Sustainable Development

Spend time with a leading sustainable development organisation, overseeing multiple city-wide sustainability projects and build your work-experience portfolio in the sustainable development industry. We collaborate with engineering firms, NGO’s, research institutes, consultancy firms and renewable energy companies.

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Sustainable Development internships - quick video overview
The best Sustainable Development in Africa?

The best sustainable development internships in Cape Town? We think so. We pride ourselves on delivering customised internship placements and on the ground support that offer life-changing, valuable professional experiences.

The depletion of the world’s natural resources and the aim of a sustainable future are hot topics in most countries and cultures around the globe today.  South Africa is no exception to this because of the need for social and economic development, which usually has a negative impact on the environment.

We collaborate with grass root NGO’s aiming to educate local communities on sustainable living, large corporate companies researching renewable energy on a national scale, sustainable architecture and design firms, renewable energy engineers, research centres, national parks and environmental consultants.

As an intern in this field you could be involved in research, environmental education, design, hands-on field work, renewable energy engineering, exploring and promoting sustainable economic development practices, consulting and much more!

Read on for a full overview of the best sustainable development internships in Africa.

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KEY INSIGHT

Sustainable Development Internship Programme Overview

Here's what you can expect from the programme in a nutshell!

Sustainable Development Internship Key Skills:

  • Policy expertise
  • Story telling
  • Empathizing
  • Creative thinking
  • Business acumen
  • Communication
  • Research skills

Academic & Career Benefits

  • Learn from knowledgeable and highly accomplished professionals in your field.
  • Gain practical and professional work experience to add to your CV.
  • Develop valuable skills to impressive future employers.
  • Explore what areas of sustainability you are interested in and make informed career and academic decisions.
  • Learn how sustainable development is effected by government, laws, culture and history.

Ideal Internship Applicant

  • Proficient in English.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Confident and good interpersonal skills.
  • Passionate about the environment and good understanding of sustainability.

Programme highlights:

  • Enhance your personal development and cultural awareness.
  • Help Cape Town reach it's goal of a sustainable future.
  • Use your skills and experience to assist marginalized communities across the Western Cape.
  • Gain professional work experience in a dynamic and innovative international company.
  • Benefit from the guidance and support of experienced mentors in your field.

Minimum Requirements

  • Minimum age: 18
  • Completed (or will have completed) A2-Levels or equivalent
  • Minimum of 4 weeks duration, no maximum
  • Not a resident of South Africa

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KEY INSIGHT

Skills you'll hone through your Sustainable Development internship

Of course, the list is much longer - but these are the skills our intern alumni reported back that they grew in the most!

Policy expertise
Creative thinking
Story telling
Empathizing
Business acumen
Communication
Research

Ready?

Turbo charge your career in Sustainable Development

What are you waiting for - get started now!

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KEY INSIGHT

Sustainable Development internship programme reviews & ratings

We managed to grab some detailed interviews from previous interns on this programme, you can click on them below.

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KEY INSIGHT

A hypothetical Sustainable Development Internship Programme

What might your programme in this career field look like? Here's how it has typically shaped up for our alumni!

Week One

Arrival & orientation. Introduction to Cape Town, your accommodation and your internship host organisation and colleagues.

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Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 1
Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 2
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Week Two

Get stuck into your sustainable development internship placement and establish yourself with your organisation. Come to our free social events.

Week Three

Enjoy a great work-life balance, getting out and about to see the sites alongside working hard on your internship.

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Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 3
Internship Programmes South Africa - Hypothetical week 4
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Week Four

Pick up more responsibility in your internship as you prove your capability. Enjoy regular activities in Cape Town outside of work. Come to another social!

Week Five

Now you're flying (metaphorically) at work, you'll be more and more autonomous. Expect to pick up even more challenges!

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Week Six

Internship is going swimmingly, now go and do something crazy like swimming with some great white sharks or abseiling off of a mountain.

Week Seven

Regularly enjoy the benefits of Cape Town and at work, gather materials needed for portfolio (e.g. references from us and provider).

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Week Eight

Putting the finishing touches to your internship and gathering feedback from us and your internship provider for use in your academic / career portfolio. Finalise paperwork for university (if needed)

LEAVE TRANSFORMED
Download and read a free guide.

13 Essential Insights for a Fulfilling and Safe Internship in Cape Town

TAKE ME TO THE GUIDE
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KEY INSIGHT

Why others apply for Sustainable Development internship programmes

Here's what others said when they applied. Some of these people came just for this career area, some mixed it with other career fields too...

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KEY INSIGHT

Sustainable Development internship programme features

What makes our internship programmes a worthwhile investment? Here's a swift overview of what you can expect!

Choice of two programmes

We have two primary programmes to suit your needs. In some instances we also offer virtual placements.

Unlimited duration as standard

You can come for as long as you need without paying any extra fees.You'll receive the same level of support.

Backed by concrete promises

We are 100% on your side. We guarantee every aspect of your trip with unrivalled promises.

Career
Focus

Need to focus on a precise niche or two? No problem! Your programme can focus on your specialist areas.

Immersive cultural experience

We'll help you engage with the culture and personal benefits of being in a foreign country.

Virtual placements

Save on travel and accommodation costs, pay a far lower fee. All while building your professional network.

Academia friendly

We will handle all aspects of academic accreditation, including direct liaison with your tutors and academic staff.

Future career friendly

We will write full reference letters for your placement(s) to optimise future employers' first impression of you.

ACTION

Current Sustainable Development Job Openings

Here are some current or recent internship job opportunities in this career area. We do not publish all openings - so please contact us to hear about others.

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Get in touch.

Explore your custom Sustainable Development programme now

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Click right here to get started
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KEY INSIGHT

A straightforward process

We have worked very hard to streamline our process to make your experience easy, fun and highly rewarding personally and professionally. Flick through the steps below, or read about our process in more detail.

Introduce yourself to our friendly team

Getting your dream internship all starts with you saying hello! Just pop your details into our enquiry form and we'll reach out to schedule a conversation with you that we call a 'discovery call'.

Ask questions & learn how we can help

In your discovery call, you can ask us any questions you still have. We'll talk about your options in the career fields you've told us you're interested in to help you imagine your placement and decide if our service is right for you.

Complete your programme application

If everything sounds good to you, complete your application to put into words your dream programme. This forms the basis of the 'design' of your customised placement and will be the primary framework against which we validate potentially suitable opportunities.

We'll source you the best opportunities

We maintain a large and varied network of the best organisations in Cape Town. We will identify the best potential fits for your programme goals and preferences and reach out on your behalf to assess those organisations for suitability (learn about their current projects and initiatives).

Prepare and plan for your experience

Once you've confirmed which placement offer you prefer, we'll start helping you plan the rest of your trip. We'll book your accommodation, help with your travel arrangements and provide extensive advice and information on how to get ready for your time in Cape Town. Your Bridging Gaps mentor will be on hand to make sure you're fully prepared for your placement.

Maximise your experience & learning

Finally, every member of our team will move mountains to make sure you get what you came for and MORE! It's essential to us that you're safe, you're learning and growing in confidence and developing the most important skills for your future career.

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KEY INSIGHT

Sustainable Development internship programme cost

Our programme fees are shown below, for a full description of our service offering please click to view the programme or a side-to-side comparison.

Bootstrap

£
795
one-off, fixed

Bespoke programme

Backed by 4
concrete promises

VIEW BOOTSTRAP

Concierge

£
1195
one-off, fixed

Comprehensive support

Visa & travel assist

Accommodation assistance

Social events & excursions

... and lots more

VIEW CONCIERGE

Virtual

£
395
one-off, fixed

Tailored Search

Ongoing support
& mentoring

VIEW VIRTUAL
Click to see detailed programme feature comparison.
FAQ
Sustainable Development FAQs

We've answered some specific questions about this internship programme below.

What job can I do to save the planet?

There are a number of environmental careers one can pursue if you are passionate about helping the planet, these include; conservation scientists, environmental lawyers, geo-scientists, hydrologists, environmental engineers, wildlife biologists and urban planners. 


How do I get a job in sustainability?

There are many paths one can take in order to get into the sustainability field, often, the first aspect to consider is a field of study. Some universities offer a degree in sustainability, other popular fields of study include: engineering, law, ecology, international development and many others.. 


What jobs are there in sustainability?

There are many jobs within the sustainable development sector, a few of these include; environmental scientist, policy adviser, sustainability consulting, environmental engineer, ecotourism coordinator, sustainability officer and an environmental lawyer.


How much do economic developers make?

Economic developers' salaries can vary quite drastically depending on the position. Higher paying career opportunities could be to work for the government on international relations/policies. Other roles could include working in economic consulting which can be very profitable as well. 


How long is an engineering internship?

Our engineering internships are a minimum of two weeks, however we suggest at least four weeks or more to give you the necessary time to get involved with the company's projects and gain more confidence in your work.


What is the highest paying job in science?

There are a lot of different possible careers in science. Some of the highest-earning positions in science include; physicists, astronomers, pharmacists, geoscientists, biochemists and medical scientists. Chemical and nuclear engineering are also lucrative career paths. 


What type of company will I work for during my sustainable development internship?

This completely depends on your personal and professional goals- we base our internship search on you!  Some of the local organisations we collaborate with include; NGO’s, government organisations, policy organisations, research centres, renewable energy engineering companies, architects and design studios and educational institutes.

What type of NGO or advocacy organisation could I work for?

We collaborate with a wide range of human rights organisations and NGO's here in Cape Town that focus on the promotion of women's rights, equal access to education, HIV/AIDS prevents and education, anti-trafficking, refugee rights, youth development, LGBT rights, improved healthcare, social justice and economic development.

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Sustainable Development

Hi, we're really sorry but we are no longer offering internship opportunities in this career field. However, we wish you the best with your search.