A nonprofit organisation has started a national career expo aimed at helping learners across SA with career guidance.

Further Tertiary Education and Training director Jenna Jones said the initiative has been sponsored by SABC in partnership with local high schools and colleges in the country.

"The SABC High School Career Expo is South Africa's first national public exhibition that is designed to provide both primary and high school children with necessary tools to succeed at school or in their tertiary education and beyond," said Jones.

"We started in 2014 but the expo was only done in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. This year, it's going national for the first time."

The 2019 SABC High School Career Expo started at Savannah Mall in Polokwane and the second leg is set to take place on Friday and Saturday in Menlyn, Pretoria.

Jones said the expo was meant to also accommodate public and township schools to give them career guidance and opportunity to less privileged learners to benefit from the initiative.

"We have organised buses to transport thousands of learners and parents to the expo across the country," said Jones.

"All primary and middle school students and their parents can learn more about public and private high schools, including special programmes, extracurricular activities and admissions criteria," Jones said.

She said tertiary institutions students can come and exhibit to provide prospective students with tertiary education information.

"We furthermore encourage all parents of high school pupils, especially grades 11 and 12, to provide their children with tertiary education information, including courses to study, loans, transportation, accommodation and assist with detailed course explanation and making the correct choice of study," Jones said.

Jones said entrance was free and that the expo was also for individuals who wanted to change careers or those who wanted to further their studies.

Another expo will be held at the Bay West Mall in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, on August 9 and 10.

The expo will move to Riverside Mall in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on August 30 and 31, and will be held at the Cape Gate in Cape Town, Western Cape, on September 13 and 14.

"We expect people to come out in numbers to take part in this life-changing opportunity and invest in their education or that of their loved ones and children," said Jones.