“What Do You Mean”: Woman Crashes Out Over 2 Rejected Internship Applications in Less Than 12 Hours

• A Johannesburg fresh graduate filmed herself in her car after receiving two internship rejections less than 12 hours after applying
• She applied at 8 pm the night before and received both rejections by 6 am the next morning
• South Africans flooded the comments with their own rejection stories, with some saying they got rejected within minutes of submitting applications

Job searching in South Africa is breaking people down. A Johannesburg content creator, @pienaarcp, a fresh graduate, posted a video about the hardships she's facing on 18 February 2026.

She filmed herself sitting in her car out of respect for her mum, who was in a meeting, because she was about to completely crash out. She applied to two internship positions the night before at 8 pm. She said that she sat at the dining table, filling in the applications, doing everything she was supposed to do. She explained that she even altered her CV to match each internship.

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But by 6 am the next morning, she received rejection emails for both internships. Not even 12 hours later. She said they didn't even look at it. She did everything right, but still got rejected immediately. She pointed out that internships are supposed to be for people who just graduated to gain experience, but even those are rejecting people instantly.

She knows this is normal and happens to everyone, but it's still so frustrating. The speed of the rejection is what got to her. Less than 12 hours. It felt automated and impersonal, like the applications weren't even properly reviewed.

Unemployment in SA

According to Business Tech, South Africa's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 31.4% in the final quarter of 2025, down from 31.9% the previous quarter. However, the country has added 2.6 million people to the number of unemployed over the past ten years.

Youth unemployment remains extremely high, with unemployment rates for those aged 25-34 sitting at 44.3%. Approximately 3.5 million young people aged 15-24 are not in employment, education, or training.

The job market is brutal for young people trying to break in. Even internships, which are meant to be entry-level opportunities, are rejecting candidates within hours.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

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Netizens relate to rejected internship applications

South Africans shared their own painful experiences, relating to TikToker @pienaarcp's post:

@seko1.o said:

"You guys are getting responses?"

@A Silly Goose pointed out:

"You have a car to crash out in???"

@ItuPoppy2000 shared:

"I got rejected for a job that requires you to pick up papers on the streets, they said I don't meet the requirements needed 😭"

@Koke said:

"I got rejected 6 MINUTES after submitting the email this morning! 😭😭"

@Munir laughed:

"I know a direct hire email rejection when I hear one 😂"

@Sethu Maboya revealed:

"I once applied for a job at 07:13 and got a rejection at 07:14😭😭😭"

@Delané🦦 summed it up:

"Job searching in South Africa, at this point, is just a humiliation ritual😭😭😭"

@yourfavoriteintrovert_ added:

"Got rejected immediately after submitting the application😭"

More on job searching in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a man who officially threw in the towel on job searching for 2025.
• Sol Phenduka opened up about his job hunting experience after leaving Kaya FM, revealing how opportunities started coming to him instead.
• An unemployed man walked into a random office unannounced with a CV and demanded a R20,000 salary job.

Source: Briefly News