Ekapa Minerals

About Ekapa Minerals

Ekapa is a diamond mining company based in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, one of the oldest diamond fields in the world. Its history goes back to 1990. In that year its predecessor, Super Stone Mining, won a contract from De Beers to treat tailings around Kimberley. The company has kept that work going for more than three decades.

In 2018 Ekapa took full ownership of the historic Kimberley operations from Petra Diamonds. That deal made it the sole owner and operator of the Dutoitspan, Bultfontein and Wesselton mines. Inside the group, Ekapa Resources holds the underground mining rights and Ekapa Minerals holds the surface and tailings rights. Its offices are on Molyneaux Street in Beaconsfield, Kimberley.

How Ekapa supports students

The Ekapa Minerals bursary is aimed at people who live in the Frances Baard District, the area around Kimberley. Past calls named electrical, mechanical and mining engineering, plus metallurgy. Funding has covered tuition, accommodation and meals or an allowance, an annual cash allowance and a travel allowance. The company also offers life-skills training where needed.

Kimberley's story matters for applicants. The Big Hole and the old diamond rush built the city, and mining is still a major employer for local families. A local bursary therefore offers a path into a well-known industry without leaving the province.

The reasoning is simple. Diamond mining has supported Kimberley for over 150 years, and Ekapa is now the major miner still working there. By funding local students in mining-related fields, the company builds its own skills pipeline and helps keep jobs in the community.

What to know before applying

Past calls asked for South African citizens living in the Frances Baard labour-sending area, with strong academic records and a place at a South African university or university of technology. One recent call was aimed at students in their second year of study. Preference went to dependents of permanent employees and, in some cases, to electrical engineering candidates.

Applicants did not fill in a form. Instead, they emailed certified copies of their ID, Matric certificate, academic record, proof of acceptance, a CV and proof of residence, using a job reference in the subject line. Shortlisted candidates then faced a panel interview, assessments, medical screening and security clearance. Bursary holders also did compulsory vacation work at Ekapa operations in December and January.

Published sources do not describe a formal work-back or bonded-employment duty. Even so, confirm the current terms with Ekapa before you assume anything. The company also lists an apprenticeship programme, which suits learners who prefer a trade route.