Standard Bank

Standard Bank is one of Africa's largest banking groups, with operations spanning retail banking, corporate banking, and investment services across the continent. Because banking depends on a steady stream of skilled graduates in fields such as Accounting, Finance, and Risk Management, Standard Bank treats its bursary programme as a direct pipeline into its own graduate workforce.

The bank runs the programme through StudyTrust, an established bursary management organisation, which gives Standard Bank a structured, well-tested way to identify and support promising students across South Africa. This approach also lets the bank reach students who show strong academic potential but lack the financial means to study without support.

Once you complete your studies, Standard Bank expects you to enter into a service contract and take up a role within the bank, subject to a suitable position being available at the time. While this is not always a rigid year-for-year obligation, it forms the intended outcome of the programme, and Standard Bank treats bursars as future employees throughout their studies rather than simply funding recipients.

For students who want a foothold in one of Africa's leading banks, this bursary offers a fairly direct route in, alongside the tuition, accommodation, and living cost support it provides along the way.