SAGDA

What SAGDA does

SAGDA (South African Graduates Development Association) is a Non-Profit Company incorporated in South Africa and headquartered at 62 Marshall Street, 8th Floor Khotso House, Marshalltown, Johannesburg. Established in 1997 by a group of unemployed graduates, the organization exists to prepare new graduates for the workforce and to bridge the gap between academic study and full-time employment in South Africa. It delivers a portfolio of four core programs: a 12-24 month Internship Program that places graduates in companies, NGOs, CBOs, and SMMEs; a 6-18 month Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program for TVET college and University of Technology students; an Alumni Program offering networking, career services, mentorship, and advocacy; and a Community Service Program covering initiatives such as Mandela Day, school support, and old-age home visits. All programs are free to graduates, and SAGDA pays monthly stipends to participants during placements while host organizations provide workplace supervision.

SAGDA's underlying technology is minimal: the organization explicitly does not rely on significant proprietary technology, operating instead through a standard website with a graduate-registration form, blog, events calendar, and donation page, supplemented by social media and email for outreach. Its go-to-market is sales-led and partnership-driven rather than self-serve digital: SAGDA recruits graduates through institutional channels (universities, TVET colleges, SETAs, municipalities) and matches them to host organizations (including named counterparts such as Alstom, CSIR, Mkhize Attorneys, City of Mbombela, Msunduzi Municipality, Shongwe Hospital, Enhlanzeni TVET College, and University of Venda).

The revenue model is non-commercial. SAGDA accepts monetary and in-kind donations from individuals and organizations, coordinates a volunteer corps, and operates through corporate and institutional partnerships (private companies, NGOs, CBOs, SETAs, municipalities) that likely contribute funding, stipends, and in-kind resources. The organization is governed by a board led by Chairperson Brian Koopedi with Treasurer Lucy More-Ndlovu and Secretary Vukile Nkabinde, and is managed by CEO Ronnie Midaka, COO Sarah Langa, and a small operations team. No funding rounds, acquisitions, M&A, or geographic expansion beyond South Africa are disclosed.

Name

SAGDA

Legal name

South African Graduates Development Association

Website

https://sagda.org.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SAGDA (South African Graduates Development Association) is a Johannesburg-based non-profit, founded in 1997, that places unemployed South African graduates into 12-24 month internships and 6-18 month Work Integrated Learning programs with companies, NGOs, and government hosts, and runs alumni and community-service programs funded by donations and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Employment and Graduate Development Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Unpaid/Volunteer-Linked Work Placement Programs (EDAIAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Campus / Early Careers RPO (BPACABAJ)

Keywords

• Graduate development programs
• Internship placement services
• Work integrated learning
• Youth employment programs
• Graduate skills development

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: SAGDA accepts monetary donations from individuals and organizations to support its graduate empowerment programs. The organization also receives in-kind donations such as formal clothing, books, and other goods.
2. Corporate and Institutional Partnerships: SAGDA collaborates with private companies, NGOs, CBOs, and government entities (SETAs, municipalities) to deliver programs. These partnerships likely involve funding or resource contributions to support internship stipends, work readiness training, and program operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SAGDA is a South African Non-Profit Company established in 1997 that facilitates graduate development through structured internship and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements of 12-24 months, connecting unemployed graduates with employer partners across the private, NGO, CBO, and SMME sectors. It also runs alumni engagement and community service programmes to support sustained graduate employability.

Product overview

SAGDA (South African Graduates Development Association) is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of graduate empowerment programs focused on bridging the gap between academic education and employment. The portfolio includes: the Internship Program placing graduates in host organizations for 12-24 months; the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program for TVET and university students combining academic learning with practical work experience for 6-18 months; the Alumni Program providing ongoing networking, career services, and mentorship; the Community Service Program enabling graduates to serve communities while gaining experience; and Graduate Registration providing free access to these opportunities. SAGDA was established in 1997 and collaborates with universities, TVET colleges, SETAs, municipalities, NGOs, CBOs, and private companies to deliver these programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Internship Programme
• Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Programme
• Alumni Programme
• Community Service Programme
• Graduate Registration Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of graduates transitioned from learning to earning through partnerships with public and private sectors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Long-standing partnerships with universities for graduate recruitment and program delivery. Universities refer graduates to SAGDA programs and collaborate on workforce development initiatives.
• TVET CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Technical and Vocational Education and Training colleges for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program. SAGDA recruits students and places them within companies for practical workplace experience as an academic requirement.
• SETAs (Skills Education Training Authorities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Sector Education and Training Authorities for skills development programs and funding support for graduate training initiatives.
• MunicipalitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with municipal governments including City of Mbombela Municipality and Msunduzi Municipality for graduate placements and community development programs.
• NGOs and CBOsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with non-governmental and community-based organizations for graduate placement opportunities and community service programs.
• Private CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with private sector companies including Alstom, InvesTong Group, and others to host graduates for internships and work-integrated learning. Companies provide workplace experience and supervision.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Generation: Global non-profit that trains and places unemployed youth into careers through employer-aligned programs. Comparable to SAGDA in mission (employment placement for non-traditional talent), program structure (training plus placement plus employer), and target candidate profile, though operating across multiple countries and at much larger scale.
• Maharishi Institute: South African non-profit providing education, work readiness, and employment support to disadvantaged youth. Comparable to SAGDA in combining education, work readiness training, and employer placement within a non-profit model serving similar South African youth populations.
• Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator: South African non-profit that places unemployed youth into first-time jobs through employer partnerships and demand-led training. Directly comparable to SAGDA in mission (youth employment), target population (unemployed South Africans), and partner model (corporate and government hosts), though at significantly larger scale and with a tech-enabled matching platform.
• Salesian Life Choices: South African non-profit delivering skills training and youth development programs for disadvantaged young people. Comparable to SAGDA in target segment (unemployed South African youth), training-plus-placement model, and non-profit funding structure, with a stronger vocational rather than graduate focus.
• Youth Employment Service (YES): South African business-led initiative that creates 12-month quality work experiences for unemployed youth, placing them with corporate hosts. Directly comparable to SAGDA's 12-24 month internship model, with a similar stipend and host-organization framework and a partially overlapping employer universe.
• Afrika Tikkun: South African non-profit focused on youth development, education, and employment readiness. Comparable to SAGDA in non-profit model, target population (South African youth/graduates), and emphasis on bridging education-to-employment, with an overlapping donor and partner ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• AIESEC: Global non-profit operating large-scale international internship and leadership programs for students and recent graduates. Comparable to SAGDA in placing graduates into work experiences with host organizations, but with a stronger international-exchange focus and a youth-led member structure.
• Adcorp Holdings: Major South African staffing and employment services group providing placement, recruitment, and workforce solutions. Comparable to SAGDA in employer-facing placement activity in the South African market, but operates as a commercial staffing firm rather than a non-profit stipend program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sagda_gr
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAGDA-South-African-Graduates-Development-Association_Official-105514041052133

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAGDA