Gibela

About Gibela

Gibela Rail Transport Consortium builds modern commuter trains for South Africa. It was set up in 2013 as a partnership between the French rail company Alstom and the black-owned investor uBumbano Rail. The consortium exists for one big job. This is the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) fleet-renewal programme, a contract worth about R51 billion for 600 trains.

Gibela builds the trains at its factory in Dunnottar, in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. The factory makes the X'Trapolis Mega train, and the first locally built unit was handed to PRASA in 2016. The company reports that it has delivered 300 trainsets so far. It also says the factory is the largest modern train manufacturing facility in Africa.

How Gibela supports students

Rail manufacturing needs skills that South Africa had too few of. For that reason, Gibela invests in training as well as in factory work. The company says it has built local production capacity and supplier networks, with a high share of local content in the trains.

Gibela also funds bursaries for university, university of technology and TVET college students. The company announced 200 bursaries in 2022, and 210 in the year before. Those awards focused on engineering-related fields, for example mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering and related technical studies. Apprenticeships and skills programmes sit alongside the bursaries, and these help young people reach the factory floor.

These numbers come from past announcements. The size and fields of each new round may differ.

Rail is a field with long-term demand. Fleet renewal runs for many years, and that creates steady work for technicians, welders, electricians and engineers. As a result, a technical qualification from a TVET college can lead into this sector, not only a university degree.

What to know before applying

Gibela has mostly advertised its bursaries for students who are already studying, or who have been accepted. Requirements usually include South African citizenship, good academic results and proof of financial need. However, the exact criteria are set in each call, so check the current advert.

The public sources do not state whether a work-back period applies. Ask about this and read any contract in full before you accept an award. Also remember that Gibela builds trains, so its programmes lean heavily towards engineering and technical skills rather than general degrees.

The best place to check for open calls is the Gibela website and its news page. Calls are not guaranteed every year. If you are unsure, you can use the contact details on the official site to ask about the next round. Prepare your certified documents early, and keep your results up to date.