The SABC will take in 154 interns during the 2026/27 financial year as the public broadcaster and MICT SETA expand their youth skills development partnership.
Of the 154 interns, 120 will join through the SABC’s partnership with the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA), while another 34 will be hosted through other stakeholder partnerships.
The programme has also seen a sharp increase in the number of interns moving into employment at the SABC.
In the 2024/25 financial year, 110 interns joined the broadcaster through MICT SETA.
Of those, 103 completed the programme and 23 were subsequently employed by the SABC on various employment contracts.
The following year, 108 interns joined the programme.
While 85 completed their internships in 2025/26, the SABC said 70 secured employment opportunities within the organisation.
The broadcaster said the increase in intern absorption demonstrated the value of workplace experience in developing talent for its operational needs.
Technology and News & Current Affairs have consistently recorded strong intern absorption rates, according to the SABC.
The broadcaster has also hosted 40 interns over the past two financial years through partnerships with other external stakeholders.
SABC Group Executive for Human Resources Rachel Masuku said the partnership with MICT SETA had helped young South Africans enter the media and broadcasting industry.
“For many years, the SABC and MICT SETA have partnered to create opportunities for young South Africans to enter the world of work and develop careers in broadcasting and media,” Masuku said.
She said some current SABC employees had first joined the organisation as interns more than two decades ago.
“The growing number of interns securing employment within the SABC reflects the success of the programme in opening meaningful career pathways for young South Africans,” Masuku said.
MICT SETA acting CEO Bontle Mokoena said the partnership was intended to equip graduates with practical workplace experience and improve their prospects of finding sustainable employment.
“Our longstanding partnership with the SABC reflects a shared commitment to empowering young South Africans through skills development and workplace learning opportunities,” Mokoena said.
The SABC said the internship programme forms part of its efforts to support youth employability, skills development and the future talent needs of the broadcasting sector.
