poor countries appealed to Kennedy because it fit in with his campaign themes of self-sacrifice and volunteerism, while also providing a way to redefine American relations with the Third World. Concerned with the growing tide of revolutionary sentiment in the Third World, Kennedy saw the Peace Corps as a means of countering the stereotype of the "Ugly American" and "Yankee imperialism," especially in the emerging nations of post-colonial Africa and Asia.

History of the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps was established in March 1961 by an executive order (10924) of President John F. Kennedy. In its inaugural year, the Peace Corps had 900 volunteers serving 16 countries, reaching its peak in 1966 with 15,556 volunteers in 52 countries. Following budget cuts in 1989, the number of volunteers declined to 5,100, though subsequent increases in funding led to renewed growth into the 21st century; by its 50th anniversary in 2011, there were over 8,500 volunteers serving in 77 countries.

President Kennedy in a speech at the White House on June 22, 1962, "Remarks to Student Volunteers Participating in Operation Crossroads Africa", acknowledged that Operation Crossroads for Africa was the basis for the development of the Peace Corps. On March 1, 1961, Kennedy signed Executive Order 10924 that officially started the Peace Corps.

Kennedy appointed his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, to be the program's first director. After an address from Kennedy, who was introduced by Rev. Russell Fuller of Memorial Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, on August 28, 1961, the first group of volunteers left for Ghana and Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). The program was formally authorized by Congress on September 22, 1961, and within two years over 7,300 volunteers were serving in 44 countries.

Upon taking office, Kennedy issued an executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Shriver, not Kennedy, energetically lobbied Congress for approval. Kennedy proudly took the credit, and ensured that it remained free of CIA influence. He largely left its administration to Shriver, who was often advised by Sally Bowles, particularly regarding maternity protocol for PCVs and representation of the Peace Corps overseas. To avoid the appearance of favoritism to the Catholic Church, the Corps did not place its volunteers with any religious agencies.

In the first twenty-five years, more than 100,000 Americans served in 44 countries as part of the program. Most volunteers taught English in local schools, but many became involved in activities like construction and food delivery. Shriver practiced affirmative action, and women comprised about 40 percent of the first 7000 volunteers. Given the paucity of black college graduates, racial minorities never reached five percent.

In July 1971, President Richard Nixon, an opponent of the program, brought the Peace Corps under the umbrella agency ACTION. President Jimmy Carter, an advocate of the program, said that his mother, who had served as a nurse in the program at 70, had "one of the most glorious experiences of her life" in the Peace Corps. In 1979, he made the Peace Corps fully autonomous in an executive order.

Although the earliest volunteers were typically thought of as generalists, the Peace Corps had requests for technical personnel from the start. For example, geologists were among the first volunteers requested by Ghana, an early volunteer host. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed director Loret Miller Ruppe, who initiated business-related programs. For the first time, a significant number of conservative and Republican volunteers joined the Corps, as the organization continued to reflect the evolving political and social conditions in the United States. Funding cuts during the early 1980s reduced the number of volunteers to 5,380, its lowest level since the early years.

As part of an economic stimulus package in 2008, President Barack Obama proposed to double the size of the Peace Corps. However, as of 2010, the amount requested was insufficient to reach this goal by 2011. In fact, the number of applicants to the Peace Corps declined steadily from a high of 15,384 in 2009 to 10,118 in 2013. Congress raised the 2010 appropriation from the US$373 million requested by the President to US$400 million, and proposed bills would raise this further for 2011 and 2012.

According to former director Gaddi Vasquez, the Peace Corps is trying to recruit more diverse volunteers of different ages and make it look "more like America". In 1961 only 1% of volunteers were over 50, compared with 5% today. In a historic first, all Peace Corps volunteers worldwide were withdrawn from their host countries on March 15, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The application for the Peace Corps takes up to one hour, unless one talks to a recruiter. citizen and, according to a 2018 document, is advised to apply six to nine months before they want to leave. Applicants can apply to only one placement every year.

Peace Corps Programs in South Africa

Peace Corps supports communities at schools where a significant percentage of learners have not acquired basic reading and literacy skills at the primary level. Peace Corps Volunteers support teachers to strengthen early literacy teaching and learning techniques to foster valuable long-term educational outcomes through the creation of a positive teaching and learning environment.

Peace Corps Volunteers work with learners in lower primary grades to increase English literacy levels and to help learners transition to English instruction. Peace Corps Volunteers also support learners with remedial needs of students to master English language learning in the foundation phase. The Peace Corps Volunteer’s role is to co-teach students in grades 1 through grades 3 with teacher counterparts, while engaging in communities of practice. Ideally, the teacher and Volunteer co-plan and support teaching sessions.

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The HIV Awareness and Prevention Program for Youth (HAPPY) project addresses structural drivers to health inequality, such as poverty and associated stigma, as well as strengthening organizational capacity, which is critical to successfully reaching epidemic control. The HAPPY project is funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Peace Corps Volunteers specializes in a people-to-people approach to development that is based on relationships and skills exchange to implement sustainable, low-cost, replicable interventions to support community priorities. Peace Corps Volunteers work with host organizations to build their capacity for sustainable delivery of services to community members impacted by HIV/AIDS. They are uniquely positioned to serve as role models to their communities’ youth, training them in HIV prevention. This is done by increasing knowledge and skills to community members to improve their health and assisting families through direct support and linkages to HIV services.

The HIV/AIDS outreach project, part of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), offers a unique opportunity for Volunteers to play a significant role in the development of South Africa, putting them at the forefront of the country’s response to the epidemic. Volunteers are placed in all four provinces to provide HIV/AIDS services at the grassroots level. The goal is to help organizations become more effective and sustainable while increasing the provision of HIV/AIDS services to communities in need.

Agriculture: Improving farming techniques and food production.
Environment: Promoting resource conservation and environmental awareness.
Community Economic Development: Supporting local businesses and economic growth.
Health: Educating about disease prevention and healthcare practices.
Education: Enhancing literacy and educational opportunities.
Youth in Development: Empowering young people through various programs.

The Corps offers a variety of environmental programs. Environment Education or Awareness focuses on communities that have environmental issues regarding farming and income. In Protected areas management, volunteers work with parks or other programs to teach resource conservation. Needs assessments determine which programs apply to each country.

Peace Corps Response, formerly named the Crisis Corps, was created by Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan in 1996. The change to Peace Corps Response allowed Peace Corps to include projects that did not rise to the level of a crisis. Peace Corps Response volunteers generally receive the same allowances and benefits as their Peace Corps counterparts, including round-trip transportation, living and readjustment allowances, and medical care. Minimum qualifications include completion of at least one year of Peace Corps service, including training, in addition to medical and legal clearances.

Former members of the Peace Corps may not be assigned to military intelligence duties for a period of 4 years following Peace Corps service. Peace Corps employees receive time-limited appointments, and most employees are limited to a maximum of five years of employment. This time limit was established to ensure that Peace Corps' staff remain fresh and innovative.

Volunteers in the Literacy Enrichment Project (LEP) partner with educators throughout South Africa to support and improve the culture of teaching, learning, and service for learners, teachers, and communities. Reading is one of the most fundamental skills that a child must learn. An individual’s literacy ability can impact his/her economic earning potential, health outcomes, and the well-being of families. It is critical for children to develop literacy skills early in life. This includes a foundation grounded in learning environments that connect listening, speaking, reading, writing, and critical thinking to the social and emotional development of each learner.

Literacy programs also integrate simultaneous, continuous skill building for growth in both “learning to read” and “reading to learn.” Peace Corps supports communities at schools where a significant percentage of learners have not acquired basic reading and literacy skills at the primary level. Peace Corps Volunteers support teachers to strengthen early literacy teaching and learning techniques to foster valuable long-term educational outcomes through the creation of a positive teaching and learning environment.

The Peace Corps aims to educate community members on the different illnesses that are present in developing countries as well as what treatments exist in order prevent these illnesses from spreading. Volunteers are also often there in order to teach community members about modern agricultural techniques in order for them to more effectively produce food for themselves and each other (Peace Corps). The Corps is also a proponent of equal education and moves to allow for equal education opportunities for girls in countries like Liberia and Ethiopia. The Corps launched its initiative to engage volunteers in malaria control efforts in 2011.

Life as a Volunteer in South Africa

To learn more about living and working in South Africa, applicants are encouraged to connect with a recruiter to discuss any specific considerations that could affect their service. Applicants who undergo an interview will have additional opportunities to raise questions or concerns.

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.

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. 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. Your address during training will be:[Your Name]Peace CorpsP.O. However, during most of pre-service training, you will have infrequent opportunities to use telephones or the internet, if at all.

Placements can be sorted through the Peace Corps’ six project sectors: Agriculture, Environment, Community Economic Development, Health, Education, and Youth in Development. There is no maximum age limit to joining the Peace Corps. Married couples may join but cannot have any "dependent children". Most positions require a volunteer to have at least a bachelor's degree but this can vary depending on the field one is volunteering in. Volunteers in the Peace Corps do not receive wages but transportation costs are paid for and a stipend is given for "basic expenses". Anyone who has worked for the CIA is ineligible, however prospective volunteers who have worked in other intelligence services can serve ten years after being employed in intelligence.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. customs and rituals.

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.

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Summary of Key Points

Here is a table summarizing key aspects of the Peace Corps in South Africa:

Aspect	Details
Establishment	March 1961 by President John F. Kennedy
Goal	Assist developing countries with skilled workers
Volunteer Commitment	Minimum of two years after three months of training
Programs	Education, Health, Environment, Economic Development, etc.
Living Conditions	Living with host families, varying access to utilities
Allowance	Monthly stipend to cover basic living expenses
Transportation	Public buses, minivans, bicycles