Pretoria, 4 October 2021 – The application period for scholarships and bursaries offered by the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) has come to an end.
The roads agency is encouraged by the response to its corporate social responsibility initiative, which saw an influx of applications, right up until the deadline of 30 September 2021.
“The significant increase in the number of applications for financial aid is indicative of the economic climate we are experiencing. Parents and guardians are under enormous financial pressure. As a key player in the public-sector infrastructure development space, SANRAL is pleased to be able to extend its reach beyond road construction and into the learning space of South African youth,” said Heidi Harper, SANRAL General Manager: Skills Development.
SANRAL has in recent weeks embarked on a roadshow to reach learners and their teachers, in some of the most rural and remote schools in all four its regions.
“Although our extensive digital communications campaign was able to reach thousands of learners in the key metros, it was important for us to penetrate those communities adversely affected by the digital divide. In areas such as Kuruman in the Northern Cape and Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State, the response to our visits was overwhelming and incredibly humbling,” said Rhona Erasmus SANRAL’s Bursary Coordinator.
The process is now underway to capture and evaluate all the applications.
SANRAL’s scholarship programme was historically developed to give financial support to learners from Grade 10 to Grade12, ideally those who excel in mathematics and science. This year, however, scholarships were made available to all high school learners, i.e. from Grade 8 to Grade 12, irrespective of their subject choices. Furthermore, where learners previously required a 70% overall aggregate to be eligible for consideration, they now required 60% with a view to improving their aggregate to 70%.
Scholarships cover:
- School fees
- Books and prescribed stationery
- Winter and summer uniforms
- Hostel accommodation (where applicable)
- Extra tuition classes in support of improved grades
While SANRAL remains committed to developing a pipeline of Civil Engineering professionals in support of its mandate of building and maintaining South Africa’s national road network, the net has this year had been cast wider, to accommodate applications for bursaries in disciplines such as Public Relations, Auditing, Supply Chain Management, Law, Human Resources and Finance, which collectively support its corporate structure.
Bursaries cover:
- Tuition and registration
- Books and equipment
- Accommodation and meals
- Living allowance
All shortlisted candidates will be contacted via the details they provided in their applications and arrangements will be made for final selection interviews. SANRAL will endeavour to conclude the administrative processes by the end of December 2021, in order to facilitate financial aid at the start of the 2022 academic year.