Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education ( SITFE) Bursary South Africa 2025

ABOUT THE BURSARY PROVIDER – SITFE

The Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) was founded as a private sector initiative in the year 1965, and is currently one of South Africa’s oldest Trust Funds. The SITFE’s main aim is to promote and support high quality, sustainable education within the sugarcane growing areas of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga).

Since its inception, the organisation has provided support for a range of educational programmes and projects, from bursaries; to arts and culture; teacher development and infrastructure development. Bursaries have been allocated to more than 10 200 learners, as well as funding for school building projects, tertiary institution financial support for working alongside specialist educational organizations.

ABOUT THE SITFE BURSARY PROGRAMME – FIELDS COVERED

The Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2025 academic year.

SITFE will award bursaries to 2 groups of students:
1. Children of sugarcane farm workers.
2. Students residing in sugarcane growing areas, from the “Missing Middle” (with a combined family income is between R350 000 to R600 000), to study within the Faculties of Science, Engineering or Agriculture.
 

MORE ABOUT THE SITFE BURSARY PROGRAMME – SELECTION

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in first week of December 2024 and required to attend an interview in mid December 2024.

Shortlisted candidates will be initially selected based on their Grade 11 final results and Matric June results (if currently in Matric or not studying yet) or latest tertiary results (if currently studying). Final selection will be based on Matric final results.

Successful candidates will be contacted by no later than 31 January 2025 – if you do not receive any feedback by this date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

SITFE reserves the right to cancel the bursary award if candidates receive other full bursary funding or loans.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SITFE BURSARY

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must be currently in Matric or have completed Matric
• You must have registered or applied to study within the Faculties of Science, Engineering or Agriculture at a University, University of Technology or College of Agriculture AND you must be from the “Missing Middle”, with a combined family income is between R350 000 to R600 000, from sugarcane growing areas
• OR
• You must be a child of a sugarcane farm worker AND have registered for any field of study at a University, University of Technology or College of Agriculture (do not need not be missing middle applicant)

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE SITFE BURSARY

Applications can be submitted in either of the following ways (please only submit your application once):

• Online application: SITFE Bursary Application 2025
• Hard copy application: download and complete the SITFE Bursary Application Form 2025 (.pdf)

Completed application forms must be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Email: bursaries@sasa.org.za
  (Insert the words “SITFE Bursary 2025” in the email subject line).
• Post:  Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education, PO Box 700, Mount Edgecombe, 4300

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your application (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

• ID document (certified copy)
• Matric final trial results and statement of results/ certificate (certified copy)
• Tertiary final exam results, if currently studying (certified copy)
• Proof of connection to the sugar industry connection, if applicable
• Proof of parents or guardians household income (payslips if employed, pension receipts if on pension, affidavit if unemployed) (certified copy)
• Death certificate if a parent is deceased (certified copy)
• Proof of application or registration at an University, University of Technology or Agricultural College for 2025 (on institutions letterhead)

CLOSING DATE FOR THE SITFE BURSARY

18 November 2024.
(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) directly:
Tel: 031 508 7034
Fax: 031 508 7191
Email: bursaries@sasa.org.za
Please do NOT contact The SITFE if this bursary has already closed.