Do Internships under the Presidential Employment Stimulus Yield Sustainable Employability Benefits? An Eastern Cape Case Study

Youth unemployment remains a persistent challenge in South Africa, prompting interventions such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES), which places unemployed graduates in internships designed to build employability. There is little evidence on whether such benefits are sustained after program completion. This study examined how PES internships translate into sustainable employability benefits for unemployed youth in a selected Eastern Cape municipality, using an interpretivist, qualitative case study design. Data were collected from five purposively selected PES intern participants through semi-structured interviews and were analyzed thematically. Six themes emerged: coordination experience, stipend adequacy, mentoring and training quality, enhanced employability, tangible benefits realized, and perceived durability of benefits. Findings show the program produces individual-level benefits, including permanent employment for three of five participants, but participants' confidence that benefits will endure rests on personal experience rather than any institutionalized absorption pathway. The study recommends formalizing coordination, mentorship, and absorption mechanisms to secure sustainable employability outcomes.