Eskom is recruiting unemployed South Africans for a 12-month Youth Employment Service placement in administration at Medupi Power Station. Grade 12 is the minimum qualification, previous YES participants are excluded, and applicants cannot be studying full time during the employment year. Applications close on 21 July 2026. Early preparation matters.
The qualification barrier is low, but the eligibility filters are strict. This intake is intended for first-time Youth Employment Service participants aged 18 to 34 who need meaningful workplace exposure in South Africa’s energy industry.
No diploma, degree or previous administrative experience is listed as compulsory. However, candidates must meet Eskom’s rules covering age, education, study status, previous employment and earlier participation in the programme.
What are the confirmed programme details?
Programme: Youth Employment Service Programme 2026
Employer: Eskom
Placement area: Various administrative roles
Advertised site: Medupi Power Station
Location: Lephalale, Limpopo
Industry: Electricity, energy and water supply
Category: Administration
Contract type: Internship
Contract duration: 12 months
Position grade: YY1
Minimum qualification: Grade 12 or equivalent
Required age: 18 to 34 years
Remuneration: Market-related
Listing reference: eskom_005793
Closing date: 21 July 2026
Why is Grade 12 only the first eligibility test?
Candidates must hold Grade 12 or an equivalent qualification, but education is only one part of the screening process.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be South African citizens.
- Be between 18 and 34 years old.
- Hold Grade 12 or an equivalent qualification.
- Not be studying full time during the year of employment.
- Not have participated in or registered for the Youth Employment Service initiative before.
- Not have worked permanently for one employer for more than one continuous year.
- Be available for the full 12-month contract.
- Complete Eskom’s recruitment process successfully.
This is a first-work-experience initiative. Candidates should therefore check their employment history and previous YES registration before investing time in the application.
What does Eskom’s employment-history rule mean?
Applicants should not have been permanently employed by one employer for more than one continuous year.
This wording does not automatically exclude every candidate who has worked before. Short-term, temporary, casual or limited fixed-term experience is not described as an automatic disqualification.
However, candidates who held one continuous permanent position for longer than a year may not meet the programme rule.
Employment dates and contract types should be recorded accurately. Eskom can compare the information entered in the application profile with the candidate’s curriculum vitae and supporting records.
Can full-time students enter the programme?
Candidates must not be studying full time during the year in which the placement takes place.
The 12-month programme requires participants to be available for workplace duties. Anyone registered for full-time studies should not misrepresent their status.
The listing does not explain how part-time or distance studies will be treated. Candidates following those study arrangements should still ensure that they can commit to the programme and provide accurate information during recruitment.
Why are previous YES participants excluded?
The programme is designed to give first-time participants access to structured workplace experience.
Candidates must not have previously:
- Participated in a Youth Employment Service programme
- Registered for a Youth Employment Service initiative
- Completed a previous YES placement
Even if a candidate did not complete an earlier programme, previous registration or participation may still affect eligibility.
What does “various administrative roles” mean?
Eskom has not published a task-by-task responsibility list for this intake. The successful candidates will function in various administrative roles connected to Eskom operations.
Applicants should not assume that the placement will be in a specific department such as finance, procurement, human resources or technical administration.
The final duties may depend on operational needs and the department in which each successful participant is placed.
What Eskom has made clear is the type of conduct and workplace ability it expects. The competency list places strong emphasis on communication, teamwork, customer awareness and professional behaviour.
Which competencies does Eskom want to see?
Eskom lists a combination of behavioural qualities, interpersonal abilities and professional attributes.
Teamwork
Successful participants must be able to work as part of a team.
Administrative work often involves receiving information from one person, processing it correctly and passing it to another. Learners must therefore communicate and cooperate with colleagues.
Integrity and professionalism
Integrity is especially important in a large organisation where participants may work with internal documents, employee information or operational processes.
Candidates should demonstrate honesty, respect for procedures and responsible handling of information.
Customer focus
The listing identifies customer focus as an important behavioural competency.
Depending on the placement, customers may include members of the public, employees, contractors or internal departments requiring administrative support.
Communication and interpersonal ability
Participants must be able to communicate clearly and maintain professional working relationships.
Eskom specifically lists:
- Communication skills
- Sound interpersonal skills
- Negotiation skills
- Liaising skills
Candidates should prepare examples showing how they have explained information, resolved misunderstandings or worked with different people.
Energy and initiative
Eskom wants participants who are:
- Prompt
- Energetic
- Polite
- Assertive
- Self-starters
A self-starter does not wait to be reminded about every basic responsibility. However, initiative must still be balanced with following instructions and asking for guidance when necessary.
What should candidates understand about Eskom procedures?
Knowledge of Eskom’s policies and procedures appears in the competency requirements.
First-time applicants may not know every internal process before joining. They should not claim knowledge they do not have.
Instead, candidates can demonstrate that they:
- Follow instructions carefully
- Respect workplace rules
- Learn new systems quickly
- Protect confidential information
- Ask questions when procedures are unclear
- Complete tasks using the correct process
- Understand why safety and compliance matter
The ability to learn and follow procedures is particularly important in an operational energy environment.
Has Eskom published a stipend amount?
Eskom lists the remuneration as market-related, but no rand amount is provided.
Candidates should not rely on unofficial stipend figures circulated on social media. The confirmed remuneration and contract terms should be checked during the recruitment or appointment process.
The successful candidates will receive 12-month contracts, but the advert does not list additional allowances or benefits.
What should a strong curriculum vitae show?
Because no detailed task list has been published, candidates should focus on transferable abilities relevant to administration.
A useful curriculum vitae can include:
- Full personal and contact details
- Grade 12 or equivalent qualification
- School name and completion year
- Temporary, casual or fixed-term experience
- Volunteering and community involvement
- Customer service exposure
- Reception or office support experience
- Experience organising records or information
- School leadership and committee activities
- Examples of teamwork and communication
- Accurate employment dates and contract types
Candidates without formal experience can still use real examples from school, volunteering, community organisations or temporary assignments.
Do not list generic skills without evidence. Instead of writing only “good communication,” briefly show where that skill was used.
Itumeleng’s Insider Tip: Eskom has not published task-by-task duties for these placements, so do not fill your curriculum vitae with guessed responsibilities. Focus on evidence of communication, reliability, teamwork, customer service and following procedures—the qualities Eskom has actually prioritised for this intake.
What must be ready before using the portal?
Candidates registering on the recruitment portal should prepare the following:
- An active email address
- A working mobile number
- South African identity details
- A current curriculum vitae
- Accurate qualification information
- Complete employment dates
- Honest information about previous YES participation
- Confirmation of current study status
The curriculum vitae file must be no larger than 10 megabytes.
Accepted file formats include:
- DOC
- DOCX
- TXT
The portal uses the uploaded curriculum vitae to help create the applicant profile. Candidates should review the extracted information because automated systems may place details in the wrong fields.
How should applications be submitted?
Applications must be completed through the official Eskom online recruitment portal.
Search for or confirm the following listing before submitting:
Listing title: Youth Employment Service (YES) Eskom Medupi Power Station
Listing reference: eskom_005793
New users must register and create a complete applicant profile. Returning users can sign in, review their information and continue with the submission.
The closing date is 21 July 2026.
What happens after submission?
Applicants will go through Eskom’s recruitment process. Successful candidates may then be placed within Eskom operations according to divisional requirements.
Although this listing is advertised for Medupi Power Station, the programme information notes that successful recruits can be placed across Eskom operations and divisions. Candidates should follow the placement information communicated during recruitment.
If Eskom has not contacted a candidate within 28 days after the closing date, the application should be regarded as unsuccessful.
Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to participate. Eskom may also consider its employment equity goals and under-represented designated groups during selection.
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Final Thoughts
The Eskom YES Programme 2026 is more selective than its Grade 12 entry requirement may initially suggest.
The right candidate is a South African citizen aged 18 to 34 who has never registered for YES, is not studying full time and has not worked permanently for one employer for longer than a continuous year.
For eligible candidates, the programme offers 12 months of administration experience inside South Africa’s energy industry. The role-specific duties will depend on placement, but Eskom has already made its expectations clear: integrity, professionalism, communication, teamwork, customer focus and initiative.
Applications close on 21 July 2026 under reference eskom_005793.
