PN Foundation

About the PN Foundation

The PN Foundation, also known as the Patrick Nndwamato Education Foundation, is a South African non-profit organisation. It is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation and is based in Honeydew, Johannesburg. The foundation started in 2019 after founder Patrick Nndwamato personally helped a student pay for exam registration. That experience led him to build a wider effort to open up education for young people.

The foundation says it wants to promote economic development and ease poverty by supporting students. Its work focuses on disadvantaged youth in Gauteng and Limpopo. It also raises funds through events such as its annual golf tournament.

How the PN Foundation supports students

The PN Foundation bursary has a clear focus. It supports students who want to train as artisans at TVET colleges, not at universities. Trades named in recent notices include plumbing, electrical work, carpentry and tailoring. This choice fits the foundation's aim of building a college-ready culture and giving young people practical, employable skills.

Published listings say the bursary can help with tuition and registration fees, course materials and vocational training costs. Some listings also mention help with accommodation and transport. The exact package is not fixed, so check the current call for applications.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens. They need to have applied to, or been accepted or registered at, a TVET college for an artisan course. They should have completed the National Senior Certificate or an equivalent qualification. Students who are studying, or have been accepted to study, at a university do not qualify.

Artisan skills are in demand across South Africa. Qualified electricians, plumbers, carpenters and tailors can find work in construction, maintenance and manufacturing, or start their own small businesses. TVET colleges offer a direct route into these trades, and many students from low-income homes cannot afford even the registration fees. That gap is exactly where the foundation steps in. Keep your phone and email active after you apply so that you do not miss a call from the team.

Applications are made online through the foundation's bursary portal. In the 2027 cycle, the foundation said that applicants who had not been contacted by 30 May 2026 should treat their application as unsuccessful. As a result, it is wise to keep a copy of everything you submit and to apply as early as the portal opens.

Because the programme is small and the need is large, a complete and honest application helps. Include your results, proof of your college application or registration, and any documents the portal asks for. Rules, trades and dates can change from year to year. Visit the official PN Foundation website for the latest information before you apply.