GIBB

About GIBB

GIBB is a South African infrastructure consulting firm. It was founded in 1956 and has now operated for around seven decades. The head office is in Rosebank, Johannesburg, and further offices serve Southern Africa, West Africa and Mauritius. According to the firm, it is 67% black-owned and employee-owned.

The group has two main divisions. GIBB Holdings covers advisory and infrastructure work, while GIBB Investments holds a portfolio of infrastructure assets. Because staff also own part of the company, they share in its growth. For students, this structure points to careers beyond design work, including advisory, investment and project delivery.

The company offers advisory, engineering, architecture, project finance and project delivery services. Its work has reached more than 20 African countries. Well-known projects include the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme, the Gautrain rapid rail link and the Cosmo City township development. For a young engineer, this mix of public and private work offers a wide learning ground.

How GIBB supports students

GIBB has run an external engineering bursary programme in recent years. Recent rounds focused on civil engineering, with specialisations such as rail and roads. Earlier rounds also listed electrical engineering. Because the fields shift from year to year, applicants should read the current advert closely.

In past rounds, the GIBB bursary covered tuition fees, prescribed textbooks, travel costs and accommodation where needed. Students could also do vacation work and the practical training that their university requires. As a result, bursary holders gain real office and site exposure long before they graduate.

What to know before applying

Earlier rounds were open to South African citizens with a matric certificate who study full-time at a recognised South African university. Applicants had to be entering second year or higher, or be working towards an Honours or Masters degree. The funding was renewable each year, provided the student kept an average of 60% or better.

Planning ahead makes an application stronger. Gather certified documents early, since queues grow long near closing dates. Keep your results above the renewal threshold of 60% so that you can stay on the programme. Moreover, ask your department about vacation work early, because practical training is a degree requirement at many universities.

Recipients were expected to work at a GIBB office in South Africa after graduating. Think about this work-back condition carefully before you accept an offer. Applications went through the GIBB careers portal, with a certified ID copy, CV, matric certificate and academic transcripts. For the 2024 intake, the closing date fell in mid-November 2023. However, dates, fields and conditions can change, so check the official GIBB website for the latest round before you apply.