Internships in South Africa
An internship gives you supervised work experience, usually after you finish a qualification. These are the open adverts with "intern" or "internship" in the title.
Never pay for a internship. Real learnerships, internships and jobs never ask you for money: not for an application, registration, training material, a uniform, a background check or to "secure your place". If someone asks you to pay or to deposit money first, it is a scam. The Department of Employment and Labour says no one may charge a work seeker a fee for finding them work.
Government internships
National and provincial departments advertise internships in the weekly Public Service Vacancy Circulars from the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), and on their own websites. They are usually for unemployed graduates with a qualification in a stated field, run for a fixed period and pay a monthly stipend; the advert gives the length, the stipend and how to apply.
Many government adverts ask for a Z83 form with your CV, and late or incomplete applications are not considered. Follow the advert's instructions exactly.
Company internships
Private employers run their own internships, often for students who need workplace experience to finish a diploma (sometimes called in-service training or work-integrated learning) and for recent graduates. The advert says who is eligible and whether it is paid.
Questions
- Do I have to pay for an internship?
- No. A genuine internship never asks you to pay a fee to apply, to be placed or for training. Treat any request for money as a scam.
- Are internships paid?
- Government internships usually pay a monthly stipend that depends on your qualification level. Company internships vary: the advert should say whether there is a stipend and how much.
- How long does an internship last?
- It depends on the programme. Public service internships run for a fixed period stated in the advert, often 12 to 24 months. Check the advert for the exact length.
- Can I do a government internship more than once?
- Usually not. Many public service internship adverts say applicants must not have done an internship in the public service before. Read the requirements in the advert.
- Where are government internships advertised?
- In the DPSA's weekly Public Service Vacancy Circulars and on each department's website. Honde reads the circulars and lists their internship posts here.
Sources
- Public Service Vacancy Circulars (DPSA)
- Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA), Department of Employment and Labour
- SA Youth (sayouth.mobi), run with Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
- Work seekers warned not to pay for employment (Department of Employment and Labour, 5 February 2024)
- Department of Employment and Labour warns job seekers against a scam learnership (labour.gov.za)
Rules and programmes change: confirm details in each advert and with the organisation that runs it.
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