Alfred Duma Civil Engineering Graduate Programme

Written by Thabo MokoenaSenior Education Editor

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Alfred Duma Local Municipality, the municipality centred on Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal’s uThukela district, is hiring two unemployed civil engineering graduates on three-year contracts. The posts sit in the Project Management Unit of the Technical and Infrastructural Services department and pay R195,998.04 a year. The advert, Notice 56/2026 signed by Municipal Manager S.S. Ngiba on 14 September 2026, closes on Friday, 2 October 2026 at 16:00, and applications must be delivered on paper to the municipality’s offices in Ladysmith.

Who Alfred Duma wants for the two posts

The municipal advert sets these requirements:

• Matric (NQF level 4) and a BTech or BSc in Civil Engineering;
• between zero and 36 months of relevant experience, so recent graduates with no work history qualify;
• age 35 or younger;
• a valid driver’s licence;
• eligibility to register with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA);
• computer literacy in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access, and in ArcView/ArcInfo, AutoCAD, Civil 3D or similar software, with AutoCAD and Civil 3D skills named as an advantage;
• fitness to carry out site inspections, and the ability to communicate in two local official languages.

The advert also lists teamwork, working under pressure, writing, reporting and presentation skills, and an understanding of the Batho Pele principles. Applications from previously disadvantaged persons get preference under the municipality’s employment equity commitments. The advert does not mention diplomas, so holders of a National Diploma or Diploma in Civil Engineering without a BTech or degree do not meet the stated qualification.

Municipal project work across the whole municipality

The graduates will plan, design and implement minor civil engineering construction projects and check that services are built to specification. They will also give technical advice during construction, apply quality control, and help manage contracts, including approving designs and making sure completed assets are recorded on the asset register. The duties include technical financial reports, grant applications and statistics, and safety compliance on site. The advert states that the work covers the whole municipality, not a single office.

R195,998.04 a year works out to about R16,333 a month before deductions. The advert does not list benefits or say whether the municipality will pay ECSA registration fees or assign a mentor for professional registration.

Delivering a paper application to 221 Murchison Street

There is no online application. Candidates must:

1. obtain the municipality’s prescribed application form from the Corporate Services department (we could not find it on the municipal website);
2. attach a detailed CV and certified copies of relevant qualifications;
3. address the application to the Executive Director: Corporate Services, 221 Murchison Street, Ladysmith, 3370, so that it arrives before 16:00 on 2 October 2026.

Enquiries go to the Executive Director: Corporate Services on 036 637 2231. Shortlisted candidates may have to write a competency test. The appointed graduates serve a three-month probation, undergo background and reference checks, and must produce original qualifications and consent to their verification. Canvassing is prohibited, and the Municipal Manager is not obliged to fill the posts. Applicants who have not been contacted within 30 days of the closing date should assume they were unsuccessful.

Civil engineering students who still need funding can see our civil engineering bursaries list and the Municipal Infrastructure Support Programme bursary, which funds studies for municipal infrastructure careers. Okhahlamba, another uThukela municipality, runs its own municipal bursary.

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