VA32 & our projects are based in & around Chintsa East on the Wild Coast of South Africa. Chintsa is in the Eastern Cape & lies right on the Indian Ocean.

Fast Facts on South Africa!
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Time zone: one/two hours ahead of GMT (dependant on daylight saving)
International Phone Code: +27
Capitals: Pretoria (administrative) /Cape Town (legislative) /Bloemfontein (judicial)
Provinces: Eastern Cape/ Gauteng/ KwaZulu-Natal/ Mpumulanga/ Northern Cape/ Limpopo/ North West/ Free State/ Western Cape
Eastern Cape Climate: Most of the country has warm, sunny days and cool nights. Rainfall generally occurs during summer (November through March). In general the
Eastern Cape has a temperate climate & rarely reaches the extremes.
Languages: A multilingual country, there are 11 official languages recognized in South Africa. The main languages used in our area are Xhosa, English & Afrikaans. Most South Africans are multilingual, able to speak more than one language. Most South Africans speak English, which is fairly ubiquitous in official and commercial public life.
Religion: The majority religion is South Africa is Christianity.
Education: Education is compulsory for all South Africans aged 7-15 yrs.
Politics: South Africa is a multiparty democratic country with an independent country. Until 1994, the country was known for apartheid – white-minority rule. South Africa's remarkable ability to put centuries of racial hatred behind it in favour of reconciliation was widely considered a social miracle, inspiring similar peace efforts in Northern Ireland, Rwanda and elsewhere. The ANC is now the majority party with Jacob Zuma as the president but opposition parties remain robust and vocal.

Chintsa East is a stunning coastal town on the Wild Coast of South Africa. Sitting right on the beach with the swell of the warm Indian Ocean, spectacular views along the aptly named Wild Coast & a welcoming community spirit; Chintsa is the perfect setting for our sustainable volunteer projects. Experience VA32 & leave your heart in Chintsa!

Take a virtual tour of Chintsa & our projects on the map below!

View Chintsa East- home of VA32 in a larger map

Click here to read "Cintsa Then & Chintsa Now" - a little background on our corner of South Africa & the South African "Gap"

Chintsa is easy to find if you know how!

By Air: The nearest local airport is East London. If you're flying internationally you need to fly into Johanesburg or Cape Town airports & get a connection to East London.

By Bus: Chintsa has a BazBus stop at Buccaneers Backpackers. The BazBus is a hop-on hop-off tour bus. Click here to find out more.

By Car: Chintsa is about 42km's from East London. Follow signs to the N2 towards Mthatha. Follow the N2 for approx 27km’s. Turn right off the N2 at Chintsa (15km’s). Turn left towards Chintsa East & follow this road all the way through to the beach (you will pass the VA32 office on your right hand side just before you reach the beach!)

NB: All volunteers pre-booked with VA32 will be transferred to Chintsa from East London airport/ train station; if you’re at Buccaneers we’ll help you get your bags across the beach! This and your outbound transfer are included in your project fee.

Travel
Baz Bus

Chintsa & the Wild Coast
Friends of Chintsa

Interesting Reading
Alternative Route
South African Youth Travel Confederation (SAYTC)