Creative Intern (Art Director or Copy Writer)

IMA is a creative agency that builds brands people want to be part of. We are looking for a passionate, driven

Creative Intern to join our dynamic studio team. If you are a budding creative who wants to work within a fast-paced environment to build innovative solutions for a diverse and exciting full range of clients, this is the perfect place to kickstart your career.

What You’ll Get From Us

• Career Growth: A chance to develop your career within an award-winning, people-first creative agency.
• Recognition: A values-led culture where your contribution is recognised and supported.
• Autonomy & Support: Ownership and variety from day one, with the support of a collaborative team.
• Real Impact: The opportunity to lead projects across live campaigns, retail activations and brand experiences.
• Our Culture: A people-first environment where we challenge, grow, and deliver together.

The Role

As a Creative Intern, you will be fully embedded within our fast-paced creative department. This isn’t an internship spent making coffee; it is a hands-on, immersive opportunity designed to bridge the gap between creative theory and agency reality.

In this role, you will get a 360-degree view of how an agency operates. You will experience the full lifecycle of a project—from the initial spark of a client brief, through internal brainstorming sessions and technical development, all the way to presenting refined concepts back to the team. It’s a space where you are encouraged to ask questions, challenge conventional thinking, and treat every project as a chance to master new tools and elevate your technical craft.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborating: Working alongside the wider studio team to deliver exceptionally high-quality creative work.
• Decoding Briefs: Partnering with the client services team to interpret and develop client briefs.
• Pitching & Presenting: Articulating and presenting your creative concepts to the Studio Team and Client Services in a thoughtful and articulate manner.
• Growing: Continually pushing yourself to develop your technical skills appropriate to the role.
• Representing: Acting in the best interest of IMA Agency and Smollan Group of Companies at all times.

What We Are Looking For

The Essentials (Must-Haves)

• The Fundamentals: A portfolio showcasing your best work, A rock-solid grounding in design principles and a strong industry awareness.
• Tech-Savvy: Adept at using Adobe Creative Suite & Microsoft
• Communication: Excellent face to face and telephone communicator , with the ability to articulate concepts and ideas to the wider team and other departments.
• Workflow: Highly organized with the ability to self manage daily workloads.
• Attitude: A reliable team player who is self driven with a positive outlook , and is keen for new experience and responsibility.
• Logistics: The legal right to work in SA, with the flexibility to work extended hours or off site on occasions when required.

The Desirables (Nice-to-Haves)

• Some industry placement experience or a track record of self-initiated research.
• Experience of delivering and winning client pitches.

Our Values

• Curiosity: We explore it.
• Courage: We challenge it.
• Commitment: We run with it.

These principles shape how we work - with each other, with clients, and with the world.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. If this role sounds like a good fit, we’d love to hear from you.

Informed by human behaviour. Fuelled by creativity. Connected by data, media and digital. We are IMA.