For many young South Africans, finding a first job after matric can be one of the biggest career challenges. Employers often seek candidates with workplace experience, while school leavers need opportunities that allow them to gain those essential skills. Learnership programmes bridge this gap by combining practical work experience with structured learning, giving participants a strong foundation for future employment.
Sanlam is inviting applications for its Unemployed Youth Learnership Programme 2026. This 12-month learnershipis aimed at South African matriculants aged between 18 and 35 who are currently unemployed and have not previously completed a learnership. Successful learners will receive a monthly stipend, practical workplace training, continuous coaching and mentoring, while gaining valuable experience in one of South Africa’s leading financial services groups.
About Sanlam
Sanlam is one of South Africa’s largest financial services groups, providing insurance, investment, wealth management and financial solutions to millions of clients.
The organisation operates through several business clusters, including:
- Sanlam Life and Savings
- Sanlam Fintech
- Sanlam Investment Group
- Sanlam Allianz
- Santam
- MiWay
- Group Office
Through these businesses, Sanlam continues to invest in developing young talent and creating career opportunities for unemployed youth.
About the Sanlam Unemployed Youth Learnership Programme 2026
The Sanlam Unemployed Youth Learnership is designed to provide school leavers with practical workplace experience within a professional corporate environment.
Over 12 months, learners will receive structured training while working alongside experienced employees and developing valuable customer service and administration skills.
Programme Overview
- Programme: Sanlam Unemployed Youth Learnership Programme 2026
- Duration: 12 Months
- Target Group: Unemployed Youth
- Minimum Qualification: Grade 12 (Matric)
- Employment Type: Fixed-Term Learnership
- Monthly Stipend: Yes
- Industry: Financial Services
What the Programme Offers
Successful learners will benefit from:
- A 12-month learnership contract
- Monthly stipend
- Practical workplace experience
- On-the-job training
- Continuous coaching
- Mentoring from experienced professionals
- Workplace assessments
- Exposure to Sanlam’s products and services
- Practical onsite training
- Workplace learning logbooks
- Hands-on corporate experience
The programme is designed to prepare young people for future employment by combining theoretical learning with real workplace responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities
During the programme, learners will support customer service operations by performing a range of administrative and client support duties.
These include:
Customer Service
Learners will:
- Answer inbound customer calls
- Assist clients with enquiries
- Provide customer support professionally
Excellent communication skills will be developed throughout the programme.
Multi Channel Client Support
Participants will provide assistance through:
- Telephone
This exposure helps learners understand modern customer service environments where multiple communication channels are used daily.
Client Administration
Learners will assist with:
- Capturing client information
- Updating customer records
- Maintaining accurate company systems
- General policy administration
Attention to detail will be important when processing customer information.
Policy Administration
Participants may assist clients with:
- Policy enquiries
- Updating contact details
- Beneficiary changes
- General policy requests
These responsibilities provide practical exposure to the financial services industry.
Document Processing
Learners will also:
- Capture documentation
- Route documents to relevant teams
- Support administrative workflows
- Ensure documentation is processed correctly
Strong organisational skills will be developed during this process.
Claims Support
The programme also includes exposure to:
- Claims processing support
- Following up outstanding documents
- Providing updates to clients
- Monitoring service requests
This gives learners an understanding of how client service operates within a financial services organisation.
Minimum Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be South African citizens
- Be unemployed
- Be between 18 and 35 years old
- Have completed Grade 12 (Matric)
- Not have completed a previous learnership
- Be available to complete the full 12-month programme
Applicants who do not meet these requirements may not be considered.
Knowledge and Skills
Sanlam is looking for candidates with the ability to:
- Collect and analyse data
- Process transactions
- Perform basic calculations
- Maintain records
- File documentation
- Maintain databases
Basic administrative and organisational skills will help learners perform successfully throughout the programme.
Personal Attributes
Successful applicants should demonstrate:
- Good communication skills
- Strong planning abilities
- Action-oriented behaviour
- Ability to organise work effectively
- Willingness to learn
- Professional attitude
These qualities will help learners adapt to a corporate working environment.
Core Competencies
Sanlam also values candidates who demonstrate:
- Resilience
- Customer focus
- Collaboration
- Innovation
- Results-driven mindset
These competencies align with the company’s commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
Why Consider This Learnership?
This programme provides far more than workplace experience.
Learners will gain exposure to:
- Corporate customer service
- Financial services administration
- Insurance operations
- Professional communication
- Office administration
- Client relationship management
- Workplace professionalism
- Business processes
These transferable skills can strengthen future job applications across many industries.
Thabang Maimela’s Tip
Because this learnership is aimed at matriculants, your CV doesn’t need years of experience to stand out. Instead, focus on your strengths. Include achievements such as leadership roles, volunteer work, customer facing experience, computer literacy, school projects or any part-time work. Since you’ll be interacting with clients through phone, email and WhatsApp, emphasise your communication skills and your ability to work professionally with people.
Career Opportunities After Completion
The experience gained during this learnership can prepare participants for entry-level careers such as:
- Customer Service Consultant
- Call Centre Agent
- Client Services Administrator
- Policy Administrator
- Insurance Administrator
- Administrative Assistant
- Customer Experience Consultant
- Client Support Officer
Many of these skills are also transferable to banking, retail, telecommunications and other customer-focused industries.
Sanlam’s Commitment to Transformation
Sanlam is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace.
Appointments will be made in accordance with the Sanlam Group Employment Equity Plan and transformation objectives.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their applications through the official Sanlam Careers Portal before the closing date.
Prepare the following documents before applying:
- Updated CV
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- Certified Matric certificate
- Any additional supporting documents requested during the application process
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted after the application closing date. Apply now
Kick-Start Your Career with Sanlam
The Sanlam Unemployed Youth Learnership Programme 2026 offers unemployed matriculants an opportunity to gain 12 months of valuable corporate work experience while receiving a monthly stipend, coaching and mentorship.
If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, currently unemployed and looking to build a career in customer service and financial services, this learnership could be the perfect first step into the corporate world.
Disclaimer
CareersPursuit shares publicly available opportunities for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the companies or organisations mentioned unless explicitly stated otherwise. Do not send your personal information, CV, or applications directly to CareersPursuit. Always verify opportunity details through official channels before applying.
- About the Author
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I am Thabang Maimela, Founder and Editor of CareersPursuit and YouthSETA, two South African platforms dedicated to helping individuals access employment opportunities, skills development programmes, and career growth resources. Through CareersPursuit, I focus on jobs, internships, apprenticeships, graduate programmes, learnerships, and career advice, while YouthSETA specialises in SETA learnerships, skills programmes, youth development initiatives, and workplace readiness resources. My mission is to make reliable, up to date information more accessible, helping South Africans build skills, improve employability, and navigate their career journeys with confidence. Read more about the author on the About Us page.