Applications for the Petroleum Agency SA internship programme close on Monday, 9 November 2026 at 16:30, and late applications will not be considered. Ten places are open in Cape Town for the 2027/2028 intake, funded by the Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA). One rule catches many graduates by surprise: if you have already completed an internship before, whether funded by MQA or a company, you cannot apply. Check that condition before you prepare your certified documents.
Last updated: 31 October 2026
What this opportunity is
Petroleum Agency South Africa (PASA) is a subsidiary of CEF SOC Limited. The agency promotes and regulates oil and gas exploration and production onshore and offshore in South Africa. For this intake, it is offering 10 internships across seven disciplines, all based in Cape Town, Western Cape.
The programme runs for two full years, from 1 February 2027 to 31 January 2029. The stipend amount has not been stated.
A quick warning from experience: legitimate jobs, bursaries and learnerships never charge application, registration or placement fees. If anyone asks you to pay, walk away. Use only official routes.
Who can apply
You must meet all five conditions:
- You are a South African citizen.
- You are currently unemployed.
- Your relevant qualification is already completed.
- You have never benefited from an internship before, whether funded by MQA or a company.
- You can supply all required certified supporting documents.
Preference goes to candidates from designated groups under national labour legislation. No age limit and no minimum academic average are stated.
Think carefully about the two-year commitment in Cape Town. Relocation help and accommodation are not mentioned, so plan for that before you apply.
The seven internship streams
- Petroleum Geology/Geophysics – 3 places – BSc Honours in Geosciences (four years).
- Information Management: Geographic Information System (GIS) – 1 place – BSc Honours in Geology or Geophysics and/or Geographic Information Systems (four years).
- Information Management: Software Developer – 1 place – Bachelor’s degree at NQF Level 7 or higher in an approved computing field.
- Environmental Sciences/Environmental Management – 1 place – BSc Honours in Environmental Sciences, Environmental Management or Natural Sciences (four years).
- Procurement Officer – 1 place – National Diploma in Supply Chain Management or equivalent.
- Company Secretary – 1 place – LLB.
- Licence and Legal Compliance Officer – 2 places – LLB.
The Software Developer qualification must be in one of these fields: Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Informatics, or Application Development.
Here is good news for LLB graduates: you can choose between three places across two functions, one in company secretarial work and two in licensing and legal compliance. Procurement is the only stream that openly accepts a National Diploma. The geoscience, GIS and environmental streams all require Honours-level qualifications.
A note for TVET graduates: the funding criteria mention N6 Diploma graduates. That does not override a stream’s own requirements. If you hold an N6 certificate without a completed diploma, confirm your eligibility with PASA before assuming it counts.
What you will gain from each placement
Every intern attends discipline-specific courses or conferences, learns through real departmental work, and completes independent tasks to measure progress. Computer training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and MS Project may be provided, depending on your current skills.
Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (3 places)
Training covers geology and geophysics for local and international oil and gas work. You will build knowledge for an Earth Scientist career through seismic interpretation and basin modelling, petroleum systems, prospect generation and evaluation, and South African geology.
Information Management: GIS (1 place)
This placement develops data-management skills for petroleum exploration and production, including GIS and spatial information. You will work with real exploration datasets and industry tools such as Petrel, Kingdom and ESRI ArcGIS. The learning supports future Earth Scientist or Geoscientist work in oil and gas data management.
Information Management: Software Developer (1 place)
You will learn how digital systems support petroleum exploration and production information. The practical scope includes:
- Software development, application integration, databases and APIs.
- Microsoft Power Platform, SharePoint, Power BI and Azure.
- Designing, developing, testing and supporting business applications.
- Automation, analytics and digital transformation projects.
- Technical documentation, troubleshooting and user support.
- Cybersecurity, information governance, records management and data protection practices.
Environmental Sciences/Environmental Management (1 place)
The team reports to the Manager: Environmental Compliance, and you will have one-to-one interaction with the Lead Environmental Compliance Scientist. Your exposure includes:
- Visits to active onshore and offshore drilling, seismic-survey and production operations.
- Operational issues through the Technical Advisory Committee.
- Engagement with scientists and environmental assessment practitioners.
- Government stakeholders in forestry, fisheries and the environment; water and sanitation; and South African heritage resources.
- Collaboration with internal Technical Compliance, Licensing and Regulation, and Information Services teams.
- Environmental compliance training, basic oil and gas courses and relevant conferences.
Procurement Officer (1 place)
The team reports to the Supply Chain Specialist. Working alongside experienced Supply Chain Management staff, you will help with:
- Coordinating and carrying out SCM administration.
- Compiling, issuing and managing requests for quotations and proposals through to contract award or amendment.
- Maintaining and managing the contract register.
- Establishing, monitoring and maintaining supplier-database compliance.
- Participating in bid committees and preparing committee reports.
- Monitoring suppliers’ compliance with SCM legislation and regulations.
- SCM courses plus training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and MS Project.
Company Secretary (1 place)
This position sits in a team reporting to the General Counsel/Company Secretary. Duties cover:
- Monitoring compliance with legislation, regulations, governance frameworks and internal policies.
- Preparing agendas and papers, recording minutes, and maintaining resolutions, action registers and governance records.
- Maintaining the annual governance calendar and tracking corrective actions.
- Researching legislation and case law, preparing legal memoranda and summaries, and assisting with supervised legal advice.
- Drafting, reviewing and proofreading contracts, agreements, correspondence and policies.
- Managing legal files, litigation and dispute-resolution documents, and monitoring matters and deadlines.
Licence and Legal Compliance Officer (2 places)
The team reports to the Executive Manager: Licensing and Regulation. Your work will involve:
- Evaluating and processing rights and permit applications under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (Act 28 of 2002).
- Preparing and publishing notices.
- Drafting recommendations on rights and permit applications for the Minister’s consideration.
- Preparing documents for the notarial execution of rights and permits.
- Commenting on government policy and the industry’s legislative framework.
- Conducting legal research.
Which certified documents must you submit?
Many applicants struggle here, so read this carefully. You must provide certified copies from all four categories:
- Academic record or statement of results.
- Degree certificate or letter of completion.
- Matric certificate.
- South African identity document.
A missing category can exclude your application. The alternatives work within each category only. A completion letter can replace the degree certificate, but it cannot replace your academic record. Procurement applicants with a diploma should add proof of that completed qualification.
No certification-age limit, attachment-size limit or required email subject format is stated. A concise CV and covering email are useful additions, but they never replace the four categories. Present your modules, projects and technical skills honestly.
How to apply step by step
Applications go by email to the address for your chosen stream. For recruitment updates, check the official PASA careers page. Then follow these steps:
- Select the matching stream. Compare your completed qualification against the minimum requirement and confirm you meet the general conditions.
- Prepare the four certified document categories. Scan every page clearly and open each attachment to check it works. Add a focused CV if you wish.
- Identify your internship clearly. A suggested subject line is “Petroleum Agency SA Internship 2027/2028 – [Internship name]”. No exact format is prescribed.
- Use the correct email address for your stream. Confirm the recipient before sending. GIS candidates must first confirm their address, because it has not been published with the notice.
- Submit before 16:30 on Monday, 9 November 2026. Leave time to fix missing attachments or delivery errors. Late applications will not be considered.
- Keep your sent email and monitor your inbox. Save the attachments and watch for delivery failures. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.
If you need to confirm the GIS address, call PASA on +27 21 938 3500. This is the agency’s general contact number, not a submission route.
If you hear nothing within four weeks of your application, consider it unsuccessful. The four weeks run from the day you apply, not from the closing date.
Tips to improve your chances
- Check the no-previous-internship rule first. This disqualifies more graduates than any other condition.
- Certify your documents early. Certification offices can take days, and a rush leads to missing pages.
- Match your qualification exactly. Matric alone does not qualify you, and a qualification still in progress does not meet the completed-qualification condition.
- Never guess an email address. Do not send your ID and academic records to an unconfirmed destination.
- Confirm the terms before accepting. The stipend, accommodation and relocation support are not stated, and MQA funding does not set a monthly amount. No permanent appointment is promised after the two years. Ask PASA directly if you reach that stage.
Be honest with yourself about competition too. Ten places across seven fields will draw applications from across the country. A complete, accurate application gives you a real chance; a rushed one does not.
Get your documents ready, then send with confidence
This is a rare two-year, government-funded pathway into the upstream petroleum sector, with training, real work exposure and mentors in every stream. Start today: match your qualification to a stream, gather the four certified document categories, and confirm your email recipient.
Then submit before Monday, 9 November 2026 at 16:30. If you are also exploring other regulator-based programmes, compare the separate NERSA internships and learnerships against your qualification. Either way, a complete application sent early is always better than a perfect one sent late.