Beefmaster Group

About Beefmaster Group

Beefmaster Group is one of the largest privately owned, family-run beef producers in South Africa. Its head office is in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, and it runs a large feedlot near Christiana in the North West. The business started in the 1960s as a small feedlot with only eleven cattle. Today it manages the full beef value chain, from rearing cattle to delivering meat products to customers in South Africa, the Middle East and the Far East.

The group also works with farmers. It offers training, mentorship and offtake agreements to established and emerging cattle producers, helping them improve the quality and sustainability of their herds. This hands-on approach shapes how the company thinks about education funding.

How Beefmaster supports students

The Beefmaster Group Bursary is part of the company's human capital development strategy. Its aim is to grow skilled professionals for the agricultural sector. Rather than funding many fields, the bursary focuses on students entering their final undergraduate year in selected agriculture degrees.

The recent round named three qualifications: BSc Agriculture majoring in Agricultural Economics, BSc Agriculture majoring in Animal Science, and BAgric majoring in Animal Production. Funding covers tuition, accommodation and books. Beefmaster awards only a small number of bursaries. For the 2027 academic year, it offered two.

The programme has a track record. Beefmaster reports that it has funded more than 20 students since it began. Recipients have moved into careers in the beef industry and the wider agricultural sector. One former bursar now works as a section manager at the Christiana feedlot. The company says it wants to ease financial barriers and give students a springboard into their careers.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens with an outstanding academic record. They must be heading into their final year at a recognised tertiary institution, in one of the approved agriculture programmes. Because so few awards are made, competition is strong.

A degree in these fields can lead to many roles. Animal science graduates may become feedlot managers, nutritionists or herd health coordinators. Agricultural economists often work in marketing, supply chains, finance and farm planning. In a business that handles cattle from the farm gate to the export market, both skill sets are useful. When you apply, show how your studies and your interest in livestock fit together.

Applications usually open in the middle of the year. The most recent round closed on 31 August 2026. Details such as the fields, the number of awards and any work-back or employment expectations can change between rounds. For that reason, read the current advert on the Beefmaster website carefully before you submit your documents.