I yearned for a career with purpose, but with a degree in communication arts and a number of years of copywriting experience I had no idea how to go about it. What I did was tell anyone and everyone who would listen, and to my surprise, someone was actually, and actively, listening.

One of my clients in the tourism sector came across a role at the South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) which manages our nine botanical gardens – hence the link to tourism – and she encouraged me to apply. Bolstered by her guidance, and armed with a glowing reference, also from her, I landed the job –  a job with meaning and purpose in spades.

Working at SANBI for five years under a CEO who mentored me with care and diligence prepared me well for my current role at WWF, which is more than a job with purpose. It’s also a job with an iconic brand. Blessings on blessings!

When I reflect on my journey so far, I realise that sometimes it just takes the right opportunity, the right mentor, the right manager (or all three of the above) to set you on the right path.

Opening doors and giving opportunities and options to young people seeking careers with purpose is something WWF has done for decades, offering scores of internships and secondments to the sector. The recipients of these opportunities are individuals who have chosen to eke out careers in a sector which may not be seen as traditional or mainstream but one which holds so many possibilities for future jobs.

Yolande Jacobs, Executive Manager of People and Culture at WWF, elaborates: “Capacity building is particularly important in a country where poverty and unemployment are rife and inequality is the worst in world. In stark contrast to these gloomy stats, South Africa is abundant in natural resources and among the world’s richest when it comes to biodiversity. And this is where potential opportunities – including exciting career opportunities – lie.”

True story.

In almost every online career survey I came across, jobs in sustainability, including the renewable energy sector, ranked in the top 10 of future jobs in South Africa. An article from the University of Johannesburg titled “Top Careers in SA in 2025” bears this out: “As South Africa pushes towards sustainability, careers in renewable energy and environmental sciences are expanding. This includes roles in solar and wind energy, environmental management, and sustainable agriculture”. Over the last decade, WWF South Africa has not only grown its own timber, with a staff complement of 150 of which 60% is under 35 years old, but the organisation has also contributed to growing human capacity for the sector as a whole.

Since 2019 WWF’s graduate intern programme has placed no fewer than 99 interns into a range of organisations, including SANParks, SANBI, Wildlands Conservation Trust, Two Oceans, Spar and others. These internships have been as diverse as the interns themselves. Their expertise ranges from GIS technicians to marine biologists, ecologists, conservation scientists, data analysts, journalists, engineers etc. For many, this internship has been the breakthrough opportunity that has set them on the path towards meaningful work and fruitful careers.

Sheroma Surajnarayan is a WWF intern with a degree in Biological Sciences and an Honours degree in Environmental Monitoring. Through her studies she was exposed to the devastating environmental challenges we face.

In a blog written for WWF, Sheroma says “I knew it would be my life’s mission to conserve and protect the natural world. My dream became a reality when I was offered an internship through the WWF programme, placed with SANCCOB and the City of Cape Town to work with the African penguin monitoring team in Simon’s Town.”

Sheroma had always remembered the panda has been a symbol of hope for the environmental protection. And getting to work, hands-on, in the field with wild penguins knowing that she had the support of the iconic panda excited her.

She writes: “We all have the potential for greatness within us. The internship has supported others like me to harness our potential to become capable, skilled and competent individuals who will go on to become experts in our field. It has bridged the gap between academia and practical application of skills in the real world”.

In addition to internships, WWF strengthens capacity in the sector through secondments. In the past six years, nine individuals have been seconded to SANBI, SANParks and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environmental Affairs (DFFE). One such example is Monique Van Zitters who was seconded to the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning five months ago. But her journey didn’t start there.

Monique joined WWF as an intern in 2021 with a Master’s degree in conservation ecology specialising in riparian restoration. At WWF, thanks to her data management skills, she started out working in monitoring and evaluation and moved on to become an environmental data officer.

Now in her secondment, Monique is an ecological infrastructure coordinator working on strategic water source areas. She believes that the internship and the mentoring she received during her time at WWF gave her the foundational background for her current role, a role which allows her to have impact and influence.

Monique describes her growth in the provincial government as exponential.

“At WWF we were all on the same page and that common perspective and cohesion has enormous benefits. Government offers something different. Here I am exposed to many perspectives and competing priorities. This expanded view of the world in which we operate is both challenging and empowering. This secondment has truly accelerated my growth and has allowed me to contribute to securing our vital strategic water source areas,” she says.
Sheroma and Monique are two shining examples of what is possible when opportunities are given to young South Africans looking for rewarding careers. But they are not alone; many others have gone before them, and with the right opportunities, the right mentors, the right manager (or all of the above), many more will follow. This I know for sure.