Tiger Brands

About Tiger Brands

Tiger Brands is South Africa's largest food company. It began in 1921 as Tiger Oats, set up by Jacob Frankel and Joffe Marks, and launched Jungle Oats in 1925. Over the decades the business widened its range and became Tiger Brands. Today it is listed on the JSE and runs its head office in Gauteng.

The company owns more than 100 brands. Familiar names include All Gold, Koo, Albany, Tinkies, Tastic, Doom and Jeyes. It reported about 8,300 employees in 2025 and operates 34 manufacturing plants in South Africa. A business of this size needs engineers, food scientists, planners and finance staff, and that is why it invests in student funding. Its range runs from rice, oats and canned foods to home care products, so the careers inside the group are wide. The company also runs graduate development, so bursary holders may find a path into a first job.

How Tiger Brands supports students

Tiger Brands offers a Graduate Bursary Programme for undergraduate students. The most recent call targeted students who had finished the first year and were moving into the second year. Qualifying fields included mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering, food science and technology, supply chain and logistics, finance and accounting on the CA(SA) route, and data science or information technology. Fields can change from one year to the next.

The bursary may cover tuition, accommodation, prescribed books and a living allowance. Beyond money, recipients receive mentoring, a buddy who is already on the graduate programme, and work shadowing linked to their career goals. Vacation work may also be offered at company facilities. As a result, a bursary holder can learn how a large factory runs well before graduating.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens with a matric certificate. They need at least 65% in matric and in their first-semester results, and they must show financial need. The recent call asked for certified copies of an ID, a matric certificate, first-semester transcripts and proof of household income. These were emailed to the graduate bursary address, and the last call closed on 22 October 2026 with no late applications accepted.

Places are limited, so meeting the minimum marks does not guarantee an award. Shortlisted candidates have been contacted within 21 days of the closing date. If you hear nothing by then, treat the application as unsuccessful. Finally, confirm the current dates Prepare your certified documents early, since collecting proof of household income and getting copies certified can take time. Finally, confirm the current dates and any work-back terms on the official Tiger Brands careers page.