Maize Trust

About the Maize Trust

The Maize Trust is a South African organisation set up in 1998 to look after the interests of the maize industry. It is based in the Grain Building in The Willows, Pretoria. Its income does not come from a producer levy. Instead, it comes from the dividends and interest earned on donations that the former Maize Board handed over.

The Trust uses that income to support research, industry development and information projects. Its stated aim is to make the South African maize sector more competitive at home and abroad. Anyone who can show that a project will benefit the maize industry may ask for funding. Student bursaries form one part of that wider work.

How the Maize Trust supports students

The bursary scheme backs postgraduate study in fields linked to maize technology. Past examples include plant pathology, genetics, soil science, agronomy, horticultural science and agricultural economics. The topic must be relevant to the South African maize industry, and the Trust must approve the thesis topic.

Maize is the country's largest staple crop. It supports food security and the livelihoods of many rural households. As a result, the industry needs scientists who can raise yields, cut crop losses and keep local producers competitive. The Trust sees bursaries as an investment in that skills base, not as general charity.

Recent figures quoted for the scheme are up to R99,750 a year for up to two years for an MSc by dissertation. For a PhD, the figure is up to R131,250 a year for up to three years. Amounts and duration depend on the level and nature of the study, and they change over time. Payments continue against approved progress reports from both the student and the supervisor.

Beyond bursaries, the Trust backs projects that help farmers grow more maize at lower cost. Its research interests span the whole maize chain, from the field to the market. As a result, a bursary student can work on a problem that producers genuinely face. This link between study and industry need sets the Trust apart from general funders.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens studying full time at a recognised South African institution. Earlier invitations asked for a curriculum vitae, full study history, a short summary of the planned thesis and a copy of each applicant's ID. They also set a closing date of 31 January each year. Confirm the current date and form with the Trust, because the official website gives few details.

Earlier information on this profile says recipients must work in the South African maize industry for a period equal to the length of their bursary. Check this condition in the current invitation, since it affects your career plans after graduation. The Trust's office number is 012 807 3958.