Columbus Stainless

About Columbus Stainless

Columbus Stainless is South Africa's only producer of stainless steel flat products and the largest single-site stainless steel producer in Africa. Its plant is in Middelburg, Mpumalanga. The operation is fully integrated, which means it handles the whole process on one site, from melting to finished flat-rolled products. It sells steel to customers in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and the Far East.

The company is part of the Spanish Acerinox group, a major global player in stainless steel and high-performance alloys. The Industrial Development Corporation holds the remaining stake. As a result, the company brings together international backing and a link to South African industrial development policy.

How Columbus Stainless supports students

A big steel plant needs engineers, finance specialists and technical staff. Columbus Stainless therefore funds bursaries to build its own pipeline of skilled people. Recent calls offered all-inclusive funding in two broad areas.

The first area is engineering. Fields listed in recent calls include electrical, mechanical, industrial and metallurgical engineering, as well as materials science, chemical engineering, and computer engineering or information technology. The second area is business. Matric learners could apply to study a BSc in Accounting Sciences or a BCom in Finance.

What to know before applying

The company draws much of its workforce from the Middelburg and Witbank area. For that reason, the bursary favours students who live locally. Check the current advert to see exactly how the residence rule is applied.

Fields, the number of awards and the closing date differ from year to year. A recent call closed in late August, for study the following year. Therefore, plan early and have your certified documents ready, such as your ID, your latest results and proof of address.

The details of any work-back or service period are set out in the bursary agreement and are not the same for every award, so read your contract carefully if you are successful. Visit the official Columbus Stainless website for the latest call, and be cautious of anyone who asks you to pay a fee to apply.

Working near home has clear benefits. Bursary students who stay close to Middelburg can learn about the plant first-hand and may find it easier to build a career with the company or with other industries in the Mpumalanga region. Keep your marks strong, especially in mathematics and physical sciences if you want to study engineering. Moreover, speak to your school career guidance teacher early, since the advert usually appears while learners are still in matric. In addition, treat any request for a fee as a red flag, because genuine bursaries are free to apply for.