10 Life-Changing Reasons to Take Your Skills Global
South Africa produces some of the most resilient, adaptable, and capable teachers in the world. Yet many qualified educators face a frustrating reality at home: limited job opportunities, overcrowded classrooms, heavy workloads, and salaries that simply don’t reflect the effort or expertise required to teach effectively.
Teaching English abroad offers you a chance to change that narrative. With a TEFL qualification and strong English proficiency, your skills become globally valuable—opening doors to professional growth, financial stability, and unforgettable life experiences.
Here are ten compelling reasons why teaching English abroad is worth serious consideration.
- Access to Greater Employment Opportunities
South Africa’s high unemployment rate affects even highly trained professionals, including teachers. Internationally, however, English teachers are in constant demand—particularly in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America.
A TEFL qualification allows teachers to tap into a global job market where English is seen as a valuable skill rather than an oversupplied one. Instead of competing for a handful of local posts, you gain access to thousands of international teaching opportunities.
- Improved Earning Potential and Financial Stability
Many teachers struggle with salaries that do not keep pace with rising living costs. Teaching abroad often offers significantly better compensation relative to local expenses.
In many countries, teachers benefit from:
- Higher disposable income
- Lower cost of living
- Accommodation or housing allowances
- Flight reimbursements or bonuses
This makes it easier to save money, pay off debt, or invest in your future—something that can be difficult to achieve at home.
- Smaller Class Sizes and Better Teaching Conditions
Overcrowded classrooms are a daily challenge in many South African schools, making effective teaching and individual learner support extremely difficult.
Abroad, class sizes are often smaller, and teaching environments are typically better resourced. This allows you to:
- Give learners more individual attention
- Focus on quality teaching rather than crowd control
- Rediscover your passion for education
Many teachers find they become better educators simply because the conditions allow them to teach properly.
- Travel the World While Earning an Income
Teaching English abroad allows you to see the world—not as a tourist rushing from place to place, but as someone living and working within a culture.
You’ll have the opportunity to:
- Explore new countries and cities
- Travel during school holidays
- Experience local life beyond tourist hotspots
It’s one of the few careers that allows you to fund your adventures while building professional experience.
- Full Cultural Immersion and Personal Growth
Living abroad pushes you beyond your comfort zone in the best possible way. You’ll learn new customs, languages, and ways of thinking while developing resilience, independence, and confidence.
This cultural immersion:
- Broadens your worldview
- Enhances your communication skills
- Encourages adaptability and problem-solving
Many teachers return home—or move on elsewhere—changed in ways that positively shape both their careers and personal lives.
- Global Respect for English Proficiency
South African teachers are highly regarded internationally for their clear pronunciation, strong work ethic, and neutral English accent. Combined with a recognised TEFL certificate, this makes you a competitive candidate worldwide.
Your language skills, often undervalued locally, become a major professional asset abroad.
- A Faster Route to Career Progression
In many international schools and language centres, motivated teachers can progress more quickly than in rigid local systems. Opportunities often exist to move into:
- Senior teacher roles
- Academic management
- Teacher training or mentoring
International experience also strengthens your CV, making you more employable globally.
- Escape Burnout and Rediscover Purpose
Many teachers experience burnout due to heavy workloads, limited support, and constant pressure. Teaching abroad can offer a much-needed reset.
A change of environment, improved work conditions, and exposure to new educational systems often help teachers reconnect with why they chose teaching in the first place.
- Long-Term Flexibility and Global Mobility
Teaching English abroad doesn’t lock you into one path. You can:
- Teach short-term or long-term
- Move between countries
- Transition into online teaching later
This flexibility allows you to design a career that evolves with your goals rather than being confined by local limitations.
- A Future Built on Choice, Not Constraint
Perhaps the greatest benefit of teaching abroad is choice. Choice in where you live, how you work, how much you earn, and how you grow.
Instead of feeling limited by economic or systemic challenges, TEFL teaching abroad empowers teachers to take control of their futures—professionally, financially, and personally.
Take Your Teaching Career Beyond Borders with Verbal Vistas TEFL
At Verbal Vistas TEFL, we understand the realities South African teachers face—and the global opportunities waiting beyond them. Our courses are designed to prepare you for international classrooms with confidence, competence, and credibility.
Your skills are needed. Your English is valued. And the world is wider than you’ve been told.
Teach abroad. Earn globally. Live fully.