SABC and MICT SETA Internship Programme

Written by Thabo MokoenaSenior Education Editor

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) takes unemployed graduates into paid internships funded by the Media, Information and Communication Technologies SETA (MICT SETA). The two organisations have run the programme together since 2011, placing interns in the public broadcaster’s news, technology, radio, television, sales and support divisions at its head office and regional offices. The 2026/27 intake was advertised on the MICT SETA website with applications closing on 10 September 2026.

A 15-year partnership between a broadcaster and a SETA

MICT SETA funds the programme and the SABC hosts, trains and mentors the interns. When the two launched the 2018/19 intake they said it was meant for graduates who had never had experiential learning or work exposure. MICT SETA describes internships in general as full-time workplace placements of eight to twelve months for university and college graduates who have a qualification but no work experience, with the host employer deciding the length and content. The SABC has not published the exact length or stipend for the 2026/27 intake.

The size of the intake changes from year to year, as the SABC’s own statements show:

Where interns work inside the SABC

The 2024/25 breakdown gives the clearest picture of the kinds of graduates the broadcaster takes. Of 110 interns, 34 went to News and 34 to Technology, the two largest groups. Group Services took 12, while Video Entertainment, Sales and Radio took 10 each. That spread shows the programme is not only for journalism or film graduates; the Technology, Sales and Group Services placements point to room for graduates in technical and business fields as well.

Interns are trained and mentored by experienced SABC staff. In December 2024 the SABC’s Learning and Development team, which runs the programme, won the broadcasting and media category of the GradStar Students’ Choice Awards, voted on by students.

Applying through the SuccessFactors portal

The 2026/27 notice on the MICT SETA homepage linked to the SABC’s SuccessFactors vacancy portal, where candidates register a profile before applying. On 27 September 2026 that portal carried six permanent vacancies and no internships, consistent with the 10 September closing date. The advert’s detailed requirements were no longer visible, so this page cannot list the qualifications or documents the SABC asked for this round.

Fake SABC internship adverts

The SABC has issued several warnings about bogus internship and learnership adverts using its name. In December 2021 it stated that it advertises these programmes only on its own website, sabc.co.za, and its internal platforms, and urged the public to check any recruitment notice directly with the broadcaster. The genuine 2026/27 call was linked from the MICT SETA website to the SABC’s own vacancy portal.

While you wait for the next intake

Neither the SABC nor MICT SETA has said when the 2027/28 intake will be advertised. Students still completing a qualification in this sector can look at the site’s journalism bursaries, film production bursaries and ICT bursaries.

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