Why take a CELTA in South Africa?
Or, rather - why not take a CELTA and start teaching in South Africa or Abroad?
For anyone who is thinking about teaching English for a living or during a GAP year - have you considered South Africa as an option?
South Africa is one of the world’s favourite destinations for exotic beach weddings and safari holidays. It is also well-known for its breakthroughs in science and medicine at its world-renowned universities.
There are a few who go to South Africa to travel, but did you know that you can study here and teach as soon as you get your CELTA/TEFL qualification? This makes travelling around South Africa not just an exciting option, but a prosperous one too.
Read on for five reasons to take a CELTA and teach in South Africa.
1. Competitive Pricing
The first reason to take the course here is that it is more affordable than doing it in the US, Europe, or the UK. It is not very cheap, but the economy is weaker than the countries mentioned above. Your dollars, euros, and pounds will go much further in South Africa than they will in your home country.
The course costs are relative to the country you study, as the CELTA is a uniform course with mostly averaged out costs. That said, everything else in South Africa is more affordable, especially when you bring in a stronger currency. If it is not the CELTA that you want to do, other TEFL courses are also available if you want to travel and teach.
It is essential, however, to have a bachelor’s degree if you want to get the best-paid jobs that are out there. Native speakers used to be able to teach based on their native English status. Howeverl, as the industry becomes more competitive, with equal opportunity to non-native speakers, it is best to have your qualifications completed if you want to get into an international school or one like it.
2. Good Weather
- Land of sun and sea, South Africa is home to millions who refuse to emigrate because life in the country is too good. A South African winter rarely feels as cold as a European winter, and it does not get blanketed in snow except on the highest mountains.
- In South Africa, spring starts in September, and summer begins in December. From March the autumn creeps in, and the winter begins in June in earnest. The temperatures vary, but winter does not see you under 4 or 5 degrees except on the coldest days. The summers, however, inland, can be scorching.
- While the temperatures can vary, keep in mind the wind. It is the wind that can make it colder, or warmer, depending on which direction it is coming. Most of South Africa is a coastline, so it is the wind coming off the sea that makes the difference to the temperature. When it comes to packing, make sure you have light, but warm items for the days the wind chill sets in.
3. Cosmopolitan Cities
When Apartheid was in place, South Africa had many sanctions against it. Since it was dismantled, the capitals of the country have become as cosmopolitan as all the other big cities in the world.
Communities from around the world have made it home, and their influence can be seen, tasted and experienced. What makes a city cosmopolitan, however, is not just multiculturalism. You need sophistication, a unifying identity, and a strong tourist presence.
The sophistication you find in cosmopolitan cities, you have in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. There is a unique city culture that exists in these cities.
Johannesburg, Egoli - the city of Gold, is inland and the business centre of the country.
Cape Town, which is the mother city on the coast, offers just as much of a cosmopolitan experience, different only in its natural environment and its cultural influences. You might land up loving both, rather than just one.
Cape Town is known as the creative hub, while Johannesburg, as stated, is the business hub. Travel to both cities to see the differences in their identities, and while there, see what makes them both proudly South African.
4. Travel and Teach
Even though the country is postcard-worthy on all accounts, what should make you want to do your CELTA in South Africa is the amazing opportunities you have to travel and experience the diversity of the country.
Adventure can call you to natural wonders, on land or in the sea. Fancy cage diving to see great whites or braving the highest bungee jump in the southern hemisphere? What about visiting historic colonial sites and monuments from the liberation movement? There are these reasons and many more that might encourage you to choose an adventure for your CELTA and not just a quick qualification in your home country.
Travelling to South Africa to do a CELTA or a TEFL course is step one. Step two is getting the qualification and choosing which city you’d like to work in. Travel to the two main cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg, where there are plenty of teaching jobs. You could start teaching in one, then move to the other city to enjoy the difference it offers.
There are other cities in South Africa, of course, but it is in the two main cities where the demand for qualified native English teachers is higher.
5. Promising Prospects
Once qualified, you will have good options available to you. In South Africa’s main cities, you find dedicated language colleges, as well as many tertiary colleges and universities that all require specialised English language teachers.
Even though English is a native language for a small percentage of the population, many South Africans learn it as a second or third language. Then you have those who have migrated from other countries and need to learn English too. It is because demand is so high that there are many English teaching positions to fill.
The warmth that South Africa offers is not just from the sun that lights up the country. It also comes from the hearts of the people, who have journeyed through many changes together. By travelling to South Africa to learn how to teach English, you will gain excellent work experience and further exciting travel opportunities.
If you still need to do a teaching qualification, choose one in South Africa as it will be cost-effective and the cornerstone of your English-teaching career.
Course Options: TEFL in Cape Town | TEFL in Johannesburg
