Standard Bank

About Standard Bank

Standard Bank is one of Africa's largest banking groups. Its head office is the Standard Bank Centre in Simmonds Street, Johannesburg. The group's history goes back to 1862, and today it serves personal, business and corporate clients in South Africa and in many other African countries. A bank of this size needs a steady flow of graduates who are strong with numbers, technology and risk. As a result, it invests in promising students long before they finish their degrees. Because of that reach, a graduate who joins the bank can work in many different roles, from retail banking to investment and technology.

The Standard Bank Group Bursary Programme is run together with StudyTrust. StudyTrust is an educational trust and public benefit organisation, set up in 1974, that administers bursaries and offers mentoring to the students it supports. This partnership gives the bank a tested way to find, assess and support learners across the country, including those who have the marks but not the money.

How Standard Bank supports students

The programme considers full-time undergraduate and postgraduate study in a range of fields. These include agriculture, commerce, engineering, mathematics and statistics. It also covers science and technology areas such as actuarial science, analytics, computer science, data science, and financial or information technology. In addition, the bank recognises the newer field of behavioural economics, which draws on economics, behavioural finance, psychology, sociology and neuroscience.

The funding is described as full-cost support. It covers tuition, textbooks, accommodation, medical aid, a living allowance and a laptop. However, the exact package can change from one year to the next, so check the current details on the bank's graduate pages or on the StudyTrust website before you apply.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens with an average of at least 65% in their latest results. You must also be registered for full-time study at a recognised institution. Financial need is part of the decision. Shortlisted candidates normally take a formal assessment, which includes a psychometric evaluation and an interview, so prepare for both. Keep your results strong all year, since the average you submit is one of the first things the selectors check.

Bursars are expected to join Standard Bank if the bank makes them a job offer after graduation. This is not a guaranteed job, and a placement depends on a suitable position being open. Even so, the bank treats its bursars as future colleagues from the start, which makes this Standard Bank funding a strong route into banking and financial services for the right student. Application windows and deadlines change each year. Always confirm the dates and documents on the official channels, and apply early so that you have time to gather your results, proof of income and identity documents.