Zara P

Zara joined the VAC program in January 2026 as part of her gap year. During the program, she completed a media internship a community-based radio in Cape Town.

I chose Cape Town because I wanted to spend time somewhere beautiful while also exploring my interests in a more professional setting. What I loved most was the balance between working and contributing at my internship and still having the freedom to explore Cape Town.

My journalism internship gave me the chance to try far more than I expected. I produced my own show, helped present Sakhisizwe each day, wrote scripts, conducted interviews and went out into the city to do vox pops. I was able to explore different parts of radio journalism and try things I did not even know existed before coming here.

Two of the biggest highlights were attending the State of the Nation Address and the budget speech. Experiences like that made the internship feel connected to what was actually happening in South Africa and gave me exposure to journalism outside the studio as well.

Working at a community radio station also showed me how journalism can be closely connected to the people it serves. The station focuses on stories and voices that might otherwise receive less attention, and that gave me a different perspective on the role local media can play.

My advice to future journalism interns would be to dive in and be intentional about what you want to try. There are so many different things you can get involved in, and the more willing you are to explore, ask questions and try something unfamiliar, the more you can get out of the experience.

I also really appreciated how thoughtful VAC was about finding the right internship placement for me. Cape Town gave me the balance I was looking for: meaningful professional experience alongside the opportunity to explore an extraordinary city.