Actuarial Graduate & Vacation Programmes in South Africa

A curated roadmap of key graduate programmes, vacation work, and exploration opportunities for actuarial students in South Africa for the 2026 to 2027 intake.

1

Nedbank Quant Graduate Programme

A two-year rotational programme for actuarial and quantitative students across analytics, risk, and quant roles.

Requirements: Currently registered for a post-graduate qualification in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Financial Maths, Engineering or related quantitative fields.

Recruitment Timeline: Opens May–June 2026 for 2027 intake.

Apply / More Info

2

Nedbank Quants Exploration Programme

Insight programme introducing final-year actuarial students to Nedbank’s quant roles, culture, and values.

Requirements: Final-year undergraduate or post-graduate student in Actuarial Science or related quantitative degree.

Recruitment Timeline: Opens August 2026.

Apply / More Info

3

PwC ARQ Vacation Work Programme

Opportunity for final-year actuarial students to gain consulting experience, attend workshops, and complete a guided research project.

Requirements: Final-year actuarial students.

Recruitment Timeline: Info released June 2026; deadlines typically October.

Apply / More Info

4

PwC ARQ Graduate Programme

Three-year programme offering rotations across actuarial and quantitative finance fields.

Requirements: Honours or final-year actuarial students.

Recruitment Timeline: Applications open April 2026.

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5

Deloitte AIS Graduate Programme

Structured actuarial consulting programme focusing on insurance solutions and analytics.

Requirements: BSc/BBSc in Actuarial Science or Financial Maths (postgrad preferred), minimum 5 ASSA exemptions.

Recruitment Timeline: March–April 2026; deadlines in May.

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6

EY Actuarial & Quants Graduate Programme

Graduate programme leveraging advanced quantitative techniques in financial services, risk, and valuation.

Requirements: Honours or higher in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, or relevant quantitative degree.

Recruitment Timeline: Applications open March–May each year.

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7

KPMG Actuarial Graduate Programme

Three-year pathway to becoming a qualified actuary, with strong study support and exposure to Life, General Insurance, and Pensions.

Requirements: BSc, B.Bus.Sci or BCom in Actuarial Science or related quantitative degree.

Recruitment Timeline: Opens May 2026 for 2027 intake.

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8

FirstRand Quant & Data Analytics Graduate Programme

Two-year development programme giving exposure to multiple business areas for final-year, Honours, or Masters students.

Requirements: Actuarial Science, Mathematical Stats, Financial Risk, Engineering, or related quantitative degree.

Recruitment Timeline: Applications open February–March 2026 for 2027 intake.

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9

Actuaries in the Making (AIM) – Virtual Vacation Work

Virtual programme introducing final-year actuarial students to real industry tasks and professional practice.

Recruitment Timeline: Applications open September–October for the January intake.

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Top Actuarial Employers in South Africa

A directory of leading companies in South Africa that hire actuarial graduates, analysts, trainees, and qualified actuaries across insurance, banking, consulting and financial services.

1

PwC South Africa

Global professional services firm with a dedicated Actuarial, Risk & Quants (ARQ) team offering consulting, graduate programmes and vacation work.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

2

Deloitte South Africa

Professional services firm with a strong Actuarial & Insurance Solutions (AIS) division focused on insurance consulting, modelling and analytics.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

3

KPMG South Africa

Major consultancy with actuarial roles across Life, General Insurance, Pensions and financial risk management.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

4

EY South Africa

Actuarial, quantitative and risk consulting roles within financial services and advanced analytics teams.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

5

Discovery

Insurance and financial services group with strong actuarial, pricing and analytics teams across health, life and investments.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

6

Momentum

Leading insurer offering actuarial careers in life insurance, risk modelling, pricing and product development.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

7

MiWay

Direct insurer with actuarial and analytics teams specialising in pricing, reserving and portfolio management.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

8

Naked Insurance

Digital insurer using modern actuarial models, automation and advanced analytics for innovative pricing and risk management.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

9

Sanlam

Major financial services group with actuarial teams across life insurance, investments, pensions and enterprise risk.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

10

Absa Group

Multinational banking group employing actuaries within insurance, risk management and capital modelling teams.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

11

Nedbank Group

Leading bank with actuarial and quantitative teams across credit risk, pricing, analytics and modelling.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities

12

Standard Bank Group

Large financial institution with actuarial functions in insurance, risk analytics, capital modelling and data science.

Careers / Actuarial Opportunities