Sasol Agricultural Trust Bursary: Requirements & How to Apply

The Sasol Agricultural Trust Bursary funds students who will become scientists and professionals for South Africa's agricultural industry. The trust was set up with funding from Sasol, and it focuses in particular on the sustainability of grain production. It runs its own bursary scheme, which its administrators manage from Pretoria.

The trust's published policy explains how the bursary works, but we could not find a current call or closing date when we checked in November 2026. University notices about the bursary have given 30 September, and older ones 31 January, as the yearly closing date, so contact the administrators before you plan.

The trust's policy says that the bursary covers tuition fees, books, living costs and any other material that the student needs to complete the studies. It does not publish a fixed amount, so ask the administrators for the current value.

Bursars receive mentorship from a person whom the trust approves, and taking part in the mentorship programme is compulsory. The trust recommends that bursars work during holiday breaks at industry organisations, where it directs them and where work is available.

The bursary has a work-back condition. After you qualify, you must work for an industry-related organisation in South Africa, approved by the trust, for as long as the bursary ran. If you do not, you must repay the money with interest at the prime overdraft rate, less a portion that matches the time you did work. Failing a semester or year can lead to the bursary being cancelled and repaid.

The bursary applies at tertiary institutions that the trust recognises. Universities with agriculture faculties, such as Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State, have circulated the bursary to their students. Rhodes University has also shared the trust's policy.