Marketing & Communications Internships in South Africa

I can safely say that my 5 month internship at project ubuntu was a life changing experience for me that I will always remember. Roots interns supported me at all times and answered all questions that came up during the internship, regardless of whether it was about visa or other problems. The project taught me that love and respect are the most important values in life to change something and make a difference to people. Being happy and rich has nothing to do with material standards but with a sense of community. Experiencing their strong sense of community is what made me stronger as an individual and help me to overcome future challanges.

I had an incredible few weeks in Cape Town interning with Greenpop and Penda. I gained professional working experience in writing and communications, I developed a clearer vision of what I want to pursue as a career, I contributed to causes I feel passionate about, I met the most amazing like-minded people and I fell IN LOVE with Cape Town.

I'm really happy that I found Roots. They helped me choose an internship that was right for me (or two in my case!), guided me through the application process and were a great support in-country.

The slightly lower 'safety' rating is no reflection on Roots, Greenpop or Penda as organisations - I felt very safe and supported by them. CT is just not what I would call a 'safe' city and it's important to be aware of this. It definitely shouldn't stop you from going - the pros far outweigh the cons and taking precautions such as catching Uber's after dark meant that I never encountered any issues.

Interning with Roots has been absolutely valuable not only for my future career plans but also for my personal perspective and growth. I got the chance to meet incredibly amazing people, got a lot of interesting insights how NGO’s are working and learned so much in the field of Marketing and Communications. I developed my writing skills in an immense way by creating blog posts, newsletters, mailers and running the social media. Besides that, I learned a lot about SEO and got the chance to dive into my own customer journey and personas project which helped me so much to understand the whole marketing strategy of the organization. I loved the inspiring vibe in the office and being surrounded by people that included me in their group right from the beginning. This has been an amazing internship experience which I will never forget!

My experience interning with Greenpop through Roots Interns was nothing short of an amazing adventure. Not only was I given the oppertunity to enhance my creative writing skills in a positive and supporting environment, I truly felt like I was part of an incredibly important movement that brings about positive change to undergreened areas of the Western Cape, one tree at a time. Living in such a diverse city with a wonderful group of people from all corners of the world is an experience you can't let pass you by! Join the #Treevolution!

I thoroughly enjoyed my writing and communications internship. There were endless opportunities to write and I learned a lot about SEO writing. This internship provided a lot of creative freedom. That said, there was also guidance available when I needed it. My supervisor provided plenty of one-on-one attention and was very conscious of creating an internship that suited me and my goals. There were opportunities to get involved in projects in the community, as well.
The office culture is friendly, energetic and innovative. And there is no better place to enjoy an internship abroad than in Cape Town, it is a beautiful city, full of life.

I've studied literature and I have my own blog, but I've never had the experience to write on a professional level for an organisation. I could definitely recommend the writing and communication internship because it's the perfect way to gain experience in writing skills, SEO, and it's ideal to learn how to express the values of the organisation you work for but still to maintain your own personal style. I would also recommend to get an internship in an organisation you really believe in. The more you canq support their values and what they stand for, the more you'll enjoy your internship, since you're not only learning but you're also part of something bigger you really believe in and want to add value to.

I never imagined myself interning at a non-profit to begin with so this internship has really opened up my eyes to how to raise money strategically. This can be through writing, which is my passion so I have had a lot of hands-on experience on content marketing and how specific keywords can help raise money. It impacted me to now think more of non-profits, even to then think about pursuing a masters in visual anthropology in the future. I think future participants should know that the work done here can be impactful depending on what you make it. Sometimes the work may seem tedious and repetitive but it needs to be done in order to get the content out there and producing money for the non-profit to continue. It is a really great environment to work in since everyone is passionate about the organization's mission and really willing to put in the effort to raise funds. Everyone is excited and willing to work together for the good of the organization. There is always projects to work on for example writing a blog or experimenting with social media management.