By Selloane Ntshonyane
- Labour economist Professor Derick Blaauw says internships are “an improved hunting licence” for employment, but not “a meal ticket.”
- Nthabiseng Mapota, 32, waited two years after her Gauteng Department of Health internship ended before she was permanently hired.
An internship can help you find work. It cannot guarantee it.
That is the warning from labour economist Professor Derick Blaauw, as South Africa’s youth unemployment rate sits at 47.4% for people aged 15 to 34, according to Statistics South Africa’s second quarter Quarterly Labour Force Survey for 2026.
“There are studies in this regard, in short evidence exist that properly designed internships can make someone more employable,” Blaauw said.
“An internship is an improved ‘hunting licence’ but not a ‘meal ticket’ to employment,” he said.
Blaauw said the bigger problem is a lack of economic growth, which has left limited demand for workers. Companies only hire more people when there is demand for what they produce.
“As long as the economy [does] not grow and the demand for goods and services increases, the demand for labour will not increase to accommodate new job seekers, including those who had internships,” he said.
Nthabiseng Mapota, 32, from Soweto, knows that gap between hope and hiring well.
She started a two-year internship in public relations and communications at the Gauteng Department of Health in September 2020, writing internal articles, managing social media and handling event branding.
The internship built her experience and taught her what employers look for. But it did not lead straight to a job.
“Every time there was an opportunity for a post, I would grab it and start applying,” she said.
Mapota was only hired by the same department in July 2022, nearly two years after her internship ended, and in a different role entirely: transport officer in the logistics department at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
She advises young people not to get too comfortable during an internship, or wait for the company to offer them a job.
“Some companies hire their interns permanently, but some terminate the contract, so do not be too comfortable,” Mapota said.
Jeddie Mahlangu’s path was faster. She completed a 12-month internship through the Youth Employment Services programme at The Learning Organisation, working as a data capturer. When the person responsible for recruitment fell ill, Mahlangu, who holds a qualification in Human Resources, stepped in to help.
After her internship ended, she was offered a year-long position in recruitment, which eventually became permanent.
Mahlangu now works as a recruiter herself. She said she sees many young people move on from internships into apprenticeships, learnerships or permanent jobs.
Blaauw said government needs to focus on creating economic growth and jobs, since internships alone cannot fix a shortage of demand for labour.
Pictured above: An internship can improve your chances of finding work, but it is not a guarantee, an expert warns.
Image source: Career Updates/Facebook
