Tourism Ambassador Integrated Service Excellence Programme 2026 – Pretoria National Botanical Garden
The Department of Tourism, in collaboration with Harambee and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), is inviting unemployed young South Africans to apply for the Integrated Service Excellence Programme 2026 at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
The programme is designed to provide unemployed youth with an opportunity to gain practical workplace experience in the hospitality, travel and tourism sector. Successful participants will receive a monthly stipend of R4,600, based on a maximum of 23 days worked per month.
The opportunity is particularly relevant to young people who have an interest in tourism, hospitality and visitor services and who live within the required geographical area.
Tourism Ambassador Programme 2026 Details
Programme: Integrated Service Excellence Programme 2026
Position: Tourism Ambassador
Organisation: Department of Tourism
Partner organisations: Harambee and SANBI
Location: Pretoria National Botanical Garden
Province: Gauteng
Job type: Fixed-term
Industry: Tourism-related services
Stipend: R4,600 per month
Date posted: 31 August 2026
Closing date: 18 September 2026
About the Integrated Service Excellence Programme
The Integrated Service Excellence Programme is intended to widen employment opportunities for unemployed young people in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry.
The programme is being implemented through collaboration between the Department of Tourism, Harambee and SANBI. Participants will gain exposure to a workplace environment and may perform duties based on the skills and operational requirements of the participating site.
For this opportunity, the participating site is the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.
The programme follows a demand-led skills development approach, meaning that successful participants may be assigned different duties according to workplace requirements and operational demand.
Tourism Ambassador Responsibilities
The supplied vacancy does not provide a fixed list of daily duties for Tourism Ambassadors. Instead, it states that successful participants may be required to perform various duties in line with SANBI workplace requirements.
Responsibilities may therefore depend on the needs of the Pretoria National Botanical Garden and the specific skills development requirements of the programme.
Applicants should be prepared to work in a visitor-facing tourism environment and to undertake duties assigned according to operational requirements.
Flexibility is particularly important because participants may be required to work on weekends, public holidays and as-and-when required.
Stipend and Working Arrangements
Successful participants will receive a stipend of R4,600 per month.
The vacancy states that the stipend is based on a maximum of 23 days worked per month.
This is a fixed-term opportunity rather than a permanent position. Applicants should therefore understand the nature of the programme before applying.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements specified by the Department of Tourism.
The main requirements include:
- Be a South African citizen.
- Be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Be unemployed.
- Have a Matric Certificate.
- Provide a certified copy of the Matric Certificate.
- Provide a certified copy of their South African ID.
- Provide acceptable proof of residence.
- Have a passion for travel, tourism and hospitality.
- Be willing to work flexible hours.
- Have a clear criminal record.
- Have reliable transport to and from the workplace.
People with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Applicants who have previously participated in a Department of Tourism learnership or skills programme must declare this information in their application.
Location Requirement
One of the important requirements for this opportunity is the applicant’s place of residence.
Applicants must live within a 50-kilometre radius of the participating sites and surrounding communities and land claimants.
For candidates applying for the Pretoria National Botanical Garden opportunity, it is therefore important to carefully consider whether their residential address falls within the required area.
Applicants are also reminded to update their SA Youth profile with their exact residential address.
Providing an incorrect or incomplete address may affect the assessment of the application.
Documents Required
Shortlisted candidates will be required to provide supporting documentation.
These documents include:
- Certified copy of the Matric Certificate.
- Certified copy of the ID.
- Proof of residence.
Acceptable proof of residence may include a municipal bill, a letter from a tribal authority or another relevant document showing the applicant’s residential address. A bank statement containing the residential address may also be accepted.
Applicants should ensure that the required documents are available and meet the stated requirements.
Failure to provide the required documents may result in the application not being considered.
Skills and Personal Qualities
Although the programme is aimed at unemployed youth, applicants should demonstrate qualities that are relevant to tourism and hospitality environments.
These include:
- Interest in tourism and hospitality.
- Good communication.
- Professional conduct.
- Reliability.
- Willingness to learn.
- Ability to work with different people.
- Flexibility with working hours.
- Teamwork.
- Customer-service awareness.
- Ability to follow workplace instructions.
A positive attitude towards learning and workplace development can also be valuable in a programme focused on practical skills development.
Selection Process
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview to determine their suitability for the position or programme applied for.
All appointed candidates will also be subjected to criminal record checks.
Correspondence will be limited to shortlisted candidates. If an applicant has not been contacted within two weeks after the closing date, they should consider their application unsuccessful.
How to Apply
Applications for the Tourism Ambassador opportunity must be submitted online through the SA Youth Platform.
Before applying, candidates should make sure their SA Youth profile contains their correct personal and residential information.
In particular, applicants should update their profile with their exact address, as residence is an important requirement for this programme.
Candidates should also ensure that their education and other profile information is accurate and that they can provide the required supporting documents if shortlisted.
Closing Date
The closing date for the Tourism Ambassador: Integrated Service Excellence Programme 2026 opportunity at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden is:
18 September 2026
Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications before the closing date and to carefully check all requirements before completing the application.
Final Thoughts
The Tourism Ambassador Integrated Service Excellence Programme 2026 provides an opportunity for unemployed South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35 to gain workplace exposure in the tourism and hospitality sector.
The programme is being offered through a partnership involving the Department of Tourism, Harambee and SANBI, with the Pretoria National Botanical Garden serving as the participating site for this opportunity.
The position offers a R4,600 monthly stipend, subject to a maximum of 23 days worked per month. Applicants must meet the age, education, residence and other eligibility requirements and must be prepared to work flexible hours.
Candidates interested in tourism, hospitality and travel-related services should review the requirements carefully, update their SA Youth profile with their exact address and submit their application through the SA Youth Platform before 18 September 2026.
Skhumbuzo Shandu is the founder of Careers With Shandu, a platform dedicated to helping South Africans access job opportunities, learnerships, and career development resources.
He focuses on sharing clear, practical, and up-to-date information to help matriculants, graduates, and job seekers navigate applications and build their careers.
Through his work, he aims to make opportunities easier to understand and accessible to everyone, especially young people entering the workforce.
