The Dr. Beyers Naudé Local Career Exhibition 2026 held on 28 and 29 July 2026 at the Botanics Hall, Robert Sobukwe Town (Graaff Reinet) was a collaborative effort among the Local Municipality Special Programme Unit (SPU), the Departments of Employment and Labour (DEL), and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Stakeholders’ Messages to Students:
Ms. Lucricia Jackson, Officer of the Special Programmes Unit (SPU), remarked that one of the objectives of the event was to assist students with applications for the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) Bursary for 2027, as well as applications to tertiary institutions.
Regional manager of the Department of Employment and Labour, Siyazama Mshumpela, emphasised the importance of local departments contributing to the transformation of the local communities and the surrounding environment, aligning with the District Development Model (DDM) introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. Mshumpela underscored the necessity of adhering strictly to preferences given to locality, especially during recruitment processes. He announced plans to establish additional offices in areas such as Willowmore and Middelburg. The goal is to create employment opportunities and expand organisational infrastructure. Mshumpela highlighted the importance of active participation in initiatives like Career Exposure to realise these objectives. He expressed gratitude to the event organizers and proposed holding events like these at least twice a year. Attendees were advised to regard their educational pursuits with utmost seriousness.
The exhibition featured representatives from various organizations, including:
- -NSFAS (National Student Financial Aid Scheme),
- -Lilitha College of Nursing,
- -The Department of Agriculture,
- -The South African Police Service,
- -Eastcape Midlands TVET College,
- -Midland Hospital Allied Health (offering programs in Radiography, Physiotherapy, and Pharmacy),
- -Legal Aid South Africa,
- -the Independent Electoral Commission(IEC),
- -TVET colleges,
- -SETAs,
- -Banking institutions,
- -Government departments, and
- -Professional bodies and
- -Additionally, information on various career paths was provided to learners, students, and out-of-school youth.
