Media Internships in South Africa

Cape Town. This is South Africa’s oldest city and was discovered in 1652. It is known for its typical “African” relaxed feel, but with the industrialization of one of the oldest major metropolitan cities in the world. In 2014, Cape Town was named the “World Design Capital” and creatives are known to flock to this city. Having been built around three monstrous mountains (Table, Lion’s Head, and Devil’s Peak), and two oceans, the “Mother City,” as it is known, is a dream for anyone that pursues an active lifestyle. A Cape Tonian might wake up and hit the waves for a sunrise surf session, head to work mid-morning, get off work, then enjoy a bottle of wine atop Lion’s Head Mountain after a sunset hike, and lastly come home to prepare a full braai (barbeque party) for their friends and family.

Durban. Founded in 1824, this is the busiest port in Africa. Located along the Eastern shore of South Africa, Durban’s “Golden Mile” is a sandy and touristy stretch of beach hugging the Indian Ocean. The central business district of Durban sits behind it. Home to the Durban International Film Festival as well as the films Zulu and Zulu Dawn, Durban is certainly a credible place for the film business.

Johannesburg. This city is the clear business and financial capital of the South Africa and was founded in 1886. “Jobourg” is the wealthiest city in South Africa and interestingly enough the largest city in the world without any major water nearby. Located on the southwest part of town is Soweto, a township showcased in the movie, District 9. Contrary to popular belief, once you are in Soweto it is reasonably safe – just make sure you have a guide or local show you around.

The most common internships in South Africa are in the creative, medical, human rights, and finance fields. The creative industries offer many internships in journalism, film, and other media. Internships in South Africa can last as long as you want, with most averaging from two to four months. The work culture is ideal for international interns because the concept of internships is very common in South Africa. The workforce is apprenticeship based so almost everyone has “interned” for someone else.

Where to intern. There are large global corporations that host interns if you are looking for a big business experience, but for the most part the creative companies that are open for South African media internships are smaller and more intimate. There are production companies, camera crews, post-production houses, coloring studios, and modeling agencies all at your fingertips – be nice, reach out, and most are willing to host interns. There are South African internship placement companies that will guide you through every step of the process. If you express what type of media internship and job you might be interested in, odds are you will find it in South Africa. Some organizations have contacts throughout the country too, so they can arrange exactly what you are looking for.

Schedule. Expect to work anywhere from 30 to 50 hours a week as an intern in South Africa, depending on your field and the workload at that time. For film and media internships, there are slow times (generally May to September) when the weather is not as nice compared to the summer months when the film season tends to pick up and work increases.

While it is always beneficial to have experience going into a new job or internship abroad, South African companies are glad that international interns choose to come to their country and tend to give plenty of responsibilities to them including: casting photography, camera assisting, production assistant, location scouting, personal assisting, styling, and of course some monotonous office work (but alongside many other fun things). 

The one aspect of South Africa that everyone will complain about is how expensive it is to get to. With little country-to-country ground transportation services, you are faced with biting the bullet and purchasing the long airfare ticket. The great news is that once you get into the country, with the Rand exchange rates, most interns find the lifestyle extremely affordable.

Unfortunately, most media internships in South Africa are unpaid, but if you do a great job you might be able to pick up occasional freelance work or a “bonus” thrown your way when you finish for all of your hard work.

One difficult decision you will be faced with many times, is where to eat. The cuisine is so diverse and decadent that you can spend $20 on a juicy game steak dinner with wine and a dessert, or try a unique Ethiopian “eat with your hands” experience without breaking the bank. You can grab lunch at a local restaurant for around $7. Similar to any major city, theft is not to be taken lightly and you need to be smart at ATMs and be careful when using your smartphones on the street or at a bar.  

Accommodations can be rural or urban depending on your preference and internship placement in South Africa. Housing is relatively affordable when you consider the views of Lion’s Head and fresh air available. Expect to pay $300 to $1,000 a month on rent and look into student/young professional housing companies that cater to various living styles. After you research the area you would like to live, look at online classified ads as they are a good place to see pictures and narrow your search. Electricity and cell phone service are pay-as-you-go, but luckily because of the temperate climate there is usually no heating or air-conditioning in homes.

Most houses have an intricate camera security system with a wall and electrical wire around the property. Although it might seem daunting at first, once you realize everyone has these precautions, you simply ensure it is working every once in a while.

Visas. If you are planning on interning in South Africa for less than 180 days, then the easy 90-day visitor visa will be sufficient. If you plan on interning for more than 90 days, but less than 180 in South Africa, you can simply extend your visitor visa once your visa expires. Be careful with this approach and coordinating your flight home though. If you arrive at customs wanting a 90-day visa, but your return flight is more than 90-days out or you have no return flight at all, the agent might make you book a one way ticket or change your return flight on the spot. This can get expensive and does not happen all the time, but should be noted.

Insider Tips. If you want to intern abroad in South Africa for more than 90 days, book a return flight that is easy to change. Then you can book your flight for 90 days after you plan on arriving, get the visitor visa, and change your flight to your ideal departure date after. Then you can extend your visa about a month before it expires.

The new under 25-year-old exchange visa requires more work ahead of time, but is good for one year in South Africa and is much easier than a general work visa. Start this process at least two months before you plan on interning in South Africa and research the requirements because they can quickly change.

• Great Responsibilities. As a media intern in South Africa, you are given real responsibilities and will learn a great deal so be willing to accept your tasks and/or volunteer.
• International Population. South Africa has an extremely diverse population (the national anthem is in five different languages) so you will be exposed to methods and techniques from around the world. While interning abroad in South Africa, try and learn at least one of the many different cultures and languages of the country. Trying to use Afrikaans or Xhosa in conversation is difficult, but when a little Xhosa girl comes running up to you and asks you “Unjani” and you reply “Ndiyaphila, enkosi. Kunjani kuwe?” the smile you receive in return will be worth the price of your plane ticket.
• Film Industry Challenges. In the film industry, you do not always go to the same place for work each day which can make transportation a little tricky especially when call time is 4:30 a.m. in order to catch the sunrise. Have a car hire service on standby or invest in a motorcycle or car of your own.
• Unwanted Tasks. You may be tasked with something you do not want to do and think “why did I come here for this,” but put a smile on and get really, really good at making cappuccinos (South Africans love their coffee). Being a foreigner and low on the totem pole makes it difficult to speak up especially in the fast paced and competitive media environment, but remember you are not in South Africa forever, so be verbal about what you truly want out of your experience.