The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) invites unemployed South African graduates to apply for the Graduate Internship Programme 2026 Intake.
Internship Application Closing Dates: 13 July 2026 and 16 July 2026
Internship Location: Sunnyside Office, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
About the CIPC Graduate Internship Programme 2026
The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) has opened applications for its Graduate Internship Programme 2026 Intake.
This programme offers unemployed South African graduates an opportunity to gain valuable workplace experience while earning a monthly stipend of R12 000.
The internships are based at the CIPC Sunnyside Office in Pretoria, Gauteng. Successful applicants will be placed in different internship streams, with programmes running for either 12 months or 24 months, depending on the position.
Available Internship Opportunities
CIPC is recruiting graduates for the following internship opportunities:
- Strategic Communication: 2 Posts
- Innovation and Collaboration: 2 Posts
Internship Opportunity 1: Strategic Communication
- Reference Number: CIP260703-1
- Number of Posts: 2
- Location: Pretoria, Gauteng
- Duration: 24 Months
- Monthly Stipend: R12 000
- Closing Date: 16 July 2026
Minimum Qualification for Strategic Communication
Applicants must have a Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma in one of the following fields:
- Media Studies
- Communication
- Journalism
- Public Relations
What Strategic Communication Interns May Learn
Successful interns may gain practical exposure in areas such as:
- Internal communication
- Media relations
- Public awareness campaigns
- Digital communication
- Corporate branding
- Stakeholder engagement
- Content development
- Social media communication
- Corporate publications
This internship is ideal for graduates who are interested in corporate communication within the public sector.
Internship Opportunity 2: Innovation and Collaboration
- Reference Number: CIP260702-1
- Number of Posts: 2
- Duration: 12 Months
- Monthly Stipend: R12 000
- Closing Date: 13 July 2026
Minimum Qualification for Innovation and Collaboration
Applicants must have a Degree or National Diploma in Computer Science, with specialisation in:
- Software Development
- Mobile Application Development
Applicants must also have:
- Minimum aggregate of 75%
- Participation in at least one Hackathon
This opportunity is suited to graduates interested in innovation, software engineering, mobile application development and digital transformation.
Who Can Apply?
To qualify for the CIPC Graduate Internship Programme, applicants must:
- Be South African citizens
- Be between 18 and 35 years old
- Be unemployed
- Have completed a recognised qualification
- Have no relevant work experience
- Never participated in a government internship programme
- Be available for interviews when requested
Required Documents
Applicants should prepare the following documents before applying.
For the Strategic Communication internship:
- Updated CV
- South African ID
- Completed qualification certificate
For the Innovation and Collaboration internship:
- Updated CV
- South African ID
- Academic transcript
- Qualification certificate
For the Innovation and Collaboration internship, applicants must combine all required documents into a single PDF because only one upload is permitted during the application process.
Failure to upload all required documents may result in automatic disqualification.
Important Application Information
Applicants should note the following:
- Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA
- Qualification verification will be conducted
- Citizenship checks will be completed
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
- Faxed applications will not be accepted
- Emailed applications will not be accepted
- Hand-delivered applications will not be accepted
- Posted applications will not be accepted
Applications must be submitted through the official online recruitment system.
What Is a Government Internship?
A government internship is a structured work experience programme aimed at unemployed graduates who need workplace exposure.
The programme helps graduates to:
- Apply classroom knowledge in a real workplace
- Learn workplace procedures
- Build professional confidence
- Develop technical and administrative skills
- Improve future employment prospects
Government internships are not permanent jobs, but they are valuable for gaining recognised workplace experience.
Skills You May Develop
Depending on the internship stream, successful applicants may develop skills such as:
- Professional communication
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Government administration
- Digital literacy
- Project coordination
- Stakeholder management
- Report writing
- Analytical thinking
- Software development
- Innovation and collaboration
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online through the official CIPC recruitment portal.
APPLY FOR THE CIPC STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION INTERNSHIPS HERE
APPLY FOR THE CIPC INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION INTERNSHIPS HERE
Applicants must select the correct internship reference number on the CIPC recruitment portal and submit all required documents before the relevant closing date.
Closing Dates
Applicants must take note of the following closing dates:
- Innovation and Collaboration: 13 July 2026
- Strategic Communication: 16 July 2026
Late applications will not be accepted.