Teach English in South Africa

South Africa TEFL Jobs and Loads of Good Advice

A Guide to Teaching English in South Africa

English is one of South Africa’s main official languages and is the most commonly used language in public and commercial areas of life. All of which means that you’ll probably need a high level of TEFL certification and some previous experience if you want to teach English in South Africa, something along the lines of our EDI CertTEFL would be acceptable to most South African TEFL employers. However, TEFL employers’ requirements do vary, so it’s worth taking a look through our South African jobs listings for the most up-to-date vacancies.

TEFL Jobs in South Africa

Historically, South African TEFL employers used to hire people on the spot, but increasingly they have begun to widen the net and hire people through jobs boards and overseas recruitment agencies. There aren’t huge numbers of opportunities to teach English in South Africa, but there are a growing number of language institutes across the country, and while the majority of positions go to South Africans with native English skills there are opportunities for well qualified foreign TEFL teachers too.

Wages and Cost of Living

Neither the wages nor the cost of living in South Africa are particularly high, so the average TEFL job salary of around 10,000 Rand (US$1,400) should allow you to live relatively comfortably. If you get involved teaching English as a volunteer, the school should be able to arrange your accommodation and cover the most basic living costs.

TEFL Cities in South Africa

These are our top three choices for teaching English in South Africa. They all offer something a little different, but they have a couple of things in common too: a high demand for TEFL teachers and loads of TEFL jobs.

TEFL Jobs in Johannesburg

Johannesburg is home to the British Council's South African office and has a growing number of language institutes and TEFL jobs. Despite its somewhat scary reputation it is also one of Africa’s most vibrant and inspiring cities and home to a large and sociable ex-pat community.

TEFL Jobs in Cape Town

As well as being one of the most pleasant African cities to live in, there are more TEFL jobs in Cape Town than pretty much any other city in South Africa. A growing number of the city's institutes now recruit teachers from overseas and the relatively healthy ratio between cost of living and TEFL wages means you should be able to soak up all that this stunning city has to offer.

TEFL Jobs in Durban

Durban has South Africa's largest port and is also a center for international tourism. These factors combine to keep the market for TEFL jobs in Durban relatively buoyant, and it seems like the opportunities for foreign teachers are continually on the rise. The city itself is something of a beach lover’s paradise and there are miles of sandy beaches within easy reach of the city – just keep an eye out for the sharks!

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