Location: KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town & Gauteng
Duration: 12 Months (Workplace Experience for Graduation)
Category: Logistics / Public Finance / Supply Chain
Eligibility: Final-year students requiring practical hours to graduate.
Company Profile: Freddy Hirsch Group
Founded in 1956, Freddy Hirsch is a titan in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sector. They provide the ingredients and technology that power the meat and poultry industries across Africa. Working here means learning how high-demand inventory (like spices and specialized machinery) is managed, financed, and distributed in a highly regulated, food-safe environment.
The Opportunity: Graduation-Focused Internships
This program is specifically built to meet your academic requirements. You will be assigned a mentor to ensure your workplace tasks align with your diploma’s learning outcomes.
Available Streams
- Public Finance Management & Administration: Focus on the financial governance, budgeting, and administrative compliance within a large corporate structure.
- Logistics & Supply Chain Management: Hands-on exposure to warehouse operations, inventory control, and “Last Mile” distribution of food ingredients.
Minimum Requirements
- Academic Status: Currently in your final year of a National Diploma.
- WIL Requirement: You must have a formal letter from your institution stating you require 12 months of workplace experience to graduate.
- Skills: Strong MS Office skills (Excel is non-negotiable for logistics and finance), high-level organization, and a willingness to work in a fast-paced environment.
FMCG Technical Preparation
In the spice and food industry, logistics and finance work differently because products have expiry dates and health standards.
1. Logistics & Supply Chain: Cold Chain & Dry Goods
- Core Concept: Batch Tracking. In food logistics, you must be able to track every spice back to its original batch for safety reasons.
- Interview Tip: Mention your understanding of Inventory Accuracy. If the system says there are 100kg of Black Pepper, but there is only 80kg, production stops.
2. Public Finance & Admin: The Audit Trail
- Core Concept: Compliance. Even in a private company, the principles of Public Finance (transparency and accountability) are vital for internal audits.
- Interview Tip: Be ready to discuss how you maintain a paper trail. In an FMCG environment, every invoice and purchase order must be perfectly filed for the end-of-year audit.
Career Advice: Making the Most of Your WIL Year
1. Treat Your Logbook Like a Contract
Since you need this to graduate, your institution will provide a logbook. Don’t wait until the end of the month to fill it in. Ask your supervisor at Freddy Hirsch to review your progress weekly to ensure you are hitting every required competency.
2. Learn the “Spice” Language
FMCG is all about high-volume and high-speed. Learn the acronyms used in the warehouse or finance office quickly (e.g., SKU, PO, FIFO, Lead Time).
3. Professionalism in Production
Freddy Hirsch facilities are clean and professional environments. Show up with a “can-do” attitude. In a fast-paced setting, the people who get noticed (and hired permanently later) are those who see a problem (like a messy spreadsheet or a misplaced file) and fix it without being asked.