My Experience During the Internship

I worked in the Polymer Science building, in a very young, female, and diverse group. They welcomed me incredibly warmly, and I received a great deal of support throughout the entire internship period. The building is located right next to the Neelsie, the “Student Centre,” where you can get something to eat around the clock. Similar to a canteen, there are many smaller stalls, ranging from fancy salad bowls for 100 rand (€5) to pizza, omelets, or burgers, to simply rice with vegetables for 30 rand (€1.50). The Neelsie also has a pharmacy, stationery shop, ATMs, and more. The library is on the other side of the Neelsie, and the square and lawn in front of it are great for relaxing. The library itself is the largest underground library in Africa and super modern. If you like, you can compare it well with the SLUB (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) – in any case, including the dense occupancy of seats during exam season.

My Experience with Everyday Life and Leisure Time On-Site

I found it fairly easy to meet people, especially through the small climbing gym on-site. Stellenbosch also has quite a lot of other university sports offerings: rugby, cricket, running, and water sports are among the biggest that come to mind. On Tuesdays, I often went to the park with the slackline group. Through the small climbing community, I was out and about every weekend and was able to go surfing and cycling in addition to climbing. The landscape, both right near Stellenbosch (Jonkershoek) and near Cape Town (Table Mountain), is incredibly beautiful and quite impressive. I can also highly recommend Addo Elephant Park. The problem is that there is practically no public transport in South Africa. It makes a big difference if you can find someone to take you somewhere by car, or a group you can join. From Stellenbosch itself, you can hike up the Stellenbosch Mountain in the south or visit a winery.

If you need to go further afield, you can get an Uber, but of course that gets quite expensive over time. I mainly used Uber within Stellenbosch to get home after dark. I was there in winter – the sun set at 6 p.m., and I had to go to the north of Stellenbosch, where it is not recommended to walk around alone at night. The south (south of campus) is safer; in the north, the crime rate is quite high. If the street is well frequented or campus security is nearby, it is generally less of a problem. The public transport situation and the evening time planning were probably the biggest limitations compared to what I was used to at home. To get around, I borrowed a bicycle from a friend, which could be parked at the university in gated bike boxes (registration via student ID card).

My Conclusion & Tips

South Africa is a super exciting country with many cultures, languages, and regional differences. The great social inequality is quite obvious, already at the airport in Cape Town. In Stellenbosch, you live a bit in a bubble. Nevertheless, the impressions were quite moving, and the overall cultural experience is very valuable. Looking back, I should have traveled to more places for more cultural insights, with more days in Cape Town and also Johannesburg. I think I should have made more of an effort to find international people who were also keen on that. I was lucky to get to know many locals and experience their everyday lives. I already miss these people a great deal and am grateful that I had the opportunity for such an exciting time.