Sasol Foundation Bursary Programme

(Application are closed until further notice)

The scarcity of talent in South Africa and globally makes it essential for Sasol to ensure continuous availability of skills to sustain our growth. The Sasol Bursary programmes for South African youth are a critical talent lever to enable us to meet our strategic and transformation talent objectives.

Sasol has established a reputation in the market as an employer of choice and has been voted Employer of Choice in the Chemicals and Energy sector, by graduates on the SAGEA employer survey, for five consecutive years.

To date Sasol has various programmes that enable the development of scholars and graduates.

STEM bursaries

The Sasol Foundation offers an comprehensive bursary to talented individuals who are planning to study full-time towards an undergraduate degree to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers. Priority will be given to degree studies that are in line with future capabilities (Green Economy and Digitalisation), which include disciplines such as Engineering, Information Technology, Data Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Sciences, Medical Sciences and Construction & Manufacturing among others.  No postgraduate bursaries will be offered for 2025 academic year.

 

Non-STEM bursaries

These bursaries are reserved only for qualifying students from Sasol’s fence line communities (municipalities / districts around Sasol plants / operations); children of Sasol Khanyisa shareholders; and children of Sasol employees, wishing to study towards non-STEM qualifications.  No postgraduate bursaries will be offered for 2025 academic year.

 

These bursary opportunities are limited to South African citizens (by birth only), who are / will be pursuing degree studies at a public South African University or University of Technology.

All applicants will undergo screening based on the following criteria: 

1. Must be South African citizenship (by birth only).
2. Household income verifications.
3. Acceptance / provisional acceptance for studies at a South African Public University / University of Technology for the following year.
4. Non-STEM bursaries are reserved only for qualifying children of Sasol employees, Khanyisa/Inzalo shareholders or candidates from Sasol fence-line communities.
5. Academic performance of the applicants.
6. Combined household income must be less than R600,000.00 per annum. The final selection will prioritise financially needy and academically competitive candidates.
7. Student must be doing their first undergraduate degree.
8. University students applying for 2nd / 3rd / 4th year of studies must have an average of 60% for all modules.
9. Below the age of 25 years, at the time of the bursary application.
10. Must have completed matric within a year from the time of submitting an application or currently completing matric this year if applying for 1st year of degree studies.

 

Sasol Mining Bursary Opportunities

(Application are closed until further notice)

Bursary Opportunities: Sasol Mining Fence-line (Mainstream) Programme

Sasol Mainstream bursaries is a performance-based programme with a work-back / pay-back obligation. This is a comprehensive bursary offered to talented individuals who are planning to study full-time towards an undergraduate in selected Engineering, Science and Technology qualification.

The Sasol Mining Fence-line Bursary Programme seeks to attract exceptional young talent to join the organization.

These bursaries support full-time studies leading towards a Bachelor’s Engineering/Engineering in Technology degree at a recognized South African University.

Eligibility is limited to South African Citizens exclusively.

 

Fields for Study

Applicants may submit their applications for degree programs (excluding diplomas) in the designated fields of study if they are presently enrolled as 1st to 4th-year students pursuing Bachelors degree at a South African University. The eligible disciplines are as follows:

1. Electrical Engineering
2. Electronic Engineering
3. Geology (Please be aware that obtaining an Honours degree is mandatory for pursuing this field of study)
4. Industrial Engineering
5. Mechanical Engineering
6. Mining Engineering
7. Mine Surveying at the University of Johannesburg only

 

• These bursary opportunities are exclusively available to South African citizens (by birth only) from Sasol Mining Fenceline communities, who are or will be undertaking degree studies at a public South African University or University of Technology.
• Qualified applicants are individuals in their first to fourth year of studies in 2024.

Application Criteria – Minimum Criteria

Bursaries are available to individuals in their first to fourth academic year of studies in 2024, pursuing the relevant qualifications or degrees.

First-year applicants should provide their Grade 11 / Grade 12 results, second-year students must submit their first-year results, third-year students are required to submit their second-year results, and fourth-year students must submit their third-year results, all meeting the specified minimum requirements:

1.  B.Eng. and B.Sc.Eng

• Level 6:  70 -79% for Mathematics (not Maths Literacy)
• Level 6:  70 -79% for Physical Science
• Level 5:  60 – 69% for English First Additional language or
• Level 5:  60 – 69% for English home language or
• Level 4:  50 – 59% for English Second Additional language

 

2.  B.Eng. Tech.

• Level 5:  60 – 69% for Mathematics (not Maths Literacy) and
• Level 5:  60 – 69% for Physical Science and
• Level 5:  60 – 69% for English First Additional language or
• Level 5:  60 – 69% for English home language or
• Level 4:  50 – 59% for English Second Additional language

Students currently in the second, third and fourth academic year of studies must apply with the academic results of the previous study year (2024), with the following minimum requirements

1. The student must be registered for full time studies towards the applicable degree course in 2024.
2. Applications must be registered for full time studies towards an academic degree at an accredited and approved South African University. NB. Studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA) will not be considered/allowed.
3. No bursaries will be awarded for studies at a University of Technology, except for studies in Mine Surveying.

Notes for all applicants

1. Applicants must be South African citizenswith a valid ID document/card.
2. Shortlisted applicants must be willing and able to avail themselves for online psychometric testing as part of the selection process. These assessments will take place before the interview phase.
3. A full academic record (from start date of studies to end 2024) and proof of registration is required when students apply.
4. Proof of permanent home residence –municipality and district (the address you will return to during holidays) will be required when students apply.
5. Note that the bursary offer will be withdrawn/terminated should it be determined that the student has not physically permanently resided in one of the municipalities specified during the date of application/awarding of the bursary.
6. All bursaries awarded are subject to the condition that applicant should be able to complete studies within a maximum period of 5 years (from start date to completion date for the specific degree course).  The minimum criteria will still be valid though.
7. Bursaries is will not be availed to students enrolled for so-called dual/combined/hybrid degree program.
8. Students should be discouraged to apply for a bursary, well knowing that they are not complying with the requirements of this bursary programme/applying with false intensions as it may lead to termination of the contact.
9. Please note that all notifications regarding the status of student applications (whether successful or unsuccessful) will be provided by the end of November.

 

Preferred municipalities:

Mpumalanga – Gert Sibande District – Secunda Fenceline

Govan Mbeki Municipality

• Bethal
• Brendan Village
• Charl Cilliers
• eMbalenhle
• eMzinoni (Bethal)
• Eendragt
• Evander
• Kinross
• Leandra
• Lebogang
• Leslie
• Secunda
• Trichardt

Dipaleseng Local Municipality

• Balfour
• Ekanini
• Greylingstad
• Grootvlei
• Nthoroane
• Nthorwane
• Siyathemba
• Val

Lekwa Local Municipality

• Holmdene
• Morgenzon
• Standerton
• Sakhile
• Sivukile
• Tutukani
• Tutuka

Msukaligwa Local Municipality

• Davel
• Ermelo
• Wesselton

Nkangala District (Mpumalanga) – Secunda Fenceline

eMalahleni Local Municipality

• eMalahleni (Witbank)
• Ga-Nala
• Kriel
• Ogies
• Phola
• Rietkuil
• Thubelihle
• van Dyksdrift
• Wilge

 

Fezile Dabi District (Free State) – Sasolburg Fenceline

Metsimaholo Local Municipality

• Coalbrook
• Deneysvilles
• Metsimaholo
• Oranjeville
• Refengkgotso
• Sasolburg
• Taaibos
• Vaalpark
• Zamdela

Ngwathe Local Municipality

• Edenville
• Mokwallo
• Parys
• Tumahole
• Vredefort

Sedibeng District (Gauteng) – Sasolburg Fenceline

Emfuleni Local Municipality

• Boipatong
• Bophelong
• Evaton
• Lochvaal Barrage
• Sebokeng
• Vanderbijlpark
• Vereeniging

Lesedi Local Municipality

• Devon

 

How to apply:

Apply online at: www.sasolbursaries.com

Should you experience challenges during the application process please contact the Call Centre on 086 010 6235.

 

South African Mainstream Bursary Programme

(Next intake to be confirmed)

The Sasol Bursary programme comprises of a comprehensive package that covers both financial as well as developmental support throughout the study period. Bursaries are awarded for full-time university studies in engineering and science. Upon successful completion of the study period, students may be employed within the Sasol Group through our Graduate Development Programmes.  Note must be taken that Sasol Mainstream bursaries have a workback and/or payback obligation.  Please note that this bursary program does not accept technical Maths/math’s literacy.

 

The Sasol Bursary Programme comprises:

Applications may be submitted for degrees (no diplomas) in one of the following fields of study:

Undergraduate Studies (B.Eng. / B.Sc.) – Please note that this bursary program does not accept technical Maths/math’s literacy.

1. Chemical Engineering
2. Chemistry (Hons. is a requirement for Sasol)
3. Civil Engineering
4. Data Science – Computer Science
5. Data Science – Mathematics
6. Data Science – Operations Research
7. Data Science – Statistics
8. Electrical Engineering
9. Electronic Engineering
10. Geology (Hons. is a requirement for Sasol)
11. Industrial Engineering
12. Mechanical Engineering
13. Metallurgy (Hons. is a requirement for Sasol)
14. Mining Engineering

 

Undergraduate Studies (B. Eng. Tech.) – University of Technology 

Please use the University of Technology tab to apply (do not apply with the Undergraduate tab).

1. Mine Surveying
2. Civil Engineering
3. Chemical Engineering
4. Instrumentation & Control Engineering (Electrical Light Current)
5. Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current)
6. Mechanical Engineering

 

Postgraduate (M.Sc. / M.Eng. / PhD.)

  In order to meet the economic growth needs in South Africa and fulfill our internal demand for highly skilled postgraduates in science and engineering fields, Sasol grants postgraduate bursaries for M.Sc., M.Eng., and Ph.D. studies in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.  Please note that this bursary program does not accept technical Maths/math’s literacy.

These awards will be made for postgraduate research supporting Sasol and South Africa’s energy and circular economy transition, through application in the following core disciplines: 

1. Chemical Engineering – Fluid Dynamics 
2. Chemical Engineering – Mathematical and Statistical Modelling 
3. Chemical Engineering – Process Modelling 
4. Chemical Engineering – Reactor Technology 
5. Chemical Engineering – Separation Technology 
6. Chemical Engineering – Thermodynamics 
7. Chemistry – Advance analytical Chemistry in the areas of Vibrational Spectroscopy or Gas Chromatography 
8. Chemistry – Catalysis or Polymer Science 
9. Chemistry – Environmental Science in the areas of Water, Waste or Air, or in Air with focus on dispersion modelling
10. Cyber Security 
11. Data Science – Applied Mathematics 
12. Data Science – Statistics  

 Applicants are not required to have a formal project proposal ready but should know in which area of chemistry or chemical engineering they would like to study and must be able to discuss possible topics which will support the current sustainability imperatives. 

Successful candidates will engage with Sasol technical experts and academic supervisors to finalise a project proposal. 

Energy Bursary Programme – Green Hydrogen Project

(Next intake to be confirmed)

Sasol Energy is offering opportunities for youth in the Northern Cape to apply for all-inclusive bursaries to study full-time towards an undergraduate degree, at a recognised and approved South-African University. The bursaries are linked to Sasol’s green hydrogen project being explored in the Namaqua and Richtersveld districts.

Priority will be given to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degree studies in line with green hydrogen future capabilities. These include, among key disciplines, Engineering, Technology, Chemical Sciences, Data Science, Construction & Manufacturing and include supporting degrees, such as Financial and Accounting Sciences.

No postgraduate bursaries will be offered for 2024 academic year.

 

Sasol Graduate Development Programme

(Next intake to be confirmed)

The Sasol Graduate Development Programme is a corporate initiative that ensures that all graduates in the different engineering and science disciplines conform to a high level of uniform standards in terms of orientation, training, development, and exposure to the business processes. These programmes are exclusively for our engineer/scientist in training candidates and offers graduates an intensive 36-month development programme. These development programmes are rated as some of the best in South Africa.

 

Sasol Technician Development Programme (TDP)

(Next intake to be confirmed)

The Sasol Technician Development Programme (TDP) provides a structure that will ensure that the development of all Technicians/Technologists in Training in the different disciplines conforms to a high level of standards in terms of orientation, training, development, evaluation and exposure to the business processes.

(Unattached Vacation work will unfortunately not be offered during December 2024 / January 2025)

Please Note:  Sasol occasionally provides a limited number of opportunities to obtain practical work experience (vacation work), related to their field of study, to non-Sasol bursary students. These opportunities will be availed to students in most of the regular/general engineering study disciplines who can provide proof that the vacation work is required by the particular University for graduation purposes.

Applicants must be South African citizens and available/willing to complete vacation work from December to January (both periods included).

Vacation work is not equivalent to so-called “experiential training” required for completion of a diploma or in some cases the previously B.Tech. degrees.  These opportunities are for so-called vacation work and not for P1 and P2 experiential

 

Sasol YES Programme

(Next intake to be confirmed)

The YES programme is a business-led collaboration with government. YES seeks to reduce youth unemployment across private and public sectors. The aim is to enable more youth to develop new skills and gain meaningful workplace experience, which will in turn significantly improve their chances of finding long-term employment.

At Sasol, more than 400 (previously unemployed) youth have been provided with an opportunity to gain work experience through the Sasol YES programme.

 

Important information for all individuals who have submitted applications for any of our programmes:

1. Bursaries are awarded for standard degree courses over a minimum period of time (e.g. B.Sc. or B.Eng. for studies over a 4-year period).
2. Students must study full time at a recognised and approved standard South African University. NB. Students may (for example) not register at a so called distance-learning facility/institution – i.e. UNISA.
3. Bursaries will under no circumstances be awarded for studies towards a so called dual/combined/hybrid degree course (e.g. B.Sc. Chemistry with Chemical Engineering, B.Eng. Mechatronics, B.Sc. Environmental & Geology etc.)
4. Only one application per student will be accepted.
5. Should an individual provide incorrect information during the application process and such information comes to the attention of Sasol at any later date, the invitation for the further selection process, the bursary offer or the bursary will be withdrawn/terminated with immediate effect – due to possible intentional/unintentional fraudulent action.
6. NB. It is imperative that students understand that should the information provided during the application and/or the possible bursary interview and/or any later date differs – the application/bursary will be regarded as null and void.
7. Mainstream Bursary shortlisting of individual for the next step in the selection process as well as identification of individuals to whom bursaries will be awarded are done carefully, taking into account our needs and strictly following the set selection criteria. We unfortunately have a limited number of bursaries available and this increases the competitiveness of applicants already meeting minimum criteria. We acknowledge the good academic performance and other attributes of applicants, however, candidates invited for our selection interviews or those to whom bursaries will be awarded to were academically more competitive and/or they fit our business requirements better.
8. Taking into account that bursary selections are done well before students have their final results of the current study year, students apply with the results of the previous study year – for example students who applied for 1^st year studies in 2025 (current matriculants) apply with grade 11 results. Should a bursary be awarded to an individual, it is done conditionally and will only be activated in the applicable study year (1^st year – 2025) inter alia should the student’s 2024 results (current study year – Grade 12) be approximately equivalent to the results he/she applied with.
9. If a student does not submit the necessary documentation or enters incorrect academic information, their application will be considered invalid under the “criteria not met” category. 

 

If you have what it takes to become part of this exciting team, the Sasol programmes for South African youth are ready to change your life.

Notice:

1. All applications should be submitted before close of business of the application closing date.
2. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
3. Applications by e-mail and/or not submitted via the Sasol bursaries website will not be considered.
4. Applications from non-South African citizens will not be considered.

 

If you experience problems with your application, please contact:

Berlyne Rasool | berlyne.rasool@adcorpgroup.com | 086 010 6235