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Letter one:
It's getting rather tiresome that everything has become an issue about the privileged and the ‘not-so privileged’ internships, but traditionally they have generally paid diddly-squat. And that is the norm all over the world.
Yes it's true, if you have financial support from your folks, yes that makes it easier.
But what about the ‘privileged’ that don't have financial support?
In this country (please excuse me if I generalise) there is a situation of massive race divide. And that can make things seem unfair.
But in the USA and Britain, where I spent four years in each country in my twenties, you have poor ‘privileged’ kids and they have to slog two jobs at a time to get through. Welcome to being an adult. We don't all get shared the same equal hand, but let’s suck it up and get on with it.
I have a story to tell:
I'm 32 and I have spent eight years travelling the world. When I came home I tried to get an apprenticeship at a prestigious furniture company and they would not accept me because I was white. Yes, I said it, white! They would not give me an apprenticeship, because it would send the wrong message to the public.
So you know what I did?
I hassled their HR manager every day for three months. I went to his office and just sat there in the waiting room, waiting.
I finally got my shot and worked there for two years earning R400 a week. I used to drive to work so my full pay check covered my petrol bill.
So I used to start work at 7am and work till 4pm. From there, I had 45mins to tear across Cape Town to get to my restaurant job, which started at 4:45pm. That would go until 12am. Then race home asleep at one and get up at six. I did that three times a week for two years. Yes it sucked, but that's reality today for everyone. - Juan
Letter two:
It is simply a disgrace. You can imagine what the full-time employees earn, we as the consumer should just boycott the magazine. Fact is often stranger than fiction! – Farieda
Letter three:
In the Netherlands where I live part-time, school kids begin with internships (practicals) with local companies who are not obliged to pay at all, though most do when the three months is up. I did an apprenticeship in South Africa in the late '80s to early '90s. My pay was R572/pm.
I made it through by working at Spur for five nights a week to make ends meet. You pay for the experience. 30 years later and I am a project manager with international experience having worked in 17 countries and not ashamed to say that I earn a good living. I am grateful for the experience. Kids just want it all too early these days, including my own kids. I tell them, “You have to prove yourself and earn your dues.” - Trevor
Letter four:
R30 per day even for an intern should be illegal. This doesn't cover food costs for the day let alone transport. This salary is lower than a salary in Cuba. How "glamorous" for Marie Claire to grant this in South Africa in 2016. Shocking! – Mikael
Letter five:
In my day you never got paid for an internship, so I can't see how actually getting any money at all would be an insult. If it insults you then don't apply.
With regards to their response it is most certainly enough to open your doors to people and offer them an education and experience while also giving them money. Interns are not employees and it is a program offering access to younger people that ordinarily would not have access to such a privilege to work with a market leader. You pay to go to varsity why not take this opportunity for free.
Once again if you don't like it, simply don't apply. It’s that simple. – Neil
Letter six:
This is invaluable experience. The payment should be enough to cover travelling costs while they enhance their experience and training further. An intern will offer very little in return to the company and often require more resource to assist and mentor than offering back to the company with their labour.
No one expects a university to pay them to learn and this is better experience than that. – David
Letter seven:
I think its perfect. They need to train the people and it will in fact cost them money before they start to make money. It's a business, not a charity. When you go to study somewhere, should we also get paid then? Each person needs to earn their own salary.
I think they should pay them R0. – Stephan
What do you think of the Marie Claire controversy? Is R30 a day good enough? Let us know.
