A volunteer is someone who serves in a community primarily because they choose to do so. Many serve through a non-profit organization – sometimes referred to as formal volunteering, but a significant number also serve less formally, either individually or as part of a group. Because these informal volunteers are much harder to identify, they may not be included in research and statistics on volunteering.

Beyond personal choice, a number of factors exist around individual motivation and around the rewards for doing service within the community. There is in most cases a range of opinions about the point at which this service changes from volunteering to something else.

Source: Wikipedia

Please read these articles before you consider volunteering:

• Ditch (un)worthy causes
• You're better off backpacking - VSO warns about perils of 'voluntourism'
• The Complete Guide To Volunteer Tourism 

South Africa has many different volunteering opportunities. Activities range from teaching to wildlife conservation. Below are the organisations that Alternative Route associates with.