In recent years, South Africa has seen a significant rise in the implementation of internships and learnerships by large corporations. These programs, often touted as solutions to the country's high youth unemployment rates, are designed to provide young people with valuable work experience and skills. However, beneath the surface lies a more complex and troubling reality. Big corporations have increasingly turned to internships and learnerships as a cost-cutting strategy. By hiring interns and learners, companies can significantly reduce their labor costs. These positions are often offered as 24-month work opportunities, with the option to retain a few interns as permanent staff at a junior level. However, the majority of interns are released back into the job market, frequently returning to unemployment. This practice often involves a subtle yet deliberate strategy: after about ten years of service, experienced professionals are pushed out, only to be replaced by a group of five ...