This depends on your citizenship. US citizens do not need a visa to enter South Africa for up to 90 days, which is more than enough for the duration of the iX program. We’ll gladly provide any letters or documentation that may be needed upon your arrival, but because you’ll be learning and doing excursions with us, the best way to describe the program if asked about it at the border is that you’re doing an educational tour. If you’re not a US citizen, please check the diplomatic and visa requirements of your home country or passport issuing authority.

You’ll be staying at Curiocity, in the coastal suburb of Green Point, which is a thriving and beautiful part of the city that’s within walking distance of some of the most vibrant restaurants and beaches the city has to offer. It is a safe, modern area of the city, and you’ll have plenty to do in your off time. The iX office is within walking distance of the accommodation, so you will be able to walk to the space within 15 minutes. Green Point is one of the safest and trendiest areas of Cape Town. Curiocity Cape Town is equipped with 24-hour security. You’ll receive your own set of keys and access codes so that you can come and go as you please. Free and unlimited WiFi is always available, but may be a little slower than what you’re used to. However, the iX office is also available to work from and the internet will be faster there. Most rooms are equipped with simple kitchenettes that include a microwave, kettle, small fridge and cutlery and crockery, allowing all students to prepare their own meals. You’ll be sharing a room with two or more fellow iXers of the same gender.

Uber is by far the easiest way to get around town: it’s safe, available everywhere, and very affordable. Cape Town’s MyCiti bus system is the best form of public transport and is also a great way to get around the city. It is also possible to walk around to many locations. This will be covered more comprehensively in the day one health and safety briefing after you arrive.

Yes, the classes are online, but the internship is in-city. You’ll have access to an excellent coworking space called Neighbourgood (which is also where the private iX office is), in the upmarket area of De Waterkant. Here you’ll have free WiFi, access to loads of coffee shops and restaurants, and modern amenities that will allow you to participate in your online classes. You will be able to walk to Neighbourgood in the Cape Quarter building from Curiocity in Green Point. Neighbourgood is a great place to join the classes online, as the internet is faster - as such, most of our students prefer to work and learn in a professional workspace.

No, your meals are not included in the program. However, there are many fantastic restaurants and cafés in all directions, within walking distance from the coworking space as well as your accommodation. There are also lots of excellent grocery stores for you to buy food from and you will be able to prepare it in your kitchenette at Curiocity in your apartment. Note that the US Dollar is significantly stronger than the South African Rand, so you’ll find that food is relatively cheap in Cape Town. To give you an idea, a cappuccino is around $2 and a large 14” pizza will only set you back around $8.

During the four-week internship/learning blend, you will have the opportunity to apply and develop your skills in the real world by working on a project with continued support from our teaching team. This provides an exciting opportunity to positively impact a company or organization and develop your professional portfolio. For three days a week, you will work on your internship project full time (and the other two days part-time), in your internship team as well as individually. You will have daily check-ins on your progress on your internship project from your teaching team dedicated mentor, who will also be on hand to answer any questions you have. Unfortunately, since our partners only confirm projects shortly before the program starts, we are not able to release the names of the companies ahead of time. You will have the opportunity to submit your preferences for which company you’d like to work with and discuss your internship placement with an in-city program manager. For examples of companies that students have interned at in Cape Town, see this link.

As with many other international cities, Cape Town is not without its criminal activity - in the city center, this generally consists of opportunistic petty crime, such as pick-pocketing. There are portions of South Africa with more serious criminal elements but these are a significant distance out from where the iX program is run. Our rule of thumb is that vigilance is key, with some good, old-fashioned common sense - but don’t worry, our experienced iX staff will make sure to answer any of your questions, keep you safe and support each student throughout the iX journey to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience with us.

Flights are not included in the price of the program. What is included is: the course and internship program, safe, comfortable accommodation with other iXers, co-working space from which to do online class and internship work, four excursions, in-person talks by industry experts, weekly community and social events, airport pickup and drop-off, 24/7 health & safety support, welcome event and orientation.

We have a schedule that our program management team puts together to help you explore and enjoy the city with friends and our staff. You are also free to plan your own activities, and should you need assistance, feel free to ask!

Rooms are allocated with 2-5 students in each. Rooming selection is on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means that students who commit to the program and pay their deposits early have first choice of rooming options. If you have specific requests for who you’d like to room with, please let your Career Advisor know. If you would like your own private room, you can contact your Career Advisor prior to the start of the program to see if this can be arranged (depending on availability - and please note, this will be at an additional cost). Alternatively, you can contact your program manager when on the program about this, but the sooner we get your request, the sooner we can make appropriate arrangements.

The co-working space is called Neighbourgood in the historic De Waterkant district, which is a 15 minute walk from Curiocity. You’ll be shown where it is on the first day of the program during orientation.

The iX Alumni Network is supported by a dedicated online platform that is rich in perks! From free asynchronous learning courses to the alumni database that connects you to other former students who now work in the industry, our alumni have many ways to stay engaged. We have a dedicated internal community team that ensures that everyone who wants to continue their learning journey - and are keen to join our post-program earning opportunities too - can do so. We're always keen to keep the iX family in touch, even if life gets busy sometimes.

We cap our class sizes to ensure that every student has the opportunity to get involved and have a personalized learning experience. As a result, the iX Abroad program is relatively small: we usually have 25-30 students in Lisbon and 50-70 students in Cape Town in each session. All students will be housed in the same accommodation and have access to the same facilities and experiences - it's up to the individual to make the most of it! The iX staff on the ground are always on hand to ensure that each and every student is safe, supported, and given the space to grow in their own ways.

Uncertainty is normal - and it can be a gift! We encourage exploration, especially with the knowledge that no experience is wasted. If you're unsure of what your vision for your future career looks like, don't panic - that's absolutely normal. Our advice is to request the course info packs from your iX admissions consultants and get to know what the learning outcomes are for each course, as well as examples of previous internships and teaching teams. When making a decision, remember: you're not bound to do one thing for the rest of your life! New skills can be valuable down the line in surprising ways. Even if you do one of our courses and realize that it's not for you, that's still a valuable insight (since knowing what you do want is wonderful, but knowing what you don't want is a great second-best). If you're struggling to make a choice, ask your admissions consultant to put you in touch with an iX alum who has done one of our courses before. Real-life insight can be very helpful when clarifying your decisions. Even if you start the program and realize that you're not interested in the field, we do allow course switches (with clear motivation) up to three days in.