Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has moved to inject new hope into the province’s struggling youth job market by preparing to welcome a fresh intake of 20 interns into the Office of the Premier during the 2026/27 financial year.
The announcement comes at a time when South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis continues to cast a long shadow over millions of graduates desperate for workplace experience and permanent employment opportunities.
Responding to the Oversight Committee on Legislature and Premier’s Office on Tuesday, Ndlovu said the Office of the Premier was in the process of advertising for the new intake after the previous cohort completed their programme during the 2025/26 financial year.
“Additionally, we are in the process of advertising for the new cohort of 20 interns in this financial year as the previous group completed their programme in 2025/26 financial year,” said Ndlovu.
“The interns that are working in the Office of the Premier are from the Department of Education and Provincial Treasury, as OTP we are what is called a host employer.”
Bridge between education and formal employment
The move places Mpumalanga among provincial administrations attempting to use internships as a bridge between education and formal employment in a country where youth unemployment remains one of government’s biggest political and economic headaches.
According to the latest labour market figures released by Statistics South Africa, South Africa’s official unemployment rate climbed to 32.7% during the first quarter of 2026, while millions of young people remained outside the labour market altogether.
The crisis is particularly severe among youth aged between 15 and 34, with many graduates trapped in the painful cycle of needing experience to get work while needing work to gain experience.
Figures previously released by the Department of Public Service and Administration revealed that national departments recruited more than 31,000 interns over a five-year period, with more than 10,000 eventually finding employment either within the public service or elsewhere in the economy.
For many young graduates, government internships have become more than temporary placements. They offer critical exposure to administration, governance systems, policy implementation and professional workplace culture while helping interns build networks and strengthen their CVs.
Vacancy pressures and budget limitations
Ndlovu acknowledged broader challenges facing the Office of the Premier, including vacancy pressures and budget limitations.
“The Committee highlights critical issues, including a modest 2.45% budget increase which increase was influenced by the low inflation rate of 3% as announced by South African Reserve Bank which indeed limits our ability to meet our ambitions,” he said.
“We still have a high vacancy rate that hinders our capacity to be more effective; however recruitment processes are underway to fill some of the critical positions.”
Despite the constraints, the premier said his administration remained committed to improving service delivery and strengthening accountability within government.
“We will account, we will implement, we will correct what is wrong, we will protect public resources and above all we will serve our people with integrity, speed and dignity,” said Ndlovu.
In a country where unemployment often steals dignity before it steals opportunity, internship programmes increasingly serve as the narrow bridge between graduation gowns and pay slips, a fragile but vital passage into the formal economy.
- Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu has moved to inject new hope into the province’s struggling youth job market by preparing to welcome a fresh intake of 20 interns into the Office of the Premier during the 2026/27 financial year.
- The announcement comes at a time when South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis continues to cast a long shadow over millions of graduates desperate for workplace experience and permanent employment opportunities.
- Responding to the Oversight Committee on Legislature and Premier’s Office on Tuesday, Ndlovu said the Office of the Premier was in the process of advertising for the new intake after the previous cohort completed their programme during the 2025/26 financial year.
- “Additionally, we are in the process of advertising for the new cohort of 20 interns in this financial year as the previous group completed their programme in 2025/26 financial year,” said Ndlovu.
- “The interns that are working in the Office of the Premier are from the Department of Education and Provincial Treasury, as OTP we are what is called a host employer.” Bridge between education and formal employment The move places Mpumalanga among provincial administrations attempting to use internships as a bridge between education and formal employment in a country where youth unemployment remains one of government’s biggest political and economic headaches.
“Additionally, we are in the process of advertising for the new cohort of 20 interns in this financial year as the previous group completed their programme in 2025/26 financial year,” said
“
Figures previously released by the Department of Public Service and Administration revealed that national departments recruited more than 31,000 interns over a five-year period, with more than 10,000 eventually finding employment either within the public service or elsewhere in the economy.
For many young graduates, government internships have become more than temporary placements.
“
“We still have a high vacancy rate that hinders our capacity to be more effective; however recruitment processes are underway to fill some of the critical positions.”
Despite the constraints, the premier said his administration remained committed to improving service delivery and strengthening accountability within government.
“We will account, we will implement, we will correct what is wrong, we will protect public resources and above all we will serve our people with integrity, speed and dignity,” said
In a country where unemployment often steals dignity before it steals opportunity, internship programmes increasingly serve as the narrow bridge between graduation gowns and pay slips, a fragile but vital passage into the formal economy.
