Engen

About Engen

Engen is one of the best-known fuel brands in South Africa. The business traces its roots to the Natal Oil Company, which started in Durban in 1881. It adopted the Engen name in 1990 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1992. Today the company has its head office in Cape Town and runs a retail network of more than 1,000 service stations in South Africa. It also operates across many other African countries and Indian Ocean islands.

Ownership has shifted over time. Malaysia's Petronas held the main stake for many years, alongside the black-owned partner Phembani. In 2024, Vivo Energy took over the Petronas shareholding, and Phembani kept its portion. Engen's Durban refinery, once a major asset, stopped producing fuel after a fire in December 2020. The site has since become an import and storage terminal.

How Engen supports students

Engen's best-known education project is the Engen Maths and Science School, which has operated since 1987. It offers free extra tuition to Grade 10 to 12 learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Around 1,500 learners attend each year across ten centres in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and Gauteng. In 2024, 131 of the 415 matriculants in the programme won full bursaries for tertiary study.

Those awards focus on engineering, accounting, computing and related fields. Engen has also funded a learnership programme for artisans, which gave young people from poor households a route into trades. Recent reports describe an Engen "Driving Futures" bursary for strong STEM students. Reported benefits include tuition, textbooks, accommodation, a monthly stipend and a laptop allowance. The full terms may change, so check them on the official Engen site.

What to know before applying

Engen has historically offered bursaries for BSc and BCom degrees, including chemistry, computer science, logistics and engineering. Previously, both matric learners and current university students could apply. Programme details change each year, so look for the latest call before you prepare an application.

For the best chance of success, strong marks in Mathematics and Physical Sciences matter. Gather certified copies of your identity document, your results and proof of household income. Write a clear motivation about why you want your chosen career. Engen also advertises graduate and learnership opportunities on its careers page, so look at those if a bursary does not work out.

Engen's published material does not always state the work-back terms. For example, some corporate bursaries require you to work for the funder for the same number of years you were funded. Ask about this early. Then, if the terms suit you, submit your application well before the closing date and keep proof that you sent it.