Volkswagen Community Trust

About the Volkswagen Community Trust

The Volkswagen Community Trust is the corporate social investment arm of Volkswagen Group South Africa. It was established in 1989 and works from the Kariega plant (formerly Uitenhage) in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro, at 103 Algoa Road. The plant is a major employer in the Eastern Cape, so the Trust directs much of its effort at the communities that live and work around it.

Education sits at the centre of its work. The Trust names four focus areas: education, youth development, health and community wellbeing, and employee volunteerism. Its projects include the Ikhwezi Lomso Montessori School for young children, the Ntlemeza Literacy Centre, a Young Entrepreneurs Programme and leadership camps. In addition, it supports the children of Volkswagen bursary beneficiaries.

How the Trust supports students

For more than thirty years the Trust ran a tertiary bursary programme, mainly for students from Kariega, Gqeberha and the wider Nelson Mandela Bay area. Awards went to fields that matter to the motor industry, such as engineering, commerce, finance, marketing, computer science, mathematics and science. Applicants had to be South African citizens with a matric pass, a strong academic record and a place at a recognised institution. Preference went to local residents and to students in financial need.

Past bursaries covered tuition, prescribed books, accommodation and transport, and the programme also offered a laptop for study purposes. Beyond money, recipients could access vacation work at Volkswagen, mentoring, and coaching on CV writing and interview skills. Mentoring matters in practice, because first-generation students often lack contacts in industry. As a result, the bursary worked as a bridge between the classroom and the workplace.

What to know before applying

Check the current position first. At the time of writing, the Trust's official website states that no bursaries are being offered and that no application form is available. Funding rounds can open and close from year to year, so a past advert does not guarantee a new intake.

In earlier rounds, bursary holders were expected to work for Volkswagen Group South Africa after graduating, for a period matching the years of funding. Students who did not take up or complete that service could be asked to repay the bursary, subject to the Trust's discretion and the availability of a suitable placement. If a new round opens, read the agreement carefully before you sign it.

Look for any announcement on the official Trust website or from the Kariega office on 103 Algoa Road. Meanwhile, consider other bursaries for engineering, commerce and science students, and apply early to as many suitable funders as you can.