The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is inviting unemployed South African youth residing in the Lejweleputswa District Municipality, Free State, to apply for its Youth Graduate Project 2026/2027.
The programme offers 20 paid graduate placements for suitably qualified environmental graduates. Successful participants will receive R271.04 per day and gain practical workplace experience over an 8-month full-time placement.
The opportunity is particularly relevant to graduates with qualifications in environmental management, environmental science, environmental health, natural sciences or related fields.
Applications must be hand-delivered before the closing deadline.
Employer
Employer: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Programme: Youth Graduate Project 2026/2027
Number of Placements: 20
Location: Lejweleputswa District Municipality, Free State
Programme Duration: 8 months
Employment Type: Full-time placement, 5 days per week
Daily Rate: R271.04 per day
Target Group: Unemployed South African youth
Age Requirement: Youth; the supplied information does not specify an exact age range
Closing Date: 14 August 2026 at 16:00
Application Method: Hand delivery
Requirements
Applicants should:
- Be South African citizens.
- Be unemployed.
- Reside within the Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- Hold a recognised qualification in a relevant environmental field.
- Be available to participate for the full 8-month programme.
- Be willing to work five days per week.
- Provide proof of residence within the district.
- Meet any other requirements contained in the official advert.
Young people with disabilities are included in the programme’s transformation targets.
Qualification Requirements
Applicants should have a recognised qualification relevant to environmental work, such as:
- BSc Natural Sciences
- Environmental Management
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Health
- Another relevant environmental qualification
Applicants should ensure that their qualification is relevant to the advertised environmental and waste-management placement areas.
Salary / Stipend
Daily Rate: R271.04 per day
Participants will receive the stated daily rate throughout the programme, subject to the applicable terms of the placement.
Programme Duration: 8 months
The supplied information does not specify additional benefits or allowances.
Fields of Placement
Successful graduates may be placed in areas including:
- Environmental Management
- Waste Management
The supplied information does not provide a detailed list of daily duties for every placement. Exact responsibilities may therefore depend on the specific placement.
What Participants Can Gain
The Youth Graduate Project is designed to provide practical workplace exposure in environmental and waste-management activities.
Participants may gain experience in:
- Environmental project implementation.
- Waste-management activities.
- Environmental management.
- Public-sector workplace processes.
- Working with municipal and government stakeholders.
- Practical community and environmental projects.
- Professional workplace communication and teamwork.
This experience may strengthen future applications for environmental jobs, internships, graduate programmes and other public-sector opportunities.
Transformation Targets
The programme includes the following participation targets:
- 100% youth
- 60% women
- 2% persons with disabilities
These are programme participation targets and do not mean that applicants within a particular target group are automatically guaranteed selection.
Documents Needed
Applicants should prepare:
- Comprehensive Curriculum Vitae.
- Certified copy of South African ID.
- Certified copies of relevant qualifications.
- Proof of residence within Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- Motivational letter, where required or appropriate according to the official advert.
Applicants should prioritise the documents expressly required in the official advertisement.
How to Apply
Applications must be hand-delivered in a sealed envelope.
- Prepare your comprehensive CV.
- Make a certified copy of your South African ID.
- Make certified copies of your relevant qualifications.
- Obtain proof of residence showing that you live within Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- Prepare any other required application documents.
- Place the application in a sealed envelope.
- Clearly mark the envelope: “Youth Graduate Project (YGP) 2026/2027 Application”.
- Hand-deliver the application to the address below.
- Ensure your application arrives before 16:00 on Friday, 14 August 2026.
- Keep a copy of your complete application for your records.
Hand-Delivery Address
Lejweleputswa District Municipality
Corner Jan Hofmeyr and Tempest Road
Welkom
9459
Free State
South Africa
Important: Email applications are not accepted.
Official Application Link
The supplied information indicates that applications must be hand-delivered rather than submitted through an online application portal.
Applicants should verify the latest official DFFE advertisement and application instructions before submitting their documents.
Application Closing Date
Closing Date: Friday, 14 August 2026 at 16:00
No late applications will be accepted.
Applicants should not wait until the final day. Because applications must be physically delivered, applicants should allow enough time for delivery to the specified Welkom address.
Important Application Notes
Applicants should remember:
- Only 20 placements are available.
- The programme runs for 8 months.
- Participants work five days per week.
- The stated daily rate is R271.04.
- Applicants must be unemployed South African youth.
- Applicants must reside within Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- A relevant environmental qualification is required.
- Proof of residence is required.
- Applications must be hand-delivered.
- Email applications are not accepted.
- Late applications will not be accepted.
- The application envelope must be clearly marked.
- Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee selection.
Application Checklist
Before submitting your application, confirm that:
- You are an unemployed South African citizen.
- You are within the programme’s youth target group.
- You live within Lejweleputswa District Municipality.
- You have a relevant environmental qualification.
- Your CV is updated.
- Your ID copy is certified.
- Your qualification copies are certified.
- Your proof of residence is included.
- Your application is placed in a sealed envelope.
- The envelope is clearly marked Youth Graduate Project (YGP) 2026/2027 Application.
- You know the correct Welkom hand-delivery address.
- You submit your application before 16:00 on 14 August 2026.
Expert Guidance
Career expert YouthScope Editorial Team advises applicants to prepare all required documents before applying. Ensure your CV is updated, your qualifications are certified where required, and submit your application well before the closing date to avoid technical issues. Always apply only through the employer’s official recruitment website and keep a copy of your confirmation for your records.
For this opportunity, applicants should pay particular attention to the residence requirement and hand-delivery instruction. Applications from outside Lejweleputswa District Municipality do not meet the stated residence requirement, while email applications will not be accepted.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who can apply for the DFFE Youth Graduate Project?
Unemployed South African youth who meet the qualification and residence requirements can apply.
2. What qualification do I need?
Applicants should have a recognised qualification in an environmental field such as Environmental Management, Environmental Science, Environmental Health, BSc Natural Sciences or another relevant environmental qualification.
3. How much does the programme pay?
Successful participants will receive R271.04 per day.
4. How long is the programme?
The Youth Graduate Project runs for 8 months, with participants working five days per week.
5. Do I need to live in Lejweleputswa District Municipality?
Yes. Residence within the Lejweleputswa District Municipality is a stated requirement, and applicants must provide proof of residence.
6. How many placements are available?
There are 20 paid graduate placements available.
7. Can I apply by email?
No. The supplied application instructions state that applications must be hand-delivered. Email applications are not accepted.
8. When does the application close?
Applications close on Friday, 14 August 2026 at 16:00. No late applications will be accepted.
Disclaimer
Youthscope shares employment, internship, bursary and learnership opportunities from official employers to help South Africans access career opportunities. We are not the recruiting organisation and do not charge any application fees. Always verify information on the employer’s official website before submitting your application.
Opportunity Verification
✅ Published by: YouthScope Editorial Team
✅ Last Updated: 10 August 2026
✅ Information Source: Official organisation announcement
✅ Status: Reviewed for accuracy
YouthScope shares career information to help South Africans discover opportunities. Applicants should confirm final details with the official organisation before applying.
The YouthScope Editorial Team publishes verified South African learnerships, internships, bursaries, graduate programmes, and career opportunities. Our team researches opportunities from official employers, government departments, SETAs, universities, and trusted organisations to provide accurate career information for South African youth.