AfriSam (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd

About AfriSam

AfriSam (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd is one of the country's leading suppliers of construction materials. Its products include cement, readymix concrete and aggregates. The company traces its history to 1934 and the early days of South African cement making. It runs quarries, plants and depots in South Africa and in neighbouring countries such as Lesotho and Eswatini.

The name joins "Afri", for Africa, with "Sam", taken from words for cement in several South African languages. Builders, contractors and engineers buy AfriSam products for roads, bridges, housing and large infrastructure projects. The company also publishes technical guides and offers technical support to its customers.

How AfriSam supports students

AfriSam does not run one large national bursary intake every year. Instead, it advertises a small number of bursaries linked to particular operations or skills needs. These are usually in engineering fields that keep plants and quarries working, especially mechanical and electrical engineering.

A recent call, for example, offered an undergraduate engineering bursary for mechanical and electrical students. Candidates needed a strong academic record, with an average of around 65%, as well as good conduct and a financial need. The bursary came with industry exposure at one of the company's operations, the Zeekoewater Quarry in Mpumalanga.

What to know before applying

Since each bursary is tied to a site and a role, the details change from one opening to the next. The number of awards, the discipline, the location and the application route are not fixed. Some years there may be no open call at all.

As a result, you should not rely on older adverts. Check the careers section of the AfriSam website regularly, and read each advert closely before you apply. Prepare certified copies of your ID and academic results in advance, because deadlines can be short.

Finally, remember that industry exposure can open doors. Bursary holders who spend time at an operation learn how a working quarry or plant runs, which is valuable experience for a young engineer in the construction materials sector.

AfriSam also cares about how its products are used. It promotes lower-carbon building options and runs a product excellence centre that checks quality. For an engineering student, that means a bursary can lead into real problem-solving, from keeping crushing and milling equipment running to improving how a plant uses electricity. If you hold a strong record in mechanical or electrical engineering, keep an eye on the company's careers page, and consider following its official social media channels for notices of new openings. Lastly, never pay anyone for a bursary place, and treat any request for money as a warning sign.