Ninety One

About Ninety One

Ninety One is an active investment manager with South African roots. The firm started in Cape Town in 1991 as Investec Asset Management. It grew inside the Investec Group for almost three decades. In 2020 it demerged and became an independent company, listed on both the JSE and the London Stock Exchange.

Today it manages money for institutions, financial advisers and private investors around the world. Even so, it keeps a strong link to South Africa, and it uses part of its social investment to open doors for young people who would otherwise miss out on university.

Because the programme starts while you are still in matric, timing matters. Applications open mid-year, interviews follow before the year ends, and the final decision waits for your results. Therefore, keep your Grade 11 and Grade 12 reports up to date, and ask a teacher or mentor to read your motivation before you submit it.

How Ninety One supports students

The company runs the #Changeblazer Bursary Programme for learners who are in matric. The award is a full bursary. It covers tuition, learning materials, accommodation and meals at a South African university. Top performers may also receive extras such as help with a driver's licence and a professional wardrobe.

Money is only part of the package. Students also get private tutoring, career guidance and resilience training. In addition, the programme offers mental health support and financial wellbeing sessions. As a result, the bursary treats a student's wellbeing as seriously as their marks.

The programme funds several fields. Recent calls listed business, finance and economics, education, engineering, technology and computer science, psychology and healthcare. Healthcare awards exclude dentistry, medicine and veterinary science. Therefore, healthcare students in areas such as nursing, pharmacy and therapy have been part of the mix, but they are not the only group.

What to know before applying

Recent calls asked for South African citizens in matric who are under 21. Family income had to be below R600 000 a year. Applicants also needed strong results, with a minimum of about 70% in English and in mathematics or sciences, and clear signs of leadership. Rules can shift between years, so confirm them on the official call.

Applications for the 2027 intake closed on 31 August 2026. An outside partner, Career Wise, handled applications and panel interviews between October and December. Final awards followed once matric results came out in January. Applicants applied online, so keep your school reports and ID ready.

No published call that we found describes a work-back contract. Even so, read the bursary agreement closely before you sign it.