By Boitumelo Tshehle
Graduates who attended the national launch of Services Seta’s PowerX² – 20 000 Internships Programme found the event meaningful beyond the on-stage speeches.
For many, it was the first tangible evidence of any pro-gress after months or years of
job searching.
A software engineering graduate, Mothibi Bantjies, believes in the digital future.
He studied ICT with a focus on software engineering at Sol Plaatje University, majoring in software development.
Seven months after finishing his degree, he remains unemployed. Even so, he does not regret his decision.
“I chose the course that I chose because we are approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is the digital transformation era. I saw that choosing an IT career at
this time would benefit me a lot in the future, even though I don’t have a job right now.” he said. Bantjies, from Sekhing village near Taung, said he was grateful for the opportunity created by Services Seta’s new internship programme, describing the stakes for his family in blunt terms.
“I am thankful to Services Seta for providing this opportunity for us. Our families depend on us,” he said.
Bantjies grew up in a family of six children, four brothers and two sisters.
“I was the first one to finish school. I’m the fifth-born – my life was that hard.
“My mother and father were not able to provide for every essential thing that I needed,” he said.
Despite seven months of job hunting, Bantjies remains focused on where he sees himself in the future, not simply as an employee but eventually as an employer. “With IT, you can independently create or change the world using ICT. I want to one day own a company and employ a lot of youth and show them that there is a huge opportunity in IT,” he said.
Bantjies is one of thousands of South African graduates counting on Services Seta’s PowerX² programme to turn a completed qualification into his first real workplace experience.
Kagiso Tlhagale, from Lomanyaneng in Mahikeng, graduated with a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in political science and international relations, in 2024.
Tlhagale said the launch left him hopeful for the first time in a while. “I am excited. They are giving us opportunities.
“I will be happier after they place us; I can’t wait. Some of us will finally be employed. This is very exciting. I am ready and hopeful that my dream is about to start.”
- Services Seta launched the PowerX² – 20 000 Internships Programme to provide workplace experience for South African graduates.
- Mothibi Bantjies, an ICT graduate from Sol Plaatje University, remains unemployed seven months after finishing his degree but values the internship opportunity.
- Bantjies chose his IT career due to the digital transformation era associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
- Bantjies aims to one day own a company and employ youth, seeing IT as a field with significant opportunities.
- Kagiso Tlhagale, a 2024 political science graduate, expressed excitement and hope for employment through the PowerX² programme.
