WBHO

About WBHO

WBHO is one of South Africa's largest construction companies. John Wilson and Brian Holmes founded the business in 1970. After a series of mergers, it settled on the name WBHO Construction in 1994. The company is listed on the JSE and has its head office in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The group employs roughly 9 500 to 10 000 people. It builds commercial and residential buildings, civil engineering projects, and roads and earthworks. Beyond South Africa, it works in several African countries, including Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini and Ghana. It also has operations in the United Kingdom.

How WBHO supports students

WBHO's bursary programme supports full-time undergraduate students at recognised South African universities. The fields are civil engineering (BSc or BEng), quantity surveying and construction management. The award has covered tuition, accommodation and food, and textbooks and study materials. Recipients receive an allowance, so the money reaches the student directly.

Practical experience is built in. Bursars complete six weeks of paid vacation work on WBHO sites. They have also attended a short training programme in the winter holidays. As a result, they meet project teams and learn how a building site works before they graduate. This hands-on exposure helps them settle quickly into a first job.

Construction goes through cycles of growth and slowdown, and skilled engineers and site managers can be hard to find when work picks up. WBHO uses its bursaries to train people for its own projects. It is a business investment, not a charity grant.

What to know before applying

Applicants should be South African citizens with a minimum average of about 60%. You must be a full-time student in one of the qualifying degrees. Confirm the current criteria in WBHO's official bursary notice, because requirements can change from year to year.

The bursary carries a clear work-back obligation. When you graduate, you work for WBHO for the same number of years that it sponsored you. One year of funding means one year of service. If you leave early, the company may ask you to repay the money, so read your agreement carefully.

Applications go to a dedicated bursary email address listed on the careers page of the WBHO website. Send a completed form with every supporting document, because the company does not consider incomplete applications. Typical documents include your ID, your matric and university results and proof of registration. WBHO also offers vacation work, in-service training and graduate positions, which are good routes into the company if you do not win a bursary.