Leading employers show strong investment in bursary and scholarship programmes

Results from independent research of leading employers in South Africa show significant investment in bursary and scholarship programmes for university undergraduates and postgraduates despite a challenging economic climate. The SAGEA Bursary and Scholarships Insights 2024 is based on responses from 42 of the leading employers in the country. While some economic uncertainty is being felt, employers continue to focus on a long-term strategy for graduate hires which aims to benefit both the organisation, and the country as a whole.

The research showed that these 42 organisations fund over 5,000 bursaries and scholarships, which equates to an investment of more than R600m in bursar and scholarship funding.
For the purposes of this research, the difference between a bursary and a scholarship is:
A bursary will generally entail providing funding (part or full) for a student, to assist them financially towards the completion of their studies. Usually a bursary contract will have a pay-back clause of some sort to work for the sponsor – generally on a year-for-year basis.

A scholarship is usually an award made to a student who has excelled either academically, culturally or in sport. A scholarship usually entails full funding, but in some cases partial funding, and will generally not be linked to a work commitment to the sponsor. Scholarships are also funded by organisations as part of their B-BBEE and skills development initiatives.

Students are very concerned with looking after their mental-health and well-being. As a result, many of these employers offer additional support to their bursars to create strong social and work networks via mentors, buddies and dedicated liaisons within the organisation.

Highlights from The SAGEA Bursary and Scholarships Insights 2024 include:

• The vast majority of employers have a bursary programme in place to build their talent pipeline, while two-fifths are focused on philanthropy.
• Nearly half offer funding to those with household incomes of less than R350,000 per annum.
• Between the employers featured, more than 5,000 students are funded for bursaries or scholarships.
• Most areas of support have seen an increased investment from employers.
• A key are of concern for employers is the levels of financial literacy students have when they enter the world of work.

Executive Director for SAGEA, Cathy Sims commented:

“It is wonderful to see so many of the employers confirming a commitment to bursaries and scholarships. It is clear that the leading employers continue to recognise the value of investing in students, which will benefit not only their own organisation, but the country as a whole.
There continues to be a shortage of higher order skills to feed the knowledge economy of the future. By investing in bursaries and scholarships, employers are able to help grow these capabilities, and offer support to students with high potential who may not have had the opportunity to attend university”

Notes for Editors

1. The SAGEA Bursary and Scholarships Insights 2024 was carried out on behalf of The South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) by the specialist graduate research company, High Fliers Research Ltd. Research was online, and took place from August to September 2024.
2. The South African Graduate Employers Association (SAGEA) is a professional association that is the hub of graduate employment in South Africa. Through exclusive insights projects, ingenuity and connection to international organisations, SAGEA provides members with access to the latest graduate employment insights, trends, global best practice and resources to help them attract and retain the best talent for their businesses.
3. The employers who participated in the research include