BHP Billiton

About BHP

BHP is one of the largest resources companies in the world. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and it produces iron ore, copper, nickel, potash and metallurgical coal. The company took its current form in 2001, when the Australian BHP merged with Billiton. Billiton itself had strong South African roots. For many years the group traded as BHP Billiton, and it dropped the name Billiton in 2017.

BHP's South African footprint is far smaller than it once was. In 2015, the group spun off many of its assets in the country, together with other operations, into a new company called South32. These included aluminium, manganese and coal interests. As a result, BHP today has a corporate office in Johannesburg rather than large mines in South Africa.

How BHP has supported students

In the past, BHP Billiton ran a well-known bursary programme for South African students. Published information describes awards in engineering and earth science fields. These were chemical engineering, electrical engineering, extractive metallurgy, mechanical engineering, mining engineering, mine surveying and geology.

The bursary was reported to cover registration and tuition, prescribed books, examination fees, accommodation and meals, and a small allowance. Applicants needed to be South African citizens or permanent residents. They also needed strong marks in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, and a place at a recognised South African institution. Older reports say that recipients signed an employment agreement for the same period as the bursary. Treat this as a past condition, not a promise.

Even where a company has no local mine, the skills it asks for stay in demand. Mining engineers, metallurgists and geologists are still scarce in South Africa, and mining houses of every size recruit them. Studying one of these fields keeps many doors open, whichever company you end up working for.

What to know before applying

Bursary listing sites currently report that this programme is closed. That means you should not assume funding is available. Because BHP changed shape after the 2015 split, the company's South African study support may be limited or offered in different ways.

If you are still interested, start with the official BHP website and look at its careers and graduate sections. Check whether any early-career or student programme covers South Africa. In addition, look at South32 and other mining companies, because several of them fund the same engineering and geology fields.

Be careful with third-party websites. Some still show old BHP Billiton bursary adverts with outdated dates. Only apply through the company's own pages, and never pay a fee to apply for a bursary. Meanwhile, keep your marks strong, because mining funders compete for the best maths and science students.