BDO Financial Services Advisory Internships Vacancy
BDO
Finance, Accounting & Management (FASSET)
Monthly stipend
Not stated
- Opportunity
- Internship
- Minimum education
- Degree (NQF 7)
- Location
- Johannesburg, Gauteng
- SETA
- FASSET
- Posted
- 01 Sept 2026
Sourced via the Graduates24 portal, last confirmed there by our scraper on 1 September 2026.
The apply link goes directly to bdo.mcidirecthire.com — applications never pass through SetaJobs.
We rewrite adverts for readability; the closing date, requirements and application method come from the source advert — confirm them there before you apply. How we source listings →
Opportunity Overview
BDO invites driven individuals to apply for its Financial Services Advisory Internship programme. This is a 17-month opportunity within BDO’s Financial Services Advisory division, designed to provide extensive exposure to various aspects of the industry.
Interns will gain practical experience across a dynamic advisory environment, working on financial reporting, technology risk, governance, regulatory compliance, and client consulting. This programme is structured to develop well-rounded business and advisory skills for motivated individuals eager to learn and contribute meaningfully to client engagements.
Minimum Requirements
- Education: A Degree in any of the following fields:
- Business Management
- Engineering
- Accounting
- Information Systems
- Informatics
- Finance
- Internal Auditing
- Law / LLB
- Experience: No prior work experience is required, as this is an entry-level internship.
- Advantageous Experience/Skills:
- Vacation work, clerkships, or part-time exposure in consulting, audit, legal, financial services, or regulatory environments.
- Academic projects, case competitions, or research involving financial analysis, compliance, governance, or technology risk.
- Exposure to COBIT, ITIL, ISO 27001-2, and other relevant models.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
- Exposure to data analytics tools.
- Willingness to engage with and learn compliance and governance advisory concepts relevant to financial services clients.
- Being knowledgeable about, or willing to learn, data analysis, IT risk management, IT governance concepts, and best-practice frameworks.
Key Responsibilities
- Performing General Information Technology Controls (GITC) testing and application controls testing.
- Analysing information systems data to assess accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of transaction processing.
- Assisting in the identification and assessment of emerging technology and financial reporting risks facing clients in the Financial Services industry.
- Providing technical support to engagement auditors where computer-assisted audit techniques (CAATs) are required.
- Supporting the preparation of client-facing reports, management presentations, and advisory deliverables.
- Assisting with regulatory compliance assessments, including reviews against applicable South African financial services legislation (FAIS, FICA, FSCA, NCA, POPIA) where relevant to client engagements.
- Contributing to consulting projects spanning risk advisory, business process improvement, and governance reviews.
- Supporting due diligence and data analysis exercises using tools such as IDEA and MS Excel.
- Researching IT risk management, IT governance concepts, and industry best-practice frameworks (COBIT, ITIL, ISO 27001-2).
What the Work Involves
As a Financial Services Advisory Intern at BDO, you will be actively involved in various aspects of client engagements within a dynamic advisory setting. Your day-to-day work will include conducting technical testing for IT controls, meticulously analysing system data to ensure accuracy, and helping to identify new technology and financial reporting risks that clients face.
You will play a supporting role in audits by providing essential technical assistance for computer-assisted audit techniques, and you will contribute to the development of important client-facing reports and presentations. The role also involves assisting with assessments to ensure clients comply with South African financial services legislation, such as FAIS, FICA, and POPIA. Furthermore, you will support consulting projects related to risk advisory, improving business processes, and governance reviews, often utilising data analysis tools like IDEA and MS Excel. You will also conduct research on crucial IT risk management and governance frameworks.
How to Apply
To apply for this internship, please follow these steps:
- Visit the official application portal by clicking this link: https://bdo.mcidirecthire.com/Graduate/External/Application?Ref=TEkBhDYErs0qhHgueWeCgt_yRI-cnPLR1MRk1RR6Cpp9paDo5rFRAcIhP2vGlqKKiHHG6wOtbMG1kK5xUn3Kw9ou1BU57EF35lQqIwGVzX6Mk1OLI3xGwIf9o7joVsFATgQt6vTugdiUkhDzY0o0_A
- Complete the online application form as required.
This listing in context
What the 326 opportunities we currently hold say about this one.
- Live internships
- 61
- In Gauteng
- 25
- Closing within 7 days
- 2
64% of the 61 live internships we hold ask for Degree (NQF 7), so this listing asks for what most of them ask for.
Live internships stay open for a median of 42 days between posting and closing date.
Calculated by SetaJobs from the 326 listings open on this site right now, and updated as they change. Browse all 132 opportunities in Gauteng.
What you'll need to apply
Internships usually ask for your completed qualification up front — that is the thing being checked.
- Your CV
- Certified copy of your ID
- Certified copies of any qualifications
- A short motivation letter
What an internship actually is
An internship is a fixed-term work-experience placement for someone who already holds a qualification. Unlike a learnership, it does not award a new qualification — its purpose is to convert a certificate, diploma or degree into the experience that entry-level adverts keep asking for. In the public service these run for a set term and are generally not renewable.
What the work actually looks like
- You are placed in a specific unit under a named supervisor and given the unit's ordinary work, at a junior level.
- Most of the learning is by assignment rather than instruction: you are handed a real task, given the file, and expected to ask.
- Many programmes require a workplace report or a supervisor evaluation at the end, which is what your certificate of service is based on.
What you leave with
Documented work experience and a certificate of service — the thing that lets you answer "experience required" on the next application. No new qualification is awarded.
Where this leads next
Junior or entry-level post
Completing the internship and applying as an experienced candidate rather than a graduate.
Fixed-term contract post
Often the realistic next step in government, where permanent posts are advertised less frequently.
Permanent appointment
Competing successfully for an advertised post — internships rarely convert automatically.
A typical route, not a guarantee — progression depends on vacancies, funding and your own performance.
Watch out for this
Government internships are usually once-only: having completed one, you may be ineligible for another. Check the advert's exclusion clause before applying if you have interned before.
About FASSET & this sector
FASSET covers finance, accounting and auditing, and its learnerships are a well-known pipeline into professional bodies like SAICA and SAIPA.
