Unilever

About Unilever in South Africa

Unilever South Africa is the local arm of a global consumer goods company. It makes and sells food, home care and personal care products that many households know well. The head office is at Nollsworth Crescent in La Lucia Ridge, Durban. Factories in Durban, including the Maydon Wharf site, and one in Boksburg support the business.

The company has operated in the country for decades. Today, it employs engineers, chemists, supply chain planners, marketers and finance staff. Because these jobs need strong technical and business skills, Unilever invests in students early.

How Unilever supports students

Unilever has advertised engineering bursaries in chemical, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering. Past intakes offered vacation work during the winter break, so bursary holders could see a real factory and learn how production lines run. They also pointed to a place on the graduate intake after the degree. Please note that these details come from earlier adverts, and the company has not run the same call every year.

Other routes exist for students who do not hold a bursary. The Unilever Leadership Internship Programme in Durban and Johannesburg has offered short placements of about four weeks during university holidays. It is open to students from second year onwards in any bachelor's degree. In addition, Unilever has offered 12-month engineering internships at its Maydon Wharf factory and learnerships in engineering and manufacturing.

The Future Leaders Programme is aimed at final-year and postgraduate students, and it usually runs for three years of rotations across functions. Participants can expect to move into a management role within about three years.

What to know before applying

Unilever does not run a single open bursary that applies every year. Instead, calls open and close for particular fields. For example, an engineering bursary advert may appear in the first half of the year, while the internship and graduate programmes follow their own calendars. We could not confirm the current amounts, closing dates or any work-back period, so do not rely on older websites.

Typically, applicants need to be South African citizens with strong marks, especially in Mathematics and Science. Leadership, teamwork and community involvement help your case, too. Prepare a clear CV, certified copies of your results and a short motivation. Watch the Unilever careers site for new openings, and ask your university careers office whether the company is recruiting on campus this year. Apply early, since popular roles fill quickly.

Think about location as well. Production sites sit in Durban and Boksburg, while the head office is in La Lucia Ridge, so a placement may mean moving to another city. Ask what help with transport or accommodation is available once you receive an offer, and plan your budget around that answer.