Glencore

About Glencore in South Africa

Glencore is one of the world's largest commodity producers and traders. The group mines, processes and markets metals, minerals and energy products. In South Africa, it is a major player in coal and ferroalloys. Its local head office is in Birnam, Sandton. The operations employ thousands of people across several provinces.

The coal business runs four thermal coal operations in Mpumalanga. They include the opencast mines Tweefontein, Goedgevonden and iMpunzi, which lie near Ogies in the Witbank coalfield. The ferroalloys business works in the North West and Limpopo provinces. Its assets include chrome mines and the Rhovan vanadium operation, as well as the Mokala manganese mine in the Kalahari.

Mines and smelters need engineers, geologists, metallurgists and finance staff. As a result, Glencore recruits students early and funds their studies. Funding also reaches the communities that live next to its operations.

How Glencore supports students

The coal division has offered annual bursaries for full-time university study. Fields include mining, electrical, chemical, mechanical and metallurgical engineering, as well as finance, management and geology. The alloys division has funded engineering, commerce, accounting and geology. Its 2026/27 call also listed rock engineering, analytical chemistry, occupational hygiene, industrial psychology, human resources management, informatics and nursing. This mix shows that mines also need health, people and technology specialists, not only engineers.

The alloys operations also fund scholarships. These include support for school pupils in Grades 8 to 12 from host communities. Other awards go to matriculants who want to study further, and to children of employees.

What to know before applying

Marks matter. Engineering applicants were asked for at least a rating of 6 (70% to 79%) in mathematics and science, and 5 (60% to 69%) in English. In the 2026/27 alloys call, candidates needed at least 70% for English. Applicants had to be Grade 12 learners or current university students.

The bursary covered tuition, residence costs including meals, prescribed textbooks and, where needed, a personal computer. Glencore said these industry bursaries cannot be held together with other major industry bursaries. Shortlisted applicants could be called for interviews with a bursary committee. Awards depend mainly on academic results. Always apply to the correct division, because the coal and alloys programmes have separate requirements and committees.

Apply online through the Glencore careers portal with a CV, certified ID, academic records and proof of registration. The 2026/27 alloys call closed on 13 July 2026. Closing dates differ by division and year. The published information does not confirm a work-back obligation, so ask about it when you receive an offer. Glencore also runs graduate programmes in areas such as commercial work and HR services.