Babette Taute Trust

About the Babette Taute Trust

The Babette Taute Trust exists because of one person's gift. The late Babette Taute left a major part of her estate to set up a bursary trust for students of English at South African universities. Today, the trust uses that legacy to fund Honours students, and its trustees choose each year's recipients.

The trust has no public website that we could find. Instead, universities share its yearly call with their students. The University of the Western Cape publishes the application details for the 2027 round, and the University of Pretoria has listed earlier rounds on its funding pages. Applications go to two addresses at Sanlam Trust, which handles the correspondence.

This focus makes the trust unusual among South African funders. Most private bursaries in the country chase scarce skills such as engineering or accounting. By contrast, this trust backs the study of language and literature, and it rewards excellence in that field for its own sake.

How the Babette Taute Trust supports students

The trust offers a number of scholarships each year, and each one is worth R50,000 for full-time, one-year Honours study. Any branch of English language and literature qualifies, and this includes applied language studies. The Babette Taute Scholarship page explains the current round.

Merit is the main test, but the trustees read it broadly. A fine academic record comes first. Beyond that, they may also consider leadership in cultural or social areas, the quality of your writing and publications, and excellence as a teacher of English or as a translator.

What to know before applying

Pay close attention to the cap on combined funding. You may accept other awards, but your total from all awards cannot exceed R120,000. If it does, the trust may reduce its own award, so tell the trustees about any new funding at once.

The application also has more moving parts than most. You need a short CV, a transcript, a piece of creative or original writing, and two academic referees. Your references must arrive by the deadline as well, and they stay confidential, so ask your referees early and request an email to confirm that they have submitted.

Finally, use the exact email subject line that the form gives. The form warns that applications will not be processed without it.

If you win an award, the money reaches you through your university. So give the trust your correct university details, and tell it if your plans change.