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teach english in lesotho

Teach English in Lesotho

A thousand metres above sea level, and landlocked within another country, Lesotho is already one-of-a-kind. As a TEFL destination, it’s also extremely unique.

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Often, it’s hard to describe a country with a word other than “unique”. Each nation brings something different to the table, whether it’s linguistic diversity, ecology, history, culture or something else that makes it utterly idiosyncratic. The Kingdom of Lesotho, though, is singular in multiple ways.

It’s a country that’s completely landlocked within another country. Lesotho is entirely within South Africa. Lesotho is also one of the only countries in the world that’s 1,000 metres above sea level. You can drink in Africa’s highest pub at Sani Mountain Lodge in the Sani Pass, or see where some of the first dinosaur fossils were discovered. It’s a fascinating place. What about English teaching, though?

The educational system starts kids off speaking in Sesotho until Grade 4, at which point schools pivot to English. This leads to something of a confused linguistic palette for Lesothan children, many of whom never become truly proficient in English, especially in rural areas where the standards of English teaching can be poor.

So, it’s a unique place, but the challenges for teachers are obvious. Are there job opportunities for English teachers in Lesotho? Is it a viable place to live and work as an English teacher? Let’s take a look.

Lesotho: an overview

A challenging landscape, both ecologically and from an educational perspective, Lesotho is a really interesting prospect for any TEFL teacher. English is a language of instruction at schools, but proficiency isn’t where it could be. This is especially true in rural areas, where standards of education are much lower than in urban areas.

If you’re eager to make a social impact as a TEFL teacher, Lesotho is full of volunteering opportunities. However, if you’re looking to teach English abroad in Lesotho full-time, it can be hard to find work. One of the difficulties is the practicality of finding jobs - 52% of Lesothans started 2023 completely offline, and it’s normal for teaching jobs in Lesotho to only be advertised locally. Clearly, if you’re based anywhere else, you’re going to be at a disadvantage trying to find work.

As ever, major metropolitan areas like the capital city of Maseru are the best places to scope out opportunities. With South Africa boasting a range of language schools, international schools and universities, you won’t find a huge “expat” community in Lesotho either, though there are a small number of private schools and international schools in Lesotho.

Requirements

So you’re looking to teach English in southern Africa, and Lesotho is in your sights. What do qualified teachers need on their CVs to start teaching English in Lesotho? Do teachers need a degree, extensive classroom teaching experience, or some specific skills to get a teaching job?

Let’s take a look.

To gain long-term access to Lesotho, you’ll need a residence permit, and there’s a special one for teachers. Incidentally, that’s called a Teacher’s Permit, but how do you get it? You’ll have to provide the following:

Completed online form
2x Passport Size Photo
Medical Certificate (signed by a GP within Lesotho)
Police Clearance from Lesotho and country of origin (for first-time applicants)
Work Permit (Certified by Department of Labour & Employment)
Applicant’s letter
Employer’s letter
Personal tax clearance (Certified by LRA)
Tax clearance from school (if the employer is a private school)
Employment contract
Educational certificates
Copy of passport
Proof of payment (M2800 (£121/$158))

TEFL certificate

Keen on teaching English in Lesotho? Then you need a TEFL certificate. To be recognised as a TEFL-certified teacher, you must have completed 120 hours of TEFL study, which is the industry standard. Additionally, your TEFL certification must be from a reputable course provider, one that’s been approved by multiple recognised accreditation bodies.

Degree/no-degree

Having a degree can bring significant advantages when searching for TEFL teaching jobs in Lesotho. In major metropolitan areas, where jobs are more likely to be advertised online, teaching opportunities can be ultra-competitive and normally ask for a bachelor’s degree. In the more elite establishments, at least a bachelor’s degree will be required.

However, you can teach English abroad without a degree in Lesotho. In rural areas, a TEFL certificate (and preferably, some experience) is likely to be all you’ll need to qualify. Certainly, in volunteering roles, you won’t need a degree to be considered.

Experience

Previous teaching experience is highly valued in elite educational establishments, including reputable state schools, international schools and private schools. These kinds of schools will typically want candidates who have at least 2 years of classroom teaching experience, though they’ll consider highly qualified, newer teachers.

Outside of these institutions, especially in rural areas where teacher numbers are scarce, you can teach English abroad without experience. Volunteer programmes are also excellent for building experience, and these are readily available within Lesotho.

Visa

As a teacher in Lesotho, you’ll need a business visa. To attain this, you’ll need an initial visa, for which you’ll have to provide:

A valid passport with a blank page

A recent passport photograph
Proof of vaccination against yellow fever
Travel health insurance

For your business visa, you’ll need:

Employer’s letter of invitation
Valid passport
Passport photo
Completed application
Proof of accommodation in Lesotho

Download our teaching English in Latin America guide

Salary, benefits and cost of living

So, what kind of teaching salary can you earn in Lesotho? What are the “averages”, what’s the cost of living like, and can you earn any extra benefits while teaching there?

Salary

The story of teaching salaries in state education has been an ongoing saga in Lesotho for several years. The proposed minimum salary for primary school teachers without degrees is M10,363 (£445/$583) per month, and for secondary school teachers without degrees, it’s M10,409 (£448/$586) monthly. This rises to M13,500 (£581/$759) for primary teachers and M13,617 (£586/$766) for secondary teachers with degrees. Salaries rise higher for teachers with master's degrees and doctorates.

However, despite these promises, these wages aren’t reliably being delivered across Lesotho, especially in rural areas. In private schools and international schools, wages are far higher, though these jobs are much harder to come by.

Benefits

While volunteering programmes may offer room and board, teaching opportunities like these, and those within state education, won’t offer much in the form of benefits. International schools and private schools, however, can usually offer performance bonuses and accommodation assistance. Whoever you work for, you should expect some assistance with your visa application.

Cost of living

How much does it cost to live in Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho, while working as an English teacher?

To rent a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre costs approximately £108/$141 per month, which lowers to £55/$72 per month if you live outside the city centre. Internet access costs about £17/$22 per month, which is excellent if you plan on providing online courses for English learners in Lesotho, a common route for many qualified teachers.

A monthly travel pass is equivalent to about £21/$28 and you can use it to try out Lesothan cuisine - a three-course meal for two at a mid-priced restaurant is about £17/$22!

Country	Avg. monthly salary	Degree required	Start of term	Teaching experience	Housing & flights included	Suitable for non-native English speakers	Age restrictions
Teach in Lesotho	M10,363 - M10,409 (£445 - £448 GBP $583 - $586 USD)		January		Not usually		None

Types of English Teaching Jobs in Lesotho

So where can qualified teachers find teaching jobs in Lesotho? It can be difficult, but they’re out there!

Public Schools
Private Language Schools
International Schools
Private Tutoring

Public schools

You’ll find that in Lesotho, teaching jobs can be harder to find than in other countries. This is due to a couple of reasons that we’ve covered, including lack of internet access and the tendency of schools to advertise hyper-locally. This is particularly true in the case of public schools, but just because they’re hard to find, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Particularly in rural areas, English language teachers are in high demand. Levels of proficiency are far lower outside of the big cities in Lesotho. You’ll need a TEFL certificate for the bulk of public school jobs, and some experience is very useful.

Private language schools

Though they’re far less common than in most other TEFL locations, there are some private language schools in Lesotho. Due to its modest size, and being landlocked within South Africa, the demand for private schools just isn’t there in the same way as other nations like Botswana, for example. However, if you have a TEFL certificate, experience and a degree, you should be considered when jobs do come up.

International schools

Again, sheer supply and demand means there aren’t many international schools operating in Lesotho. However, jobs do occasionally come up, so if you have years of classroom experience teaching English, at least a bachelor’s degree and the all-important TEFL certificate, you could find yourself in prime position for a potentially lucrative job in one of Lesotho’s few international schools.

Private tutoring

Private tutoring, both online and offline, is popular in Lesotho. With English language proficiency being recognised as particularly important for economic and educational opportunities, there’s plenty of interest in improvement. Your students will generally be young adults looking to boost their chances of employment either in Lesotho’s major industries or in South Africa’s biggest cities, like Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Which country has the highest demand for English teachers?

By sheer population size, it’s hard to argue China doesn’t have the highest demand for teachers, though countries including Mexico, Colombia and Spain aren’t far behind.

Q. What country is easiest to teach English in?

There’s no one country where it’s “easiest” to teach English in, though there are countries where it’s easier to get a visa, or where you can teach without experience or a degree. Countries like Cambodia and Lebanon are great places to start.

Q. How much do English teachers make in Africa?

The amount English teachers make in Africa varies wildly - it’s a massive continent, after all! Like anywhere else, the kind of institute you work in, your qualifications and experience all play a part.

Q. Which country requires English teachers?

Which country requires English teachers?

Everywhere requires English teachers. You’d be amazed where you can teach English as a foreign language abroad, but you can also teach English online from the comfort of your own home!