Beit Trust

About the Beit Trust

The Beit Trust dates back to 1906 and began under the will of Alfred Beit. He was a German-born financier who made his fortune on the Kimberley diamond fields and the Witwatersrand goldfields. He also worked closely with Cecil Rhodes on plans for a Cape-to-Cairo railway. His will first set up a railway fund for regional transport. It also allowed surplus income to go to education and other charitable causes.

In 1946 the trustees moved the focus away from railways. Education, health, welfare and conservation became the main aims. In 1954 a British Act of Parliament turned the Trust into an incorporated body. Malawi, then called Nyasaland, joined Zambia and Zimbabwe as a beneficiary country. Today the head office is in Woking, England, with a regional representative in Harare, Zimbabwe.

How the Beit Trust supports students

The Trust's best-known education programme is its set of postgraduate scholarships. They are for nationals of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi who live in one of those countries. Recipients study at partner universities in the United Kingdom or South Africa. The focus is mainly on master's degrees in developmental fields such as health, education, economic growth, agriculture and conservation.

The scholarship pays fees directly to the university. It also includes a personal allowance for living costs, extra allowances for arrival and departure, a laptop, and economy flights for the journey out and the final return. Preference goes to applicants with a distinction or an upper second-class degree. However, candidates with a lower second-class degree are not excluded, although competition is strong.

Beyond scholarships, the Trust funds grants for hospitals, schools, welfare projects and wildlife conservation in the region. These grants often support rural, mission-based or independent institutions.

What to know before applying

Nationality matters here. South African citizens cannot apply for this funding, even though South African universities are among the study destinations. By law, the Trust supports only people who are nationals and permanent residents of Zambia, Zimbabwe or Malawi, and who plan to return home after their studies. It also cannot consider anyone who has already started the course.

South African readers who cannot apply can still learn from how regional funders work. If you are a South African citizen, look instead at NSFAS, provincial bursaries, employer funding and university-based awards. Those routes are open to local students and often cover similar costs.

Recent intakes have closed in February, so start early and check the official site for the current date. The scholarship is an education grant, not an employer-linked award. Published information does not describe a work-back or bonded-service duty, but the return-home intention is part of the eligibility test. Read the guidance on the Trust's website carefully before you submit.