PSG

About PSG

PSG began in 1995, when Jannie Mouton and Chris Otto founded an investment holding company in Stellenbosch. They wanted to back young businesses and grow them into established ones. That approach led to well-known names, including Capitec, the private school group Curro and PSG Financial Services.

Today, the PSG website presents PSG Financial Services, a leading advice-led financial services group. It describes about 1 000 qualified wealth and insurance advisers working from roughly 270 offices across South Africa. The business serves individuals, companies and professional investors, with services such as retirement planning, investments, insurance, employee benefits and fund management.

How PSG supports students

The PSG Bursary Programme aims to build a pipeline of young talent for financial services and technology. It is not a general scholarship. Instead, it targets final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students in specific fields, so the competition focuses on strong, relevant candidates.

Recent calls have named actuarial science, computer science and mathematical science. Engineering fields have included computer, electrical and electronic, chemical, industrial and mechanical engineering. Earlier calls were narrower, so the list can change from year to year.

The 2026 call described support for registration, full tuition, accommodation, a meal allowance, a book allowance and a monthly stipend. Beyond the money, bursary holders receive mentoring, coaching and work exposure in financial services. After graduating, they gain access to the PSG Graduate Programme, which can open the door to a first job.

Because the bursary leads into a graduate programme, it suits students who already see their future in finance, actuarial work or technology. For example, an honours student in actuarial science could move from lecture hall to workplace within a year. In that sense, the programme works as both funding and a career launchpad. Students whose degrees fall outside the named fields will usually need to look at other funders.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens with a valid ID. They also need excellent academic results and proven financial need. An earlier call set a minimum average of 65%, and it asked for traits such as resilience, teamwork and attention to detail. The programme also gives priority to designated groups and welcomes students with disabilities.

Applications are made online through the PSG career portal. In past years, students uploaded a certified ID copy, academic transcripts and a CV. Closing dates have fallen late in the year, for example at the end of October or November, ahead of the next academic year.

The published information links the bursary to entry into the graduate programme. It does not clearly state a compulsory work-back period. Therefore, read the current bursary advert and contract terms on the official PSG site before you accept an offer.