Linda Roth

Linda is from Austria and joined VAC in January 2026 as part of her Gap Year before beginning university studies in International Management. She completed a business internship with a South African digital health company, where she gained practical exposure to sales, customer engagement and business development.

I came to Cape Town wanting to gain experience in sales and business development before starting university, and my internship gave me a much better understanding of what that kind of work actually involves.

One of the most valuable parts of the experience was working directly with customers. During one week, we visited distribution centres around Cape Town, where I explained the company’s healthcare product to employees, spoke with them about how it worked and helped people sign up. It pushed me outside my comfort zone and gave me much more confidence speaking to people I had never met before.

The internship also helped me learn something important about my future career. I discovered that I really enjoy talking to people, explaining products and the sales side of business, but I also realised that I would not want a role focused entirely on sales. I would like a career where I can combine that with other areas of business as well. That kind of clarity was one of the biggest things I took away from the experience.

I also appreciated being able to see how a growing healthcare business was trying to make its services easier and more affordable for people to access. Being involved in introducing the product to new customers gave me a practical sense of how sales and business development connect to the wider goals of a company.

Outside of work, Cape Town became a place I felt very comfortable very quickly. Living close to the other participants made it easy to spend time together, and the friendships I made were a huge part of the experience. I also knew that VAC was there when I needed support, which made living independently in another country much easier.

I would definitely recommend staying for at least three months if you can. It takes time to settle into the city, build friendships and really feel part of everyday life here. My time in Cape Town gave me professional experience, more confidence and a much clearer idea of the kind of business career I would like to pursue.