Dr. Antje Nahnsen

Managing Director

As an urban planner, I am involved with sustainable development interventions in South Africa since the late 1990s. My doctoral thesis dealt with the reconciliation and spatial integration of Cape Town after the end of Apartheid. Through my many years as a consultant in internationally funded projects for the promotion of peace, reconciliation, violence prevention, education and urban development in South Africa, I know exactly what makes the living and working world in South Africa tick.

Together with Alexander Allavena, I founded the non-profit sail-training organisation Cape Windjammers Education Trust, which uses educational sail-training trips for youth and reconciliation work in South Africa, and volunteered here myself for many years. Since 2006 I have been supporting live&learn in South Africa as a programme manager and in 2016 I took over the management of live&learn together with Alex.

Alexander Allavena

Managing Director

As a trained model maker, I worked in tourism and tourism management worldwide for over 15 years. Windsurfing finally brought me to beautiful South Africa. Over the years, I got involved in various youth work projects and founded the South African sail training organisation Cape Windjammers Education Trust together with Antje. South Africa’s moving history not only influenced my daily life in South Africa, but also moved me to train as a state-certified tour guide. My city tours are particularly dedicated to past and present socio-political issues to introduce Cape Town’s visitors to the achievements and challenges of South Africa’s young democracy. From 2006 to 2015 I was programme coordinator in South Africa and in 2016 I took over the management of live&learn together with Antje.

Sina-Marcella Dünkel

Freelancer

I completed my master’s degree in “Leisure, Sports and Tourism Management” at the Saarland University of Applied Sciences in Saarbrücken in 2024. Travelling and discovering foreign countries has always been my passion. In 2017, I came to South Africa for the first time to volunteer for nature and species conservation. The South Africa bug caught me immediately and in 2019 I studied for 1 semester at the Nelson Mandela University in Gqeberha (Port Elisabeth). Since then, I try to spend as much time as possible in South Africa. Since the end of 2022, I have been part of the live&learn team and support our participants in their travel preparations. In addition, I am also the contact person for travel and excursions in southern Africa and am constantly on the lookout for new insider tips.

My Areas of Responsbility at live&learn:

• Advice applicants about volunteers and internships in South Africa
• Assist with travel arrangements
• Advice participants about travel opportunities in Southern Africa as well as weekend activities in and around Cape Town