Students on exchange in South Africa, spring 2026

In spring 2026 KBT Vocational College carried out a student exchange pilot to South Africa. Four students from the Peer-Worker Education travelled to Cape Town in March for a six-week stay, and in May two students from Social Entrepreneurship followed. Student Mia Anti stayed on after her own exchange to receive them, and was also given the assignment of documenting life as an exchange student in Cape Town.

The students carried out part of their practice during the stay. Peer-worker students worked directly in two services, U-turn and the 9 Miles Project, through the organisation Good Hope Volunteers, while the social entrepreneurship students carried out a project specialising in social impact. All students attended a weekly course in Afrikaans and worked on their portfolio exam on equal terms with the students at home in Norway. Saturdays had planned activities all day, while Sundays were free.

"I grew up with parents without much money, so I hadn't had the chance to travel much abroad before. When that e-mail arrived, I thought it sounded cool to go to another continent!" says Mia Anti about why she joined the exchange.

The students had their practice in U-turn's phase one. Mia herself held a session on the cycle of self-destructiveness for the participants, and the students contributed with everything from picking litter to collecting and serving food. They were shown several of the organisation's houses, in a country where unemployment among people aged 18–35 reaches around 60 per cent.

"I learned how much privilege I have. I have lived in relative poverty in Norway, always at the bottom. But the bottom in Norway is not the same as the bottom there. You don't need to walk the streets picking litter even if you are below the poverty line," Mia reflects. "In Norway we complain a lot because we have time for it. We have a right to housing, education, food and life-saving medicine."

It was not all seriousness, though: Mia introduced South Africans to the Eurovision Song Contest and Norwegian tacos. "That was a hit!"

Asked what stays with her now that she is back in Norway: "Hard to say, I learned so much about myself! There is something about travelling that far away from your own culture to really understand your own country and politics. I understood so much more of things that had only been theory before. I hit the wall several times, but in a positive way, I was confronted with things and came out of my comfort zone. I have grown so much from that experience. I think I will be a better peer worker for having been there and seen what I have seen!"

The 2026 exchange was a pilot, and the experiences of both the college and the participating students feed directly into the planning of future exchange opportunities. In addition to South Africa, the college is exploring options including India and London.

Watch the interview with Mia and clips from student life in Cape Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ikKn8WYfI