Employer Directory: Companies Offering Internships and Apprenticeships in South Africa

Content pillar: Internships, Learnerships & Apprenticeships
Context: Career Guidance South Africa

This employer directory is a practical, SEO-focused guide to major South African organisations that historically offer internships, learnerships and apprenticeships. Use it to find targets, understand typical programmes by sector, and learn practical application strategies to increase your chances of being selected.

Why target large employers — and what to expect

Large employers and parastatals commonly run structured earn-while-you-learn schemes to develop talent pipelines, meet B-BBEE objectives, and transfer occupational skills. Expect:

Structured training plans (workplace mentorship + classroom/SETA components).
Stipends or allowances (vary by employer and programme).
Credit-bearing learnerships that lead to a registered qualification.
Fixed application windows (annual intakes are common).

For more on how SETA-backed learnerships work and how to apply, see Career Guidance South Africa: How SETA Learnerships Work and How to Apply.

Quick comparison: Internship vs Learnership vs Apprenticeship

Feature	Internship	Learnership	Apprenticeship
Formal qualification	Usually no	Yes (SETA-registered)	Often yes (trade-specific)
Duration	Weeks → 12 months	6 → 24 months	1 → 4 years
Stipend	Possible	Common	Common
Work vs training balance	Work-focused	Balanced	Hands-on trade focus
Best for	Career exploration, graduates	Formal skill & qualification	Trades and artisan skills

For a deep dive, compare routes in Apprenticeship vs Learnership vs Internship: Which Earn-While-You-Learn Route Is Right in South Africa?.

Employer directory — by sector

Below are notable employers historically known to offer internships, learnerships or apprenticeships. Use company career pages, LinkedIn, and the SETA index to confirm current intakes.

Banking & Financial Services

Standard Bank — graduate & internship programmes; broad business streams.
ABSA — apprenticeship and graduate development schemes.
Nedbank — analyst internships and learnership opportunities.
Investec — specialist graduate and internship tracks.
Old Mutual — insurance and actuarial internships.

See corporate development strategies in Graduate Development Programmes in South Africa: Top Corporate Schemes and Application Tips.

Mining, Energy & Resources

Anglo American / De Beers — bursaries, learnerships and artisan apprenticeships.
Sasol — technical internships and artisanal apprenticeship pathways.
BHP / Minerals houses — large-scale training and work-integrated learning.

Telecoms & Technology

Vodacom — learner and graduate programmes across network and digital roles.
MTN — internships and system-focused learnerships.
Naspers / Prosus — graduate and tech internships in product, data and engineering.

Retail & FMCG

Shoprite Group — retail learnerships; logistics apprenticeships.
Woolworths — retail management & supply chain internships.
Pick n Pay / Spar — operational and management training schemes.

Manufacturing & Industry

Sappi — technical apprenticeships and process-engineering internships.
ArcelorMittal / Broll — artisan training and workplace-based learning.

Public Sector & Parastatals

Eskom — engineering bursaries, internships and artisan apprenticeships.
Transnet — internships, learnerships, and operational training.
City of Johannesburg / City of Cape Town — municipal internship programmes; see public sector timelines in Public-Sector Internships in South Africa: Application Timelines and Interview Strategies.

Health, NGOs & Professional Services

Netcare / Mediclinic — healthcare internships and clinical learnerships.
PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, EY — audit, tax and advisory internships + vacation programmes.

Note: this list is a practical starting point. Employers change programmes over time — always confirm details on company careers pages or via the SETA index: Index of Learnerships by SETA: A Practical Directory for South African Jobseekers.

How to find and apply — practical checklist

Search company careers pages and set campus alerts on LinkedIn and Glassdoor.
Use sector-specific job boards and SETA listings.
Prepare a tailored CV and a one-page cover letter that maps your skills to the programme outcomes.
Highlight workplace competencies and soft skills: reliability, teamwork, communication.
Collect certified copies of ID, matric certificate, and tertiary transcripts where required.
Apply early in intake windows and follow up politely after 2–3 weeks.

For strategies on finding paid internships and standing out, read Finding Paid Internships in South Africa: Where to Look and How to Stand Out.

Stipends, credits and qualification mechanics

Stipends: vary widely — some internships are unpaid, others provide a monthly allowance. Learnerships generally include stipends and contribute to NQF credits.
Credits & qualifications: accredited learnerships award credits towards an NQF-aligned qualification; apprenticeships often lead to trade certificates.
Understand how credits apply to further study and professional registration. For details, see How Stipends, Credits and Qualifications Work in South African Learnerships.

Turning an internship into a permanent role

Convert short-term experience to full-time offers by:

Delivering measurable impact and documenting results.
Asking for feedback and applying it visibly.
Expressing career interest early and seeking a development plan.
Building relationships with hiring managers and mentors.

Practical steps and scripts are in How to Turn an Internship into a Permanent Job in South Africa — Career Guidance South Africa.

Example structured data template (JSON-LD) for learnership listings

Use structured data on your site to improve visibility. Below is a compact JSON-LD template you can adapt:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "JobPosting",
  "title": "Electrical Learnership (NQF 4) - Company Name",
  "description": "12-month learnership combining workplace experience and classroom training. Stipend paid. SETA registered.",
  "datePosted": "2026-03-01",
  "validThrough": "2026-03-31T23:59",
  "employmentType": "FULL_TIME",
  "hiringOrganization": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Company Name",
    "sameAs": "https://company.example"
  },
  "jobLocation": {
    "@type": "Place",
    "address": {
      "@type": "PostalAddress",
      "addressLocality": "Johannesburg",
      "addressRegion": "Gauteng",
      "addressCountry": "ZA"
    }
  },
  "baseSalary": {
    "@type": "MonetaryAmount",
    "currency": "ZAR",
    "value": {
      "@type": "QuantitativeValue",
      "value": 4500,
      "unitText": "MONTH"
    }
  }
}

For tailored templates and implementation guidance, see Structured Data Templates for Listing Learnerships and Apprenticeships on Your South African Site.

Final checklist before applying

Confirm the programme type (internship vs learnership vs apprenticeship).
Verify accreditation and SETA details if it’s a learnership.
Prepare certified documents and an outcomes-focused CV.
Apply through official channels and keep records of application IDs.
Plan follow-ups and interview preparation using public-sector tips: Public-Sector Internships in South Africa: Application Timelines and Interview Strategies.

If you’d like, I can:

Produce tailored cover letter and CV templates for specific industries above.
Create a downloadable spreadsheet of these employers with career-page links (you provide which sectors to prioritise).