Bayeza: Turning interns into future leaders

As an Eastern Cape agency with a national client base, Boomtown found it challenging to find the talent it needed. As a solution it created an intern programme, Bayeza. In its fifth year, the agency is looking to hire its next intake of graduates to become part of the team and become moulded into outstanding, employable resources.

Bayeza started in 2012 with one graphic design intern in 2012, Pola Maneli. A talented individual who won two Gold Loeries went on to work for one of the best advertising agencies in South Africa. Over time, the programme has grown and grown, with Boomtown now able to offer five Bayeza spots, and is looking for new young talent to enrol in various disciplines, including graphic design, copywriting, client service, HR, digital, production and strategy.

How Bayeza works

Rather than running an internship program where individuals are seen as junior staff, Boomtown runs a specific year-long programme with each intern having month-by-month modules specific to their area of expertise and study. “In this way, we fast-track the interns, and they learn more in one year than most junior employees learn in two," adds Boomtown MD, Andrew MacKenzie.

This specific training also makes the interns highly sought-after from an employment perspective and Boomtown is tremendously proud that to date it has achieved a 100% success rate in employment once the interns graduate from Bayeza. “We have employed the majority of these individuals as part of our growth strategy, and others have gone on to be part of reputable companies across South Africa,” says MacKenzie. “The programme is also differentiated in that it is not a 'free from pay' internship. Each is salaried over and above the dedicated and specific training they receive.”

The Bayeza programme not only answers to the needs of our business and a concerted effort to build on our employment equity but also responds to the drive around skills development and more importantly, is changing the lives of the individuals who complete the programme immeasurably.

Seeking the next generation

Boomtown is looking for its next team of creative graduates to join the agency from January 2018. Applications are open to candidates in marketing, graphic design, copywriting, brand strategy, digital, production and social media. Candidates can email their CVs through to az.oc.nwotmoob@sreerac until 15 November 2017.