Ares Holdings invites qualifying graduates and young professionals to apply for the Buyer Internship and Trade Marketing Internship opportunities for 2026 in Cape Town.
Internship Application Closing Dates: 14 August 2026 for the Buyer Internship and 18 August 2026 for the Trade Marketing Internship
Internship Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Ares Holdings Internships 2026
Ares Holdings is offering two internship opportunities for candidates interested in building careers in retail, buying, analytics and trade marketing.
The available opportunities are:
- Buyer Internship
- Trade Marketing Internship
Both roles are based in Cape Town and provide exposure to practical retail and commercial operations.
Available Internship Opportunities
| Internship | Field | Closing Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buyer Internship | Buying / Data Analysis / Retail | 14 August 2026 | Cape Town |
| Trade Marketing Internship | Marketing / Retail Trade | 18 August 2026 | Cape Town |
Ares Holdings Buyer Internship 2026
Ares Holdings invites suitably qualified applicants to apply for the Buyer Internship 2026.
Internship Application Closing Date: 14 August 2026
Internship Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Buyer Internship Overview
Company: Ares Holdings
Position: Buyer Internship
Industry: Retail
Functional area: Data Analyst
Employment type: Internship
Location: Cape Town
Closing date: 14 August 2026
Application method: Online
Purpose of the Buyer Internship
The successful candidate will monitor consumer purchasing patterns and analyse sales information to help planning and management teams make better merchandising and inventory decisions.
The role focuses strongly on:
- Consumer trends.
- Sales analysis.
- Merchandise assortments.
- Inventory management.
- Reporting.
- Buying support.
- Planning.
Buyer Internship Responsibilities
The successful candidate may be responsible for:
- Monitoring sales data by price, category, trend, geography and customer.
- Analysing pre-season, in-season and post-season performance.
- Identifying consumer purchasing trends.
- Making recommendations based on sales information.
- Monitoring seasonal changes.
- Supporting merchandising decisions.
- Developing strategies to reduce stock-outs.
- Supporting improvements in inventory turnover.
- Evaluating purchase-order and sales-history reports.
- Monitoring aged inventory.
- Assisting with liquidation planning.
- Communicating with stores where required.
- Monitoring in-season trade.
- Setting up seasonal line lists by store.
- Analysing marketplace sales.
Inventory Management Responsibilities
The role also includes exposure to:
- Inventory levels.
- Inventory turns.
- Open-to-Buy planning.
- Product assortments.
- Marketing launches.
- Promotional activation planning.
- Shipping and receiving.
- Warehousing.
- Demand planning.
- End-of-life stock management.
- Purchase orders.
- Order tracking.
- SKU setup.
- Pricing.
- Available-to-Sell reporting.
Buyer Internship Reporting Duties
The successful candidate may assist with reports including:
- Shipping schedules.
- Inbound containers.
- Location reviews.
- Inventory tracker tools.
- Retail top sellers.
- Weekly sales.
- Returns management.
- Available-to-Sell reports.
- Additional management reporting packs.
Buyer Internship Requirements
Applicants should have:
- A relevant tertiary qualification.
- One to two years’ experience in a similar role.
- Strong administration skills.
- Strong merchandising skills.
- Good numerical ability.
- Ability to work with large volumes of data.
- Strong organisational skills.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Understanding of supply chain processes.
- Good problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to prioritise tasks.
- Ability to multitask without compromising quality.
Advantageous Buyer Experience
The following will be advantageous:
- Stores experience.
- Technical understanding of retail and wholesale operations.
- Knowledge of lifestyle footwear brands.
- Understanding of e-commerce.
- Understanding of supplier profiles.
Driver’s Licence and Travel
Applicants must have:
- A valid driver’s licence.
- Their own transport.
- Willingness to travel locally.
How to Apply for the Ares Holdings Buyer Internship 2026
Applications must be submitted online.
Click here to apply for Ares Holdings Buyer Internship 2026
Buyer Internship Closing Date
Applications close on:
14 August 2026
Applicants who are not contacted within two weeks after the closing date should regard their applications as unsuccessful.
Ares Holdings Trade Marketing Internship 2026
Ares Holdings invites qualifying graduates to apply for the Trade Marketing Internship Programme 2026 in Cape Town.
Internship Application Closing Date: 18 August 2026
Internship Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Trade Marketing Internship Overview
Company: Ares Holdings
Position: Trade Marketing Graduate: Retail Trade
Department: Ares Holdings, Brands
Reporting to: Trade Marketing Manager
Employment type: Contract
Industry: Retail
Functional area: Marketing
Location: Cape Town
Closing date: 18 August 2026
Application method: Online
Purpose of the Trade Marketing Internship
The Trade Marketing Graduate will gain practical exposure to how marketing plans are developed and implemented across retail stores and wholesale partners.
The programme provides exposure to:
- Marketing strategy.
- Campaign planning.
- Campaign implementation.
- Visual merchandising.
- Product training.
- Retail activations.
- Wholesale marketing.
- Commercial performance.
- Cross-functional collaboration.
Trade Marketing Execution Support
The successful graduate will assist with:
- Implementing trade marketing strategies.
- Supporting seasonal marketing plans.
- Supporting campaign rollouts.
- Monitoring timelines.
- Ensuring deadlines are met.
- Coordinating deliverables between internal teams.
Retail and Wholesale Support
Responsibilities include:
- Supporting marketing communication with retail partners.
- Supporting wholesale partners.
- Coordinating in-store promotions.
- Supporting marketing activations.
- Monitoring execution feedback.
- Assisting with adjustments to plans.
Point of Sale Coordination
The intern will assist with:
- Coordinating production of Point of Sale materials.
- Ordering POS materials.
- Distributing POS materials.
- Monitoring POS stock levels.
- Coordinating reorders.
- Adapting global POS materials for local market requirements.
Visual Merchandising Support
The programme provides exposure to:
- Visual merchandising guidelines.
- Campaign briefs.
- VM toolkits.
- Store execution feedback.
- Store images.
- VM training coordination.
- Recommendations based on execution results.
Product Training
Responsibilities may include:
- Developing training materials.
- Distributing product-training content.
- Coordinating training schedules.
- Tracking training participation.
- Monitoring completion.
- Maintaining training content libraries.
Consumer Promotions
The successful candidate may support:
- Promotions.
- Sales incentive programmes.
- Promotional timelines.
- Promotional communication.
- Execution across stores.
- Post-promotion reporting.
Market and Performance Reporting
The role includes:
- Collecting campaign-performance data.
- Tracking competitor activity.
- Monitoring in-store trends.
- Preparing reports.
- Preparing presentations.
- Maintaining reporting templates.
- Maintaining trackers.
Events and Activations
The graduate will assist with:
- Trade shows.
- Events.
- Marketing activations.
- Logistics.
- Event setup.
- Branding materials.
- Capturing event feedback and results.
Budget and Administration Support
Responsibilities also include:
- Budget tracking.
- Purchase-order management.
- Maintaining spend records.
- Maintaining invoice records.
- Campaign cost reconciliation.
- Ensuring documentation is up to date.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
The intern will work with teams including:
- Brand teams.
- Retail teams.
- Sales teams.
- Marketing Operations.
- Product teams.
- Creative teams.
- Wholesale partners.
Trade Marketing Competencies
Applicants should be able to develop skills in:
- Marketing strategy.
- Brand management.
- Retail marketing.
- Wholesale marketing.
- POS materials.
- Digital marketing.
- Market research.
- Event management.
- Budget management.
- Cross-functional collaboration.
- Data analysis.
Leadership and Interpersonal Competencies
Ares Holdings is looking for candidates who demonstrate:
- Collaboration.
- Communication.
- Accountability.
- Adaptability.
- Problem-solving.
- Customer focus.
- Motivation.
- Ability to influence stakeholders.
- Willingness to support teams.
Trade Marketing Qualification Requirements
The supplied advertisement does not specify a particular minimum tertiary qualification for this internship.
Applicants should therefore review the official application page for any additional qualification requirements before submitting.
How to Apply for the Ares Holdings Trade Marketing Internship 2026
Applications must be submitted online.
Click here to apply for Ares Holdings Trade Marketing Internship 2026
Trade Marketing Internship Closing Date
Applications close on:
18 August 2026
Applicants who are not contacted within two weeks after the closing date should regard their applications as unsuccessful.
Important Application Notes
Applicants should note that:
- Both opportunities are based in Cape Town.
- The Buyer Internship closes first, on 14 August 2026.
- The Trade Marketing Internship closes on 18 August 2026.
- The Buyer role requires a relevant tertiary qualification and one to two years of similar experience.
- A valid driver’s licence and own transport are required for the Buyer Internship.
- The Trade Marketing role provides broad exposure to retail marketing, merchandising, promotions, events and campaign performance.
- The supplied Trade Marketing advert does not specify a particular qualification requirement.
- Applicants should use the correct application link for the position they want.
- Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee selection.