Learnerships & Youth

Bursaries that lead to jobs in SA – NSFAS, Funza Lushaka, Solomon Mahlangu, health and Transnet bursaries with service contracts explained.

Get free career counselling at Department of Labour centres. Learn how to book, what to bring, and options if you live far.

Full list of 21 SETAs in South Africa, what jobs each funds, how stipends work, and how to apply without paying a scam fee.

Didn’t get a Bachelor’s pass? You still have options – rewrite with the free Second Chance Matric Programme, a higher certificate, TVET, or a learnership. What each one actually gets you.

Register on SAYouth.mobi free and zero-rated, step by step. Plus ESSA Labour and Harambee, how to get matched, and the only number SA Youth calls from.

Everyone tells you to “go do a learnership”. But which one? They are not the same — and the pay and requirements differ a lot. South Africa has four main routes into work for people who are starting out: learnerships, internships, apprenticeships and the YES programme. They sound interchangeable and they are not. Each is aimed at a different level

If you have no matric and no experience, most job sites feel like they were not built for you. Every ad says “Matric required + 2 years experience”. The truth: a huge share of entry-level hires in South Africa come through YES programmes, learnerships, retail and hospitality — not degrees. Here are 11 legitimate ways in. Before the list, one