Group Five

About Group Five

Group Five is a South African construction and engineering group with a history stretching back about five decades. It was listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for roughly 46 years, until it delisted in 2020. The head office sits at Waterfall Business Estate in Johannesburg. At its peak, the group built roads, bridges, buildings, water works and other infrastructure in South Africa and across Africa. It also worked on projects linked to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The story changed in March 2019, when Group Five entered business rescue. At that point it had thousands of employees and over a hundred active projects in dozens of countries. The rescue practitioners sold off several businesses as going concerns and finished most of the live projects. In mid-2026, reports said the group exited business rescue, paid creditors in full and emerged as a much smaller, privately held company.

Group Five and student support

Group Five has a track record of developing young engineers and construction professionals. In its larger years, it offered bursaries, vacation work and graduate training in fields such as civil engineering, quantity surveying, construction management and building. Many South African engineers began their careers on its sites and learned practical skills there.

Because of the business rescue and the smaller size of the group, it is not clear that a formal bursary programme is running today. No current intake, closing date or set of requirements could be confirmed. This page therefore describes the company's background rather than promising funding. Students should treat any online post about a Group Five bursary with caution, particularly if it asks for money or personal banking details.

What to know before applying

Start with the official website at g5.co.za and check for a careers or bursary notice. If nothing appears, a polite email or call to the Johannesburg office is a reasonable next step. Ask whether any bursary, internship or graduate placement is open, and which qualifications it covers.

In the meantime, widen your search. The construction and civil engineering sector has many other funders, including large contractors, engineering consultancies, state-owned entities and the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA). Public bodies such as the Council for the Built Environment also publish guidance on careers in the field. Funding for civil, structural and construction studies is often tied to good marks in mathematics and physical sciences, so keep your results strong. Finally, keep your documents ready. A certified ID copy, recent academic results, proof of household income and a clear motivation letter will help with almost any application. Being prepared means you can act quickly when a Group Five bursary or similar offer appears.