Early-career professionals and recent graduates interested in consulting, economic development, public policy and social impact can apply for the Global Young Professionals Programme 2027 at Genesis.
The programme offers an opportunity to join an Africa-founded impact consultancy and work on complex projects involving public, private and donor-sector clients.
The hybrid, full-time opportunity is based primarily in Johannesburg or Cape Town, South Africa, or Nairobi, Kenya, with exceptions potentially considered for outstanding candidates in other locations. Applicants must have the legal right to work in the location for which they apply.
Genesis is an impact consultancy founded and headquartered in Africa. The organisation has worked across 52 African countries and more than 100 countries globally, with a focus on countries with young populations across Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.
Global Young Professionals Programme 2027 Overview
The annual graduate intake is designed for talented young professionals who want to develop consulting skills while contributing to real-world development challenges.
| Opportunity | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Global Young Professionals Programme 2027 |
| Organisation | Genesis |
| Field | Consulting, Impact Consulting |
| Work arrangement | Hybrid |
| Employment | Full-time |
| Main locations | Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi |
| Eligible applicants | Students, recent postgraduates and early-career professionals |
| Deadline | 10 November 2026, 16:00 SAST |
| Start | 2027 |
| Application | Online career portal |
The international recruitment round focuses particularly on students, recent postgraduates and early-career professionals studying at leading universities in the United Kingdom, Kenya and across Africa, although the programme is not limited to these groups.
What Genesis Offers Young Professionals
Genesis presents its Young Professionals programme as an alternative to traditional global management consulting. Young professionals can work directly on high-impact assignments while gaining exposure to senior leaders, clients and decision-makers.
The programme offers several professional development opportunities.
Meaningful impact from day one: Young Professionals can contribute to high-stakes projects involving public-sector institutions, private-sector organisations and development donors. Some assignments may involve work outside a candidate’s home country.
Professional development: Genesis provides structured learning and development programmes, including its proprietary G+ problem-solving methodology, as well as formal mentorship and opportunities to learn through practical project work.
AI-augmented consulting: Participants are expected to work with modern AI tools to support research, analysis and workflows. The programme places emphasis on using technology to reduce manual work and allow consultants to focus more heavily on synthesis and problem-solving.
Collaborative culture: Young Professionals join teams that emphasise transparency, teamwork, intellectual discussion and mutual support.
Who Can Apply?
Genesis is seeking young professionals who demonstrate strong intellectual ability, digital fluency, technical skills and the personal qualities required for consulting work.
Applicants should be passionate, self-motivated, resilient and energetic problem-solvers who demonstrate integrity and ethical behaviour. Strong analytical abilities, fast learning and an excellent tertiary academic record are also highlighted among the desired qualities.
The programme identifies several core aptitudes.
- Positive scepticism: Applicants should be able to question, interrogate and contextualise data and AI-generated information rather than accepting outputs without analysis.
- Intellectual curiosity: Candidates should be comfortable tackling ambiguous problems and developing creative, big-picture solutions.
- Collaboration: Applicants should be able to work effectively with colleagues, senior leaders and clients while communicating proactively.
- Adaptability: Candidates should be comfortable managing changing priorities and working across different project streams.
- Implementation mindset: Young Professionals should be able to combine academic rigour with practical considerations such as time and budget constraints.
Academic and Technical Requirements
A postgraduate qualification is strongly preferred in areas such as Economics, Applied Economics, Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), Public Policy, International Development, Development Studies, Business Science, Accounting, Health Economics or related quantitative and social science disciplines.
Strong quantitative or qualitative analytical abilities are important. Familiarity with analytical tools such as Stata, R, Python or Excel is advantageous.
Genesis also values digital and AI fluency. Candidates should demonstrate an interest in using contemporary AI tools, including platforms such as Gemini and Claude, to improve research and professional workflows.
Strong English communication, writing and storytelling skills are expected. Business proficiency in French or Portuguese is highly desirable, particularly because of the organisation’s regional expansion.
Work Locations and Eligibility
Most Young Professionals are expected to work from Genesis hubs in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Nairobi, reflecting the organisation’s preference for in-person collaboration during the early stages of professional development.
Exceptions may be considered for outstanding applicants based elsewhere on a case-by-case basis. However, candidates must have the legal right to work in the location for which they apply.
Applicants interested in more than one position must submit a separate application for each role, as applications are considered specifically for the position selected.
Recruitment Process
The recruitment process will involve several stages. After submitting an application, candidates will receive a system-generated confirmation.
Longlisted applicants will proceed to a pre-screening form and short pre-assessments. Shortlisted candidates are expected to be notified by 19 November 2026 and will attend a practice-area briefing on 20 November.
First-round interviews are scheduled from 23 November to 4 December 2026, generally online. Feedback is expected between 7 and 11 December.
The final stage, including case studies and second-round interviews, begins on 11 January 2027. Second-round interviews may include a face-to-face session at a Genesis office where practical, together with a case study based on a Genesis consulting scenario.
AI Disclosure Requirement
Applicants should pay particular attention to Genesis’ AI-use requirement. Candidates must declare whether they used AI tools while preparing their applications.
The organisation requires applicants to include a dedicated paragraph in their cover letter explaining if and how tools such as ChatGPT or Claude were used to prepare their CV and application materials.
How to Apply
Eligible students, recent graduates and early-career professionals interested in consulting and development can submit their applications through the Genesis career portal.
Applicants should ensure that their application demonstrates their academic background, analytical abilities, communication skills, problem-solving approach and motivation for impact consulting. Candidates applying for multiple positions must submit a separate application for each role.
Application deadline: 10 November 2026 at 16:00 SAST
The recruitment process continues through late 2026 and into 2027, with final appointments expected during 2027 according to availability.
The Global Young Professionals Programme provides an opportunity for emerging professionals to gain consulting experience while working on development-focused projects across Africa and other markets in the wider Young World. Candidates who meet the academic, technical and work-authorisation requirements can consider applying before the stated deadline.
