More photos from this internship can be found here.
Interns will be individually placed in a specific company with a focus on marketing and advertising, based on their experience and interests. Opportunities include advertising agencies, event management, tourism, sports and recreation marketing, and online marketing/web design.
Cape Town is home to the South African advertising industry. Cape Town is also the fashion capital of South Africa, and to a lesser extent, the continent of Africa, making this and ideal setting for an internship within the trendy South African advertising and graphic design industry. Many famous international advertising agencies have offices in Cape Town and the industry features numerous companies of varying size that service different segments of the South African advertising market. The overall internship experience will give you direct access to the South African advertising industry and will also provide you with invaluable international advertising experience.
Interns will be individually placed in a specific company within the advertising industry, based on their experience and interests. Specific job descriptions will vary by placement.
Because the Cape Town advertising industry is quite large, you will be placed at a local company based upon your area of focus within advertising (e.g., creative, copy writing, graphic design). During your internship, you will learn a great deal about how a successful advertising campaigns are designed, implemented and managed in South Africa. The specific nature of each advertising project will vary from client to client, and your creative direction will have to accommodate the client’s needs. You will be given projects according to your advertising strengths, though many companies will often give interns the opportunity to choose where they would like to be involved within a campaign (e.g., sales, creative brainstorm and design implementation). Another important aspect of this internship is your exposure to the business side of the industry, which includes meetings with clients and future client prospecting. You will build your professional skills and your knowledge base, all while forming meaningful connections with a cohesive group of young professionals living in South Africa who share your passion for advertising.
While internship availability varies, some past interns have been placed at the following organizations:
LightSpeed Development (internet marketing) http://lsdev.biz/
ROI Media (internet marketing) http://www.roimedia.co.za/
African Eagle Day Tours (tourism/recreation marketing) http://www.daytours.co.za/
Animal Ocean (tourism marketing) http://animalocean.co.za/
Many other options exist. Be sure to indicate your specific area of interest in your cover letter and essay.
Estimated One-Time Expenses
Estimated Monthly Expenses
The Host Site Fee Includes:
Weekly organized social and cultural activities
Interns will be accommodated in private student-oriented housing in the Observatory neighborhood. Interns will have a fully-furnished private room, and shared common areas: living room, bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities. Houses have 24-hour security. A housekeeper comes at least 2 times a week.
Interns pay a $100 cleaning fee and a $250 refundable housing deposit, directly to the housing company. The $250 deposit will be refunded, assuming there is no damage done to the house.
House Wifi: Students pay $20.00 per month for wireless internet connection on 2 devices. Internet reliability and speed are not as good as in the U.S.
Other Costs: Other utilities costs are split amongst the housemates.
Field Notes Postings:
Important note: Because this is an individualized placement, applicants must describe in their cover letters the specific type of work and organization that interests them. While we can't guarantee to meet all of an applicant's wishes, the more information we have, the better a fit we are able to find.
Interns will be living in Observatory, and will be supported by local host organization Volunteer Adventure Corps. Observatory, or “Obz” as locals call it, is one of the most exciting student neighborhoods in all of Cape Town. It features an eclectic sundry of nightspots and restaurants, and an atmosphere that is surprisingly cosmopolitan given its intimate size. Much of this unique vibe is attributed to the presence of many international visitors. It is not uncommon to overhear conversations in several different languages while walking along the street. Yet, Obz is also intrinsically South African. Living in Obz and experiencing its cultural and political vibes will help interns better understand, on a greater scale, the complexities of the “new” South Africa.
Observatory is popular among the international student/ volunteer community because it is located halfway between the city center and the False Bay coastline. Visitors have an endless selection of outdoor activities to choose from, such as hiking, surfing, scuba diving, golfing, outdoor concerts and wine tasting. Cape Town is surrounded by oceans and is home to many beautiful beaches! The city centre, known to Capetonians as the “bowl”, is the ideal place to go on cultural excursions.
Summer: January 25
Fall: April 15
Winter: September 1
Spring: November 15
- Graphic design skills are preferred but not required
- Must demonstrate skills directly relating to the internship role desired.
- Candidates should be familiar with the latest graphic design software and should also have an understanding of traditional ad campaign structures.