Graduate Internship Programme at Petroleum Agency SA

Petroleum Agency SA (PASA), in collaboration with the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA), is inviting applications for its comprehensive two-year Graduate Internship Programme running from 01 February 2027 to 31 January 2029. Based at the Agency's head offices in Pretoria, Gauteng, this prestigious initiative aims to develop highly skilled, workplace-ready young professionals across technical geosciences, legal, compliance, procurement, and information technology disciplines within South Africa's upstream petroleum sector.

As an agency dedicated to regulating and promoting exploration and production activities onshore and offshore, PASA plays a central role in South Africa's energy roadmap. Participating in this structured workplace training model exposes selected candidates to technical operations, statutory licensing frameworks, and enterprise technology systems. Candidates seeking high-impact internships in South Africa will find this two-year MQA-funded opportunity an exceptional springboard for long-term career growth in energy and mining.

Key Responsibilities & Day-to-Day Operational Duties

Interns are placed within specialized directorates and will execute discipline-specific functions alongside seasoned industry mentors:

• Petroleum Geology & Geophysics: Learn fundamentals of upstream oil and gas geology, seismic interpretation, basin modelling, prospect generation, petroleum systems analysis, and geological data evaluation across South African basins.

• GIS & Upstream Data Management: Manage exploration and production (E&P) spatial data sets, utilize industry-grade interpretation and data applications such as Petrel, Kingdom, and ESRI ArcGIS, and support enterprise geoscience database integrity.

• Software Development & Digital Solutions: Assist with business application design, testing, and lifecycle support using Microsoft Azure, Power Platform, SharePoint, and Power BI; support cloud automation, API integration, and cybersecurity compliance.

• Environmental Compliance & Monitoring: Interface with the Lead Environmental Compliance Scientist, attend Technical Advisory Committee meetings, observe offshore/onshore operations (drilling and seismic surveys), and liaise with authorities including DFFE and DWS.

• Supply Chain Management (SCM): Coordinate administrative procurement workflows, compile and monitor RFQs and RFPs, maintain the central supplier database, update contract registers, and support PASA Bid Committees under legislative compliance frameworks.

• Company Secretarial Governance: Assist the General Counsel with corporate governance reviews, statutory meeting agendas, resolution registers, contract proofreading, legal drafting, and litigation record management.

• Licensing & Legal Compliance: Evaluate and process petroleum exploration and production rights under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA, Act 28 of 2002), prepare Ministerial recommendations, and draft gazette notices and notarial documents.

• Professional Development: Actively participate in assigned MQA training seminars, computer literacy upskilling (MS Project, Advanced Excel, PowerPoint), and technical industry conferences.

Minimum Requirements & Eligibility Criteria

• Citizenship & Status: Must be an unemployed South African citizen with a valid RSA Identity Document.

• Prior Programme Exposure: Must NOT have previously participated in any company-funded or MQA-funded internship programme.

• Petroleum Geology/Geophysics Stream: Four-year B.Sc. Honours Degree in Geosciences.

• Geographic Information System (GIS) Stream: Four-year B.Sc. Honours Degree in Geology, Geophysics, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

• Software Development Stream: Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 7) or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Informatics, or Application Development.

• Environmental Sciences Stream: Four-year B.Sc. Honours in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, or Natural Sciences.

• Procurement Stream: National Diploma (NQF Level 6) or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management or equivalent tertiary qualification (TVET N6 Diploma graduates in relevant business studies accepted).

• Legal Streams (Company Secretarial / Licensing): Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree.

• Mandatory Documentation: Certified copies of Matric certificate, official academic transcripts/statement of results, degree or completion letter, and ID document.

Core Skills, Workplace Readiness & Interview Preparation

Successful candidates will demonstrate analytical acumen, technical agility, high ethical integrity, and a willingness to learn complex regulatory and technical frameworks. To position yourself competitively during panel evaluations, review the South African job interview preparation guide and simulate competency-based technical and behavioural questioning using the interactive AI Interview Simulator before attending your screening.

Training, Mentorship & Career Progression in South Africa

This 24-month structured internship bridges academic theory and high-level industrial practice, granting candidates hands-on familiarity with international oil, gas, and energy standards. Graduates frequently advance into specialized roles such as Exploration Geologists, Environmental Officers, Legal Advisors, and Enterprise Developers. Interns seeking continuous academic development can explore South African bursaries and funding opportunities to pursue Master's or doctoral studies in energy transitions.

Estimated Salary Range (Market Benchmark)

The hiring employer has not officially published a salary or stipend figure for this vacancy. Based on South African labour market data and sector benchmarks for a Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) graduate internship position, typical monthly compensation ranges between R7,500 and R12,500 per month depending on qualification level (Honours/Degrees vs Diplomas). You can use the YouthNextStep SARS Tax & Take-Home Pay Calculator to estimate net monthly earnings. Please note that this figure is an independent market benchmark; actual remuneration is determined solely by the employer according to qualifications, experience, and internal grading scales.

How to Apply & Submission Checklist

Interested and qualified graduates must prepare their application dossier consisting of clear certified copies of their RSA ID, Grade 12 Matric certificate, complete academic transcript/statement of results, and degree certificate or university completion letter. Applications missing any of these documents will not be considered.

Submit your comprehensive, recently updated CV created on the free ATS-friendly CV Builder along with your certified documents directly to the dedicated email address corresponding to your field of study:

• Petroleum Geology / Geophysics: 📧 [email protected]

• GIS / Spatial Data Management: 📧 [email protected]

• Software Development: 📧 [email protected]

• Environmental Sciences / Management: 📧 [email protected]

• Procurement / Supply Chain: 📧 [email protected]

• Company Secretary: 📧 [email protected]

• Licence & Legal Compliance: 📧 [email protected]

Closing Date: 09 November 2026. Preference will be given to candidates from designated groups in terms of national Employment Equity legislation. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted; if you do not receive feedback within four weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

You can also explore more verified vacancies in Gauteng.

• Must be an unemployed South African citizen with a valid RSA Identity Document.

• Must not have previously participated in any formal internship programme (MQA-funded or corporate-funded).

• Petroleum Geology/Geophysics: 4-year B.Sc. Honours Degree in Geosciences.

• GIS / Spatial Data Management: 4-year B.Sc. Honours Degree in Geology, Geophysics, or Geographic Information Systems.

• Software Development: Bachelor's Degree (NQF Level 7) or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Informatics, or Application Development.

• Environmental Sciences: 4-year B.Sc. Honours Degree in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management, or Natural Sciences.

• Procurement: National Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management or equivalent (TVET N6 Diploma graduates accepted).

• Company Secretary / Licensing & Compliance: Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree.

• Submission of certified copies of Academic Record / Statement of Results, Degree Certificate or Completion Letter, Matric Certificate, and RSA Identity Document.