I had never been to South Africa before and I have always heard good things about Cape Town from family who have been here. I was planning on doing an internship anyway and I wanted to go somewhere different really, outside of the UK. I am also very interested in learning about new places and new cultures so Cape Town, South Africa was a great option for me!

I wanted to gain some basic journalism experience. I was really hoping and expecting to just shadow reporters and experience different departments in a newspaper publishing house.

My actual internship experience was very hands on and pretty much on my first day they got me writing a report! At first I found it quite daunting because I had not had any previous journalism experience other than writing for my university paper. I think I just learnt really quickly though and all the reporters I was working with were really helpful and gave me advice on how to structure my stories. As time went on I quickly got used to writing reports and it showed me how quickly you can learn and develop skills when you are in a real world working environment. I never wanted an internship where I was just sitting around potentially getting bored, so the fact that I had so much to do in terms of writing stories, gathering information and doing interviews, was amazing!

Yes definitely! At first the editor of the newspaper gave me press releases to work from but then as I became more confident, I was given the opportunity to write about what I am passionate about. I love art and culture so I got to do reports on art exhibitions going on in Cape Town, as well as an NGO that some of my friends here are starting. I was so pleased I was given the chance to write about topics I am interested in.

Yes definitely- my internship really taught me what to expect from the trade. I found it to be quite a high pressure job in terms of trying to get relevant and reliable information from people. When you call people to do an interview they are sometimes very unwilling to speak to the media and because I am quite a reserved person, I found it challenging to persevere and push them. It was a challenge of the job that I gained a really useful insight into. Also, doing the internship really made me realise what kind of news I want to report on in my future career.

Yes! I had all of my stories published in the newspaper! 9 of them in total and I have kept klippings of all of them which I am really pleased about.

Oh yes for sure! As I said it definitely taught me the skills of the trade and what it essentially means to be a journalist. At the newspaper they were very much interested in social stories and finding out people’s views from the poorer communities, which I found really insightful and very important. I think that is what the news is about- not finding voices from the top, but finding voices from all sorts of different people.

Well I had heard from some people that South Africa isn’t the safest of places to visit. I try and go to every new place I visit with an open mind, but I was conscious of safety. I feel that if you just use your common sense here though you are absolutely fine- I have run into no problems at all. I never felt threatened being on my own in the city and the only major precaution I took was making sure I was always in a group of people when I went out in the evenings- I feel that this is the same in any big city though.

It is a really buzzing city! There is so much to do here- hiking, wine tasting and seeing amazing wildlife. I have never been to a city where you wake up and you’ve got the buzz of the city around you but then you have the huge mountain over shadowing you and it is just stunning! The scenery here is extraordinary I can’t even describe it! Everyone here is so friendly and courteous too. I have loved it!

Yes I felt very prepared before leaving home and when I arrived and you did the orientation with me, you told me about everything and showed me how everything works here so I was very comfortable. You guys were very on point!

As my mentors you guys have gone above and beyond time and time again! You have been so so helpful throughout my time in Cape Town. When I go back to the UK if anyone is thinking of doing an internship abroad I will certainly say go with Bridging Gaps! You really have been so fantastic and you have really made my stay here so comfortable. I am just really pleased I came with you guys!

I loved the weekend social events- I really enjoyed the activities and meeting other people. I also think the internships you offer are fantastic. You offer such a variety and hearing about the other intern’s experiences was really cool. I was very impressed with the broad range of different opportunities you offer!

Yes I felt very prepared before leaving home and when I arrived and you did the orientation with me, you told me about everything and showed me how everything works here so I was very comfortable. You guys were very on point!

Yes I will definitely recommend doing an internship with you guys because it is such a valuable experience!