“Not Taking Us Serious”: Gauteng Government WIL Programme With R0.00 Stipend Sparks Outrage

• The Gauteng Department of e-Government advertised Work Exposure Learning opportunities for students aged 18 to 35 with no stipend attached
• The programme, based in Johannesburg, requires students to commute with no financial support offered
• South Africans flooded the comments section demanding answers about how students would eat and travel to work

The Gauteng Department of e-Government is under fire after advertising a Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) programme on 5 August 2026 that offers South African students absolutely no stipend.

The post, shared on Facebook around 11am, invited students enrolled in a B Degree, National Diploma (NQF Level 6), or TVET N6 programme to apply for work exposure at the department’s Johannesburg centre.

Applicants must be South African citizens between the ages of 18 and 35. The closing date for applications is 14 August 2026. The stipend listed in the advertisement is R0.00.

Students expected to work for nothing

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The department’s post stated that students must submit a confirmation letter from their higher education institution alongside their application, and that priority would be given to applicants with disabilities. But it was the complete absence of any financial support that caught most people’s attention, and not in a good way.

For many South Africans, the idea of travelling daily to a Johannesburg office with no income to cover transport or food was simply unacceptable, especially coming from a government department.

Read the Gauteng e-Government post that sparked the outrage below:

Mzansi reacts to the unpaid government programme

South Africans in the comments section had plenty to say:

@Lawrence Malori wrote:

“This government is not taking us seriously, 😠let’s vote it out.”

@Mongale Thabang asked:

“What are they going to eat? How are they going to get to work?”

@Yanga Amila Ndzo Matebese said:

“So they are going to fly to work since there is no stipend?”

@Reneiloe Shai wrote:

“Bathong, at least be a little ashamed. A whole government?”

@Pearl Malope commented:

“Tlogelang 🙈 [Just leave it]”

Students interested in applying can contact Prince Mathipa at prince.mathipa@gauteng.gov.za, Refiloe Ntsoelikane at refiloe.ntsoelikane@gauteng.gov.za, or Khayalethu Luyenge at khayalethu.luyenge@gauteng.gov.za. Applications can be posted to the Director HRM, No. 75 Fox Street, Marshalltown, 2107.

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More stories involving Gauteng government

• The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport said that the Gautrain system will continue to be operated by the private sector and the government.
• The number of provincial informal settlements rose to 1,158 from 451 recorded during 2019, according to data released on 24 May 2026 by Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office.
• Gauteng authorities stepped up road safety checks after the tragic Vanderbijlpark scholar transport crash that claimed 14 lives.

Source: Briefly News