What Is a Stipend? Meaning and Typical Amounts in South Africa

What a stipend is, how it differs from a salary, typical learnership and internship stipends in South Africa, and whether you pay tax on it.

Almost every learnership and internship advert mentions a “stipend”. Here’s what that means, how much people usually get in South Africa and what to watch out for.

Stipend meaning

A stipend is a fixed monthly amount paid to a learner, intern or trainee while they’re being trained. It covers basic costs like transport, food and data while you gain experience or a qualification.

It isn’t a full salary. You’re paid to learn, not only to do a job.

Stipend vs salary

	Stipend	Salary
Who gets it	Learners, interns, trainees	Permanent or contract employees
Purpose	Covers living costs during training	Payment for your work
Amount	Usually lower and fixed	Based on the job, skills and experience
Length	For the length of the programme (often 12–24 months)	Ongoing
Benefits	Usually none or few	Often leave, medical aid, pension

Typical stipend amounts in South Africa

Stipends aren’t the same everywhere. They depend on the employer, the SETA, the NQF level and where you’re placed. As a rough guide for 2026:

Programme type	Typical monthly stipend
Entry-level SETA learnerships (NQF 2–4)	about R2,500 to R5,500
Learnerships at large companies, mining and banks	about R4,500 to R9,500
Government graduate internships	about R7,860 (many 2025 government internship adverts listed R7,860.39)
TVET and in-service training (government)	about R6,600 to R7,100

Some employers also pay transport or accommodation allowances on top, especially for trades or remote mining sites. Always check the exact amount in the official advert or your learnership agreement.

Is there a minimum stipend for learnerships?

Yes. Learnerships fall under a government determination that sets minimum learnership allowances, based on your NQF level and how many credits you’ve completed. These minimums are low, often under R2,000 a month at the lowest levels, so most employers pay more. If an offer is below the minimum for your level, ask about it.

Do you pay tax on a stipend?

A stipend is generally treated as income. For the 2026/27 tax year (1 March 2026 to 28 February 2027), people under 65 only pay income tax once their yearly taxable income goes above R99,000, which is about R8,250 a month.

That means most learners and interns on a stipend below that amount, with no other income, won’t have tax deducted. If your stipend plus any other income goes above the threshold, your employer deducts PAYE. Check your payslip, and contact SARS if you’re unsure.

Watch out: stipend scams

Real learnerships and internships pay you. You never pay them.

Be careful if anyone:

• asks for a fee to “release” or “register” your stipend
• promises a stipend much higher than similar programmes
• asks for your banking PIN or OTP

Read more on our How we verify page.

Find learnerships and internships with a stipend

Every opportunity on Lloyd Media Lab shows the stipend where the employer publishes it:

• Learnerships
• Internships
• Closing this week

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Guide details box:

• Last checked on: 9 November 2026
• Official source link: https://www.sars.gov.za