Standard Bank of South Africa is recruiting graduates for several 2026 development programmes covering internal auditing, data science, behavioural economics, compliance, private banking and corporate and investment banking. The opportunities are primarily based in Johannesburg with one private banking graduate programme available in Cape Town.
One of the most financially attractive opportunities is the Internal Auditing Learnership, which offers a stipend of R15,000 per month plus student medical aid. The programme runs for 24 months and leads to an Occupational Certificate: Internal Auditor.
Standard Bank Internship and Learnerships Programme Overview
| Programme | Placement | Employment type | Main qualification fields |
| Internal Auditing Learnership | Johannesburg | 24-month contract | IT, Computer Science, Business, Auditing, Finance, Economics, Engineering, ESG, Insurance, Risk and Compliance |
| Data Science Learnership | Johannesburg | Contract | IT, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Econometrics, Quantitative Analysis and Engineering |
| PPB Behavioural Economics Graduate Programme | Johannesburg | | Full-time graduate programme | Economics, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Organisational Behaviour, Sociology, Marketing and Econometrics |
| Group Compliance Graduate Programme | Johannesburg | Full-time graduate programme | Business Commerce, Risk, Legal and Audit |
| Private Young Professionals Graduate Programme | Cape Town | Full-time graduate programme | Finance and Investment |
| CIB Client Coverage Graduate Programme | Johannesburg | Full-time graduate programme | Business Science, Commerce Honours, Economics, Finance, Investment Management, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics and Arts |
Stipend: R15,000 per month plus student medical aid
Best Before: Not included in the supplied information
| Company: Standard Bank of South Africa
| Business segment: Group Functions
| Starting date: 1 October 2026
| Monthly stipend: R15,000
| Additional benefit: Student medical aid
| Age requirement: Under 30
| Citizenship: South African citizen
About Standard Bank’s Graduate Development Programmes
Standard Bank uses learnerships and graduate programmes to give young professionals practical exposure to banking, financial services, technology, governance and client management. Participants may work with experienced professionals while receiving structured learning, mentoring and project exposure.
These programmes can help graduates develop:
- Professional banking experience
- Financial and commercial awareness
- Technical and analytical skills
- Experience working with regulated financial services
- Professional networks
- Evidence of workplace achievement for future applications
The specific training structure, remuneration and duration may differ between programmes.
Available Standard Bank Programmes
1. Internal Auditing Learnership
The Internal Auditing Learnership is a 24-month development programme aimed at graduates who want to build careers in assurance, governance, risk and financial control.
Participants will complete formal training and structured workplace experience leading to the:
- Occupational Certificate: Internal Auditor
Internal Auditing Learnership Overview
| Job reference: 80454408A-0001
|Placement: Johannesburg
| Work sites: 5 Simmonds Street and/or 30 Baker Street, Rosebank
| Qualification awarded: Occupational Certificate: Internal Auditor |
Qualifications Accepted
Applicants need an undergraduate qualification in one of the following or a related discipline:
- Information Technology
- Computer Science
- Business Management Sciences
- Auditing
- Finance
- Economics
- Engineering
- ESG and Environmental Studies
- Insurance
- Risk Management
- Compliance Management
2. Data Science Learnership
The Data Science Learnership is based within Standard Bank’s Group Functions environment in Johannesburg.
Programme Overview
| Programme: Data Science Learnership
| Job reference: 80454405A-0001
| Placement: Johannesburg
| Listed office: 30 Baker Street
| Employment type: Contract
| Duration: Not stated in the supplied details
Qualifications Accepted
Applicants should hold an undergraduate qualification in one of the following or a related discipline:
- Information Technology
- Computer Science
- Data Science
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Econometrics
- Quantitative Analysis
- Engineering
Potential Learning Areas
Although detailed duties were not included in the supplied information a data science learner in banking may receive exposure to:
- Data preparation
- Statistical analysis
- Business intelligence
- Predictive modelling
- Financial data
- Customer analytics
- Risk analytics
- Reporting
- Data visualisation
- Technology-enabled decision-making
Candidates should verify the official role description before applying.
3. Personal and Private Banking Behavioural Economics Graduate Programme
This programme is designed for graduates who want to apply behavioural science to banking, customer decisions and product development.
Programme Overview
| Business segment: Personal and Private Banking
| Job reference: 80419112A-0002
| Placement: Johannesburg
| Employment type: Full-time
Qualifications Accepted
Applicants should have recently completed or be completing an Honours or Master’s qualification in 2026 in:
- Economics
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Organisational Behaviour
- Decision-Making
- Sociology
- Business Science
- Marketing
- Econometrics
Potential Exposure
Graduates may gain experience in areas such as:
- Customer decision-making
- Behavioural research
- Financial behaviour
- Product design
- Customer experience
- Experiment design
- Data interpretation
- Marketing effectiveness
- Consumer insights
- Behavioural interventions
4. Group Compliance Graduate Programme
The Group Compliance Graduate Programme prepares graduates to work within banking regulation, financial crime prevention, governance and internal control.
Programme Overview
| Job reference: 80452668A-0001
| Placement: Johannesburg
| Employment type: Full-time
Qualification Requirement
Applicants need a minimum four-year degree or Honours qualification in:
- Business Commerce
- Risk
- Legal Studies
- Audit
Potential Learning Areas
Participants may gain exposure to:
- Banking regulations
- Compliance monitoring
- Regulatory reporting
- Policy implementation
- Financial crime controls
- Governance
- Risk assessment
- Compliance reviews
- Stakeholder communication
- Record keeping
5. Private Young Professionals Western Cape Graduate Programme
The Personal and Private Banking South Africa Private Young Professionals Graduate Programme is based in Cape Town.
Programme Overview
| Business segment: Personal and Private Banking
| Job reference: 80448735A-0002
|Placement: 2 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town
| Employment type: Full-time
Qualification Requirement
Applicants should have completed an undergraduate qualification within the last two years or recently completed or be completing a postgraduate qualification in 2026 in:
- BCom Finance
- Investment Management
- A related finance or investment discipline
Potential Exposure
The programme may support career development in:
- Private banking
- Investment services
- Financial planning support
- Client relationship management
- Portfolio administration
- Wealth management
- Banking products
- Customer service
- Financial analysis
6. Corporate and Investment Banking Client Coverage Graduate Programme
This programme is based within Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking business in Johannesburg.
Programme Overview
| Business segment: Corporate and Investment Banking
| Job reference: 80451436A-0001
| Placement: Johannesburg
| Employment type: Full-time
Qualifications Accepted
Applicants should have completed or be completing a postgraduate qualification in 2026 in:
- Business Science
- Bachelor of Commerce Honours
- Economics
- Finance
- Investment Management
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Bachelor of Arts
Additional Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be South African citizens
- Be under 30 years old
- Be able to read, write and speak English
- Not be registered for another learnership or internship
- Not be studying at another institution
- Be available for the full 24-month programme
- Be able to work at the listed Johannesburg offices
Duties and Responsibilities
Learners may receive exposure to:
- Planning individual audit procedures under supervision
- Testing selected areas of business operations
- Reviewing whether departments follow good business practices
- Analysing internal processes and controls
- Identifying control weaknesses
- Identifying opportunities to improve efficiency
- Supporting cost-reduction reviews
- Preparing audit working papers
- Saving supporting evidence
- Following group standards and policies
- Managing assigned workloads
- Meeting audit deadlines
Financial Value of the Learnership
The advertised remuneration is:
- R15,000 per month plus student medical aid
Over 24 months the gross stipend value could total approximately:
- R360,000
NB: This calculation excludes student medical aid and assumes 24 complete monthly payments. The final amount will depend on the employment agreement, attendance and programme conditions.
Applicants should confirm:
- Payment dates
- Tax treatment
- Medical aid coverage
- Leave conditions
- Workplace attendance requirements
- Academic and assessment obligations
- Conditions for continued participation
Potential Exposure
Graduates may gain experience in:
- Corporate client relationships
- Investment banking
- Financial analysis
- Credit and risk
- Transaction support
- Industry research
- Client presentations
- Business development
- Banking solutions
- Financial modelling
General Skills Standard Bank May Value
The programmes require different academic backgrounds but applicants are likely to benefit from demonstrating:
- Analytical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Professional communication
- Teamwork
- Commercial awareness
- Accountability
- Adaptability
- Curiosity
- Time management
- Computer literacy
- Confidence working with data
- Ethical conduct
The Internal Auditing Learnership specifically highlights:
- Structured and logical thinking
- Interest in technology and financial decisions
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Resilience
- Professional confidence
- A proactive mindset
- Foundational business understanding
Skills Participants May Gain
Financial Skills
- Financial analysis
- Risk awareness
- Audit testing
- Investment research
- Compliance monitoring
- Commercial decision support
- Financial reporting
- Banking product knowledge
Technology and Data Skills
- Data analysis
- Statistical reasoning
- Business intelligence
- Technology risk
- Data visualisation
- Quantitative modelling
- Information systems awareness
Governance Skills
- Internal control assessment
- Regulatory compliance
- Policy analysis
- Risk management
- Audit documentation
- Evidence management
- Professional ethics
Client and Business Skills
- Stakeholder management
- Client engagement
- Presentation skills
- Business communication
- Team collaboration
- Project support
- Commercial awareness
Career Opportunities After Completion
Depending on the selected programme participants may pursue roles such as:
- Internal Auditor
- Audit Analyst
- Risk Analyst
- Compliance Analyst
- Data Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Behavioural Economics Analyst
- Customer Insights Analyst
- Private Banking Analyst
- Investment Analyst
- Corporate Banking Analyst
- Client Coverage Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Technology Risk Analyst
- Governance Officer
- Financial Crime Analyst
- Quantitative Analyst
With further experience graduates may progress into:
- Senior Internal Auditor
- Data Science Specialist
- Risk Manager
- Compliance Manager
- Investment Manager
- Private Banker
- Corporate Relationship Manager
- Behavioural Science Specialist
- Audit Manager
- Finance Business Partner
NB: Completion does not guarantee permanent employment.
Application Documents to Prepare
Applicants should prepare:
- Updated CV
- South African ID
- Qualification certificate or completion letter
- Complete academic transcript
- Matric certificate where requested
- Motivation letter where requested
- Proof of current academic status where applicable
- Relevant professional certificates
- References
Candidates should check each vacancy separately because document requirements may differ.
Application Tips
Apply for the Correct Programme
Choose a programme that matches your qualification and long-term career goals.
For example:
- Computer Science graduates may consider Data Science or Internal Auditing where technology exposure is relevant.
- Law graduates may consider Group Compliance.
- Finance graduates may consider Internal Auditing, Private Banking or Client Coverage.
- Psychology graduates may consider Behavioural Economics.
Tailor Your CV
Highlight subjects, projects and experience directly linked to the programme.
For Internal Auditing include:
- Auditing
- Risk
- Governance
- Finance
- Information systems
- Compliance
- Data analysis
For Data Science include:
- Python
- R
- SQL
- Statistics
- Machine learning
- Data visualisation
- Quantitative projects
Include Academic Projects
Graduates without formal work experience can use:
- Final-year research
- Group projects
- Case studies
- Financial modelling assignments
- Audit simulations
- Data projects
- Behavioural experiments
- Student leadership
Explain your contribution and the result achieved.
Research Standard Bank
Applicants should understand:
- Standard Bank’s major business segments
- Its African banking operations
- Digital banking
- Personal and Private Banking
- Corporate and Investment Banking
- Group Functions
- Its approach to risk and compliance
Prepare for Assessments
The recruitment process may assess:
- Numerical reasoning
- Verbal reasoning
- Problem-solving
- Data interpretation
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Motivation
- Commercial awareness
- Technical knowledge
Where to Apply
Applications must be submitted through the official Standard Bank Careers platform.
Search using the relevant programme name or job reference number:
| Programme | Job reference |
| Internal Auditing Learnership | 80454408A-0001 |
| Data Science Learnership | 80454405A-0001 |
| PPB Behavioural Economics Graduate Programme | 80419112A-0002 |
| Group Compliance Graduate Programme | 80452668A-0001 |
| Private Young Professionals Western Cape | 80448735A-0002 |
| CIB Client Coverage Graduate Programme | 80451436A-0001 |
NB: Applicants should apply only through the official recruitment platform and should never pay anyone for application access, an assessment or an employment offer.
A vacancy may close once the application deadline passes or when the employer receives enough suitable applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Standard Bank programmes are available?
- The supplied opportunities include Internal Auditing, Data Science, Behavioural Economics, Group Compliance, Private Banking and Corporate and Investment Banking Client Coverage.
How long is the Internal Auditing Learnership?
- It runs for 24 months.
What qualification will Internal Auditing learners receive?
- Participants will work towards an Occupational Certificate: Internal Auditor.
When does the Internal Auditing Learnership begin?
- The advertised start date is 1 October 2026.
What is the age limit for Internal Auditing?
- Applicants must be under 30 years old.
Can current students apply for the Internal Auditing Learnership?
- Applicants may not be studying at another institution during the programme.
Can someone registered for another internship apply?
- No. Internal Auditing applicants may not be registered for another learnership or internship.
Which qualifications qualify for the Data Science Learnership?
- Relevant fields include IT, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Econometrics, Quantitative Analysis and Engineering.
Are closing dates available?
- No closing dates were provided. Applicants must confirm availability on Standard Bank’s official careers platform.
Does completing a programme guarantee permanent employment?
- No permanent appointment is guaranteed.
Editorial Policy
Career27 publishes independently written employment, learnership and graduate programme information based on vacancy details released by employers and recognised recruitment platforms. Our articles explain qualification requirements, financial information, programme duties and application procedures without guaranteeing selection, remuneration or permanent employment.
Where information such as closing dates, programme duration or salary has not been published we identify it as unavailable rather than adding unverified details. Applicants should verify every programme through Standard Bank’s official careers platform before submitting personal information. Career27 does not charge applicants to access employment information and is not involved in recruitment decisions.
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Disclaimer: Programme details were accurate when supplied. Applicants should confirm current application status, closing dates, remuneration and selection requirements directly through the official Standard Bank Careers platform.
