This paper aims to present the perceptions of interns who have been participating in a postgraduate government internship programme of the Department of Agriculture in Mpumalanga province. Internships have become a prevalent phenomenon among graduates of institutions of higher learning. Internships are the knowledge centre and network platform that offers practical experience to graduates or interns. Moreover, internships are pivotal in improving interns' employability and employment. The problem tackled in the study is that graduates are not appointed due to a lack of practical experience. This study analysed the internship-graduate programme of 73 interns out of 104 from three districts (Ehlanzeni, Gert Sibande and Nkangala). Self-administered questionnaires were posted to the interns (due to COVID-19) who were still in the internship programme. The findings are that out of 35 statements given, 19 were negative, and 16 were positive about internships. The study concluded that the internships were related to the government agricultural internship programme (graduates' programme). The paper recommended improvement in the activities of four stakeholders that play a part in the internship programme, namely the project manager, the human resource office, the extension officers and the farmers. © 2025, South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE). All rights reserved.
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