A learnership pays you a monthly allowance while you work toward a qualification that is registered on the National Qualifications Framework. This section of BursariesAfrica explains what the law says you must be paid, who may apply, when employers advertise, and where to apply without paying anyone a cent. We are an independent guide. We do not recruit learners and we never charge for an application.
What do you need help with?
- I want to know what a learnership pays. The minimum is set by law and starts at R455 a week. See the table below.
- I am looking for something open right now. Start with the employers who recruit each year and check their own careers pages.
- I have never applied before. Read the step-by-step application guide and get your documents certified first.
- I do not have transport or data. SA Youth is zero-rated, so it costs no data, and some programmes are studied online.
- I finished a diploma or degree. You want an internship or graduate programme rather than a learnership.
- I am not sure this is worth it. See what a learnership actually gets you.
What a learnership must pay you
Learners are not covered by the ordinary national minimum wage. Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act sets a separate minimum allowance that rises as you earn credits toward your qualification. These amounts have been binding since 1 March 2026 under Government Notice R.7083 of 3 February 2026.
| NQF level | Credits earned | At least, a week | About, a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| NQF 1 to 2 | 0 - 120 | R455,00 | R1 971,52 |
| NQF 1 to 2 | 121 - 240 | R909,94 | R3 942,77 |
| NQF 3 | 0 - 120 | R455,00 | R1 971,52 |
| NQF 3 | 121 - 240 | R856,94 | R3 713,12 |
| NQF 3 | 241 - 360 | R1 402,87 | R6 078,64 |
| NQF 4 | 0 - 120 | R455,00 | R1 971,52 |
| NQF 4 | 121 - 240 | R910,04 | R3 943,20 |
| NQF 4 | 241 - 360 | R1 402,87 | R6 078,64 |
| NQF 4 | 361 - 480 | R2 047,41 | R8 871,43 |
| NQF 5 to 8 | 0 - 120 | R455,00 | R1 971,52 |
| NQF 5 to 8 | 121 - 240 | R985,76 | R4 271,30 |
| NQF 5 to 8 | 241 - 360 | R1 474,90 | R6 390,74 |
| NQF 5 to 8 | 361 - 480 | R2 077,79 | R9 003,06 |
| NQF 5 to 8 | 481 - 600 | R2 654,04 | R11 499,96 |
Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act, as amended by Government Notice R.7083 (Government Gazette 54075 of 3 February 2026) and binding from 1 March 2026. The monthly column is the weekly figure × 4.333, the conversion the same notice uses. Employers may pay more than this, and many do. Read the notice.
- The allowance is a legal floor, not a salary. An employer may pay more, and many advertise R3 500 to R6 000 a month for an NQF 4 programme.
- You start at the bottom band. Credits mean credits already earned toward that qualification, so a first-time learner with no credits gets R455 a week, about R1 971 a month.
- A 12-month YES placement is different. It is ordinary employment, so the national minimum wage applies: at least R5 241 a month for a 40-hour week from 1 March 2026.
- Tax. An allowance is not automatically tax free. Most learners earn under the SARS tax threshold of R99 000 a year and pay no PAYE, but a top-band allowance of about R11 500 a month is well over it.
Learnership, internship, apprenticeship or YES?
People use these words as if they mean the same thing. They do not, and applying for the wrong one wastes weeks.
| Programme | Who it is for | How long | What you walk away with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learnership | Usually unemployed people with Grade 10 to Matric, depending on the NQF level | 12 to 24 months | A full NQF qualification, plus workplace experience |
| Apprenticeship | People going into a trade, often with N2 to N3 or a technical Matric | 3 to 4 years | A trade test and a qualified artisan certificate |
| Internship | Graduates who already hold a diploma or degree | 12 to 24 months | Work experience and a reference, usually no new qualification |
| YES placement | Unemployed people aged 18 to 34 who have never done YES before | 12 months | A paid first job, a reference and a YES certificate |
More detail: internships and graduate programmes and how the YES programme works.
When to apply for the 2027 intake
- September to November 2026. Large employers advertise January and February intakes. This is the busiest window of the year, and it is happening now.
- January to April 2027. The second wave: SETA-funded programmes that start once funding is confirmed for the new financial year, which begins on 1 April.
- All year. Retail, contact centre and YES placements are advertised as employers need people. Some close as soon as the quota is full.
- No national closing date exists. Every employer sets its own date. Anyone telling you there is one national learnership application, with one deadline, is wrong.
Do not wait for an advert to prepare. Certify your ID and Matric certificate, write your CV, and create your SA Youth profile now, so that when a two-week application window opens you can apply the same day.
Where to apply, free
- Register on SA Youth. SAYouth.mobi is the government’s national platform for 18 to 34 year olds, and it is zero-rated on MTN, Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom and Virgin, so browsing it costs no data. Help line 0800 72 72 72, weekdays 09:00 to 17:00. See how to register.
- Apply on the employer’s own careers page. Every large employer runs its own portal. Our guides cover Capitec, Old Mutual, Sasol, Anglo American at Kathu and Truworths.
- Use YES through SA Youth. yes4youth.co.za does not recruit directly. Its partner companies advertise their placements on SA Youth and on their own sites.
- Try an entry-level job platform. JobJack lists entry-level roles and learnerships and builds a CV from your profile.
- Go to the SETA that funds your sector. Twenty-one SETAs fund learnerships. They pay for the training, but you apply to the employer or the training provider, not to the SETA. See how SETA funding works.
How to spot a fake learnership
- You are asked to pay. No registration fee, no placement fee, no fee for a guaranteed spot. A learnership is funded by an employer and a SETA.
- The advert asks for banking details up front. Bank details come after you sign a learnership agreement with an employer, not at application.
- The link is not the employer’s own site. Search for the company name, open its careers page yourself, and check that the advert is there.
- The advert names no employer, no closing date and no reference number. Real adverts carry all three.
- You are told to send your ID to a WhatsApp number. Report it and walk away.
Guides by topic
Getting started
- How to apply for a learnership online, step by step
- Which employers run learnerships, and when they open
- Learnership vacancies by sector
- What a learnership gets you
Platforms and programmes
- SA Youth: registering and applying
- The YES programme
- JobJack
- SETA learnerships and funding
- ETDP SETA, for education and training
By sector and place
- Logistics and supply chain
- Online and blended programmes
- Johannesburg and Gauteng
- Internships for graduates
- Government internships
Who to ask when something goes wrong
| Problem | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| You cannot register or apply on SA Youth | SA Youth, 0800 72 72 72, weekdays 09:00 to 17:00, or info@sayouth.co.za |
| General questions about training and colleges | Department of Higher Education and Training call centre, 0800 87 2222 |
| You do not know which course or career to choose | DHET Career Helpline, 086 999 0123 |
| Your allowance has not been paid | First your employer, then the SETA that registered your learnership agreement |
| You suspect fraud in a SETA-funded programme | The SETA tip-offs line, for example ETDP SETA on 0800 204 937 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum a learnership must pay in 2026?
R455 a week, about R1 971 a month, for a learner who has not yet earned credits toward the qualification. It rises with credits earned, to R2 654,04 a week at NQF 5 to 8 with 481 to 600 credits. The table is Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act, binding from 1 March 2026.
Do I need Matric for a learnership?
Not always. NQF 1 to 3 programmes often accept Grade 10 or 11, and some retail learnerships state Grade 10. Most NQF 4 programmes ask for Matric, and technical ones ask for Mathematics or Physical Science.
Can I do a learnership if I already have a job?
Yes. An employer can enrol its own staff in a learnership. The adverts you see online are almost all for unemployed applicants, because those programmes are funded to create new entrants.
Do I pay to apply for a learnership?
No. Applying is free, on SA Youth and on employer portals. Anyone charging you a registration or placement fee is running a scam.
How long does a learnership take?
Most run 12 months. A programme with a bigger qualification runs 18 to 24 months, and a trade apprenticeship runs three to four years.
Is a learnership allowance taxable?
It is not automatically exempt. Most learners fall under the annual tax threshold of R99 000 for people under 65 and pay no PAYE, but a high allowance can cross it.