iX Engineers

About iX engineers

iX engineers is a consulting engineering company based in Menlo Park, Pretoria. It was registered in July 2016 after taking over the public infrastructure business of WorleyParsons RSA, together with the consulting infrastructure business of Black Jills Engineers. Its senior staff bring more than 35 years of experience in the infrastructure sector, going back to the KV3 Engineers days.

A consulting engineer designs and oversees projects rather than building them. Typical work includes planning roads, water networks, buildings and industrial facilities, and checking that contractors follow the design. Therefore, graduates in this field spend time both at a desk and on site, which suits people who enjoy variety.

The firm is majority black-owned and works for both public and private clients. Its services cover the design, development and through-life support of infrastructure. This means a young engineer can follow a project from early planning right through to long-term operation.

How iX engineers supports students

The company has offered a bursary to help build skills among students who want careers in consulting engineering. The award was open to students working towards a BEng or BSc engineering degree at a recognised university. In the advert we could find, the listed fields were electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and information technology.

Applicants had to be South African citizens with matric who were studying full-time. They also had to have finished their first year, although postgraduate students could apply too. In addition, the advert asked for people who were not already receiving funding from another institution. Details of the amount and any work-back obligation were not clearly stated, so they cannot be confirmed here.

What to know before applying

Applications were sent by email to the company's careers address, with a certified ID copy, a matric certificate, academic records and a CV. The only closing date we could find was in August 2018, so it has long passed. Therefore, do not rely on old adverts for dates or conditions.

Students from other fields can also look at the wider market. Many consulting firms in Pretoria and Johannesburg run their own bursary and graduate schemes. Compare several of them, and apply to more than one funder where the rules allow it.

Instead, contact the company directly or watch its official website for a current call. Meanwhile, build a strong academic record, because engineering funders often look at marks first. Gaining practical exposure through vacation work also helps, since consulting firms value students who understand how projects run on site and in the office. Finally, keep certified copies of your documents ready, so you can apply quickly when a new round opens.