The application deadline was 21 August 2026.
The Competition Commission South Africa is accepting applications for the second intake of its six-month Internship Programme in Pretoria. Twelve positions are available for high-achieving learners in the final year of their studies who need practical workplace experience to complete their qualification and have no prior work experience in their field. The programme is particularly relevant to students whose academic path connects with competition law, economics, finance or corporate services, because the placement is designed around practical exposure within the Commission rather than a general vacation programme.
Competition Commission Internship Overview
- Organisation: Competition Commission South Africa
- Location: Pretoria, Gauteng
- Positions: 12
- Contract: 6 months
- Reference: I1000001
- Industry: Public Policy
- Closing Date: 21 August 2026 at 17:00
Who the Programme Is Designed For
The Commission is targeting learners who are still completing the academic requirements of their qualification and specifically need workplace experiential learning. Applicants should be in the final year of theoretical study and should not already have professional work experience in the field they want to enter. This makes the programme different from a graduate role aimed at someone who has already spent time working in the industry.
The internship provides a professional setting where learners can connect academic knowledge with the practical work of a competition authority. Depending on the area of placement, that can involve exposure to the analytical, legal, economic, financial or corporate-support work that helps the Commission perform its mandate.
Practical Learning Areas
The programme is described as an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in competition law and economics while meeting workplace experiential learning requirements. Broader recruitment information for the intake also places finance and corporate services within the programme environment. The exact tasks will depend on the unit and learning requirements assigned to each learner.
A participant may therefore be expected to work with professional staff, complete supervised assignments, support research or administrative activity and learn the standards expected in a public institution. The purpose is workplace development rather than independent professional practice, so learners will work within structured guidance.
Certificate and Recommendation
The Commission states that learners who successfully complete the programme will receive a certificate of completion and a letter of recommendation from their assigned coach. These are formal outcomes of the six-month placement and reflect the programme’s focus on coached professional development.
Development Environment
The Competition Commission describes itself as a development-focused organisation and uses the internship to build young talent through learning and practical exposure. Working in this environment can help a final-year learner understand how evidence, policy, law, economics and institutional processes come together in competition regulation.
For students in fields that require experiential learning before graduation, the programme also provides a structured way to complete that component inside a national regulatory institution. Applicants should ensure that the placement aligns with the experiential requirements set by their own academic institution.
About the Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is South Africa’s competition regulator. Its work includes investigating anti-competitive conduct, evaluating mergers and promoting competitive markets. That mandate creates a multidisciplinary workplace where legal analysis, economics, research, finance and corporate services all support the institution’s regulatory responsibilities.
How to Apply
Only online applications are accepted through the Competition Commission recruitment system. Search for The Competition Commission Internship Programme – 6 Months using reference I1000001.
Open the Competition Commission careers portal
