South Deep Education Trust (SDET): Bursaries 2025

The South Deep Education Trust (SDET) is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2025 academic year.

Bursaries will be awarded to students from the South Deep Mine’s host and labour-sending areas, for Diploma and Degree studies within ANY field.

The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses:

• Full tuition fees,
• Textbooks,
• Equipment (on a case-by-case basis for specialised qualifications – dentistry, architecture, engineering, etc.), 
• Accommodation (on-campus and off-campus),
• Laptop allowance,
• A monthly stipend (for 10 months).

Students will also receive assistance with personal development, mentorship support and additional tutoring (this will be on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the SDET Trustees).

Bursary recipients will be encouraged to complete 1 week of vacation or volunteering work in their community once a year, as a means to equip graduates with skills to join the working world.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying:

• You must have a total household income of NOT more than R350 000 per annum
• You must reside in a South Deep host community and surrounding areas (Westonaria, Bekkersdal, Simunye, Poortjie) or a South Deep Labour Sending Areas (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Eastern Cape)
• You must NOT be a dependent of an employee of Gold Fields or any of its divisions or associated companies and/or a dependent of a Trustee of the South Deep Education and Community Trusts
• You must be currently in Matric (in 2024) or have completed Matric
• You must be studying or intend on studying towards a Diploma or Degree in Any Field
• You must be studying or have been provisionally accepted to study at a public University or public TVET college in South Africa, in 2025
• You must NOT have any other existing bursaries, scholarships or any other form of funding assistance for your tertiary studies
• If currently in Matric, You must have achieved a minimum overall average of 75% (excluding Life Orientation) in your Matric final National Senior Certificate
• If currently studying and a first-time applicant for this bursary, You must have achieved a minimum overall average of 65% in your most recent year of study
• You must have passed the most recent year of study, if a returning SDET bursary applicant