Mondi

About Mondi

Mondi is a global packaging and paper group with deep roots in South Africa. Anglo American founded the business in 1967 and built the Merebank Mill in Durban. Mondi later demerged from Anglo American in 2007. Today it is listed on both the Johannesburg and London stock exchanges and employs roughly 24,000 people worldwide. Forestry is central to the business, since wood fibre is the raw material for its paper and packaging. In South Africa, the company grows timber, makes pulp and paper, and produces packaging. Its mill at Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal is one of its major local sites, and the group also keeps a Southern African office in Bedfordview, Gauteng. Because the work spans forests and factories, Mondi needs foresters, engineers and technical specialists.

How Mondi supports students

Mondi has supported tertiary study mainly in fields that feed its own operations. One long-running example is a bursary for BSc Forestry students at Stellenbosch University. In earlier rounds it covered tuition, accommodation, meals and books for a renewable year. The company also ran a national diploma forestry bursary in the past. Because trees take years to grow, a forester's career at a company like this is long-term and outdoors-based, with work on plantations, nurseries and harvesting operations.

Engineering is another focus. Mondi regularly recruits chemical, mechanical, mechatronic and electrical engineers for its mills, and it has offered graduate and engineer-in-training positions at Richards Bay. These roles usually ask for a relevant degree and a solid academic average. They suit students who want practical experience after they graduate. For example, a forestry student may spend vacations in a plantation, while an engineering graduate may join a mill team and work with process or maintenance crews. Both paths offer a clear way into a career.

What to know before applying

Earlier forestry bursary calls asked for South African citizens with a strong first-semester record. Preference went to historically disadvantaged students. Applicants also needed a driver's licence, or had to obtain one before a plantation placement. In addition, graduates owed the company service for a period matching the length of their bursary. Ask your university's funding office whether Mondi currently works with your campus, since company bursaries have often been tied to one institution.

Mondi does not run the same open bursary call every year, and these terms may have changed. Therefore, treat the details above as a guide only. Check the Mondi careers website for current vacancies, graduate programmes and any bursary notices before you apply. Finally, keep your academic record strong. Competition for places in technical programmes is high, and good marks in mathematics, science and your core subjects will help you stand out. Meanwhile, you can also apply to other funders in the forestry and engineering fields, so you do not depend on one source.