Traxtion

About Traxtion

Traxtion is a private South African rail operator with more than three decades of experience. It is headquartered in Johannesburg and works in rail solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa. Its business covers wagon manufacturing, leasing, maintenance and rail logistics, and it focuses on keeping locomotives, wagons and rail infrastructure in good working order.

The company marked 38 years in business in its own anniversary article. Over that time it has grown with the freight sector, and it now says that skills investment must lead to real opportunity for people. That belief shapes how it designs its community and education projects.

The rail sector faces a shortage of technical skills. Traxtion also says the industry has been slow to change and has long been male-dominated. In response, the company created the TraxWAGON bursary, sometimes described as its Women in Rail bursary.

How Traxtion supports students

The TraxWAGON programme is aimed at previously disadvantaged South African women. Recipients study at TVET colleges, which makes it different from many corporate bursaries that focus on universities. Fields have included mechanical and electrical engineering, diesel mechanics, boilermaking, fitting and turning, supply chain, and warehouse and inventory management.

In 2026, Traxtion awarded 13 bursaries, and 11 of them went to women. Reports put the bursary spend at roughly R700,000. Together with a disability learnership, the company's total skills commitment for the year was about R1.5 million.

The learnership is a 12-month agricultural qualification for ten learners with disabilities from communities north of Pretoria. It includes training, entrepreneurship support and a monthly stipend. As a result, Traxtion's skills work reaches beyond rail and shows a wider interest in inclusion.

What to know before applying

Recent calls for applications asked for female South African students, mostly aged 18 to 35, who study full-time at a TVET college. Some calls limited the provinces to Gauteng, North West, Free State, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. Since these rules can change, confirm them in the current notice before you apply.

Prepare your documents well before the call opens. Typical requirements for a bursary like this include a certified copy of your ID, proof of enrolment at a TVET college, your latest results and a short motivation. Ask your college's student support office to help you certify copies. In addition, keep your contact details current, because shortlisted applicants are usually contacted by phone or email.

The closing date for the 2026 intake was early January 2026. Traxtion has not published every detail of what each bursary covers, so check the official call for the exact benefits.

No binding work-back or guaranteed employment obligation has been confirmed for TraxWAGON recipients. Leadership has described the programme as a way to strengthen the broader industry rather than as direct recruitment. That said, Traxtion is a natural employer for graduates in these trades. Visit the official Traxtion website for current announcements, and be careful of unofficial pages that ask you for money.