HELP YOUR CHILD BECOME A WELL-ROUNDED HUMAN BEING
WITH THE ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

HELP YOUR CHILD BECOME A WELL-ROUNDED HUMAN BEING
WITH THE ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

PARENTS

“Travelling. It leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller.”  – Ibn Batutta

Is your child adventurous, curious about cultures, keen to learn a new language, ready to open their mind, and become an ambassador for Southern Africa?

Then Rotary Youth Exchange offers you as the parent of a young boy or girl the ideal opportunity to let your teenager explore the world. The Programme gives young adults the chance to safely travel, live in and experience homes, cities, countries, and people from all over the world.

For a relatively small amount of money, you can give your child a huge experience.

The benefits for your teen

  • They mature much faster.
  • They become more independent as they have to manage their finances and make decisions by themselves.
  • Their confidence increases tremendously.
  • They become more tolerant towards cultures, personalities, and life.
  • They become fluent in a foreign language.

Ready to send your teen on the adventure of a lifetime?

Why use Rotary Youth Exchange to broaden your horizons?

  • The Rotary International Youth Exchange programme is the most inexpensive of its kind in the country.
  • Rotary Youth Exchange is a non-profit organisation.
  • We offer multi-tiered support to students, parents, and host families.
  • We arrange everything – from flights, to transits, to accommodation.

2025/26 Short Term Exchange

Estimated Minimum Budget Amount R35,000

2026/27 Long Term Exchange

Estimated Minimum Budget Amount R49,000

What is Included in the Estimated Minimum Budget Amount?

Return airfare from Cape Town International to Host Country

All Regalia (blazer, clothing, backpack, etc)

All orientations

Provision for Full Accident and Emergency medical insurance approved by Rotary International (Short Term Only)

All visa costs

The process

So, together you have decided that your teenager wants to explore the world! Here’s what to do next:

  1. Convene a family meeting and discuss the possibility of providing board and lodging to a foreign student. Every family member must feel comfortable with having a stranger in the house.

  2. Complete the online application here.

  3. Rotary Youth Exchange will evaluate your application and either approve or reject it.

  4. You will receive an answer within a few days.

  5. If your application is successful, a Rotary team member will contact you to arrange an interview and explain the programme and your responsibilities.

Please note:

If your child is approved for a short-term stay (six weeks), you must be willing to host a foreign student for six weeks too as this is a family to family exchange. For the long term exchange you must provide the names of three families, of which you can be one, who would be willing to host the foreign student.