South 32

About South32

South32 is a diversified mining and metals company that was demerged from BHP in 2015. Its shares are listed in Johannesburg, London and Sydney. The group runs operations in Southern Africa, Australia, the Americas and Mozambique. In South Africa, its best-known assets are the Hotazel Manganese Mines (HMM) in the Northern Cape, which include the open-cut Mamatwan mine and the underground Wessels mine. The company also has aluminium and energy coal interests in the region.

Mines like these sit in small, remote towns. As a result, the company is one of the main employers and taxpayers in the communities around it. That local weight shapes the way South32 thinks about education funding.

How South32 supports students

South32 reports that its bursary programme supports more than 300 people across Southern Africa. Awards usually run for the three or four years of a qualification. The programme serves two purposes. First, it feeds scarce technical skills into the business. Second, it helps the communities that live closest to its mines.

The community side is easiest to see at Hotazel. The Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi HMM Community Bursary is aimed at students who live in the John Taolo Gaetsewe District in the Northern Cape. In some years, children of HMM employees are also included. The community award has been open to many fields of study, including diplomas, degrees, national certificates and one-year courses. Funding has covered tuition, accommodation, meals and a book allowance.

In other years, South32 has run a narrower HMM bursary for mining-related qualifications. These include mining, mechanical, electrical, metallurgical, civil, chemical and industrial engineering, as well as geology, mine surveying, rock engineering and information technology. That version has generally asked for Mathematics and Physical Sciences results of around 60% and has been aimed at younger school-leavers. The exact rules change from one cycle to the next, so always read the current call carefully.

What to know before applying

South32 has used an outside administrator to receive many of its bursary applications. Applications have normally been submitted online with certified copies of your ID, matric results, proof of registration and proof of residence. Closing dates fall in the second half of the year for the following academic year. However, dates, codes and contact details differ each cycle, and only the current call on the South32 careers pages is reliable.

Work-back terms are not always clear. Some third-party bursary sites say graduates are expected to join South32's graduate programme. Others mention no obligation at all. South32 itself describes a graduate pathway but, as far as can be confirmed, does not publish firm repayment terms. Bursars may also be offered vacation work, although this is not guaranteed. Therefore, ask about service obligations in writing before you accept an award.

Finally, keep in mind that renewal usually depends on your academic results and conduct. Pass your courses, send in your results on time and keep the bursary administrator informed of any change in your studies. Students who live outside the Northern Cape should check whether a given programme is open to them, because the community bursary is designed first for local residents.