Alaris Antennas

About Alaris Antennas

Alaris Antennas is a specialist radio-frequency antenna engineering company in Centurion, Gauteng. Its history goes back to 1990. The business was first known as Poynting Defence and Specialised Antennas, and it took the Alaris Antennas name in 2015. It is the founding entity of the Alaris Group, a global RF technology group.

The company designs and builds direction-finding antennas and has long supplied advanced electronic warfare antennas. Its group serves defence, aviation, marine, wireless, industrial, healthcare and research markets. This is highly technical work, and it depends on a steady supply of well-trained engineers. Many of those engineers spend their careers on projects that few other South African firms attempt.

How Alaris Antennas supports students

Alaris Antennas has run a bursary programme since 2015. The goal is to attract engineering talent from leading South African universities and keep it in the company's microwave and RF antenna teams. The programme has supported students in electronic, mechanical, mechatronic, computer and software engineering, with a focus on microwave and RF antenna technology.

There are two levels of support. Undergraduate funding has been offered to students entering their third or fourth year. Postgraduate funding is also available for students doing research. In both cases, the bursary gives a young engineer a chance to work on real antenna problems and learn from experienced colleagues.

Recent calls also expected bursary holders to do vacation work at the company's Johannesburg offices, with accommodation and flights covered. This gives students hands-on experience before they graduate. Whether a work-back period applies has not been confirmed, so read the contract carefully if you receive an offer.

What to know before applying

Requirements are strict. In a recent call, undergraduate applicants needed an academic average of at least 75%, and broad-based black economic empowerment criteria were considered. Postgraduate applicants needed an average of at least 70% and a letter of support from their supervisor that names their research topic. No empowerment criteria applied to the postgraduate award.

Expect to submit a motivational letter, an academic CV and certified academic transcripts. Postgraduate candidates must add the supervisor's letter. For example, a clear letter that links your research to RF or antenna work will strengthen your case.

Alaris Antennas is a private company, so its bursary is a recruitment tool as well as a funding programme. Funding values, deadlines and eligible years can change from cycle to cycle. Check the careers section of the official Alaris website for the current call, and treat any request for a fee as a warning sign. If you have questions about fit, speak to your lecturer or your university's bursary office, since they often know which engineering departments the company works with.