VerifiedThe Absa Cybersecurity Academy was launched in 2019 by Absa Group with the Maharishi Invincibility Institute in Johannesburg. In 2021 it added a second campus at the Hein Wagner Academy in Worcester, Western Cape, dedicated to blind and visually impaired students. The academy takes unemployed young people with no IT background and turns them into certified cybersecurity professionals over three years, with a full scholarship and a job pipeline into the bank.
About the Absa Cybersecurity Academy
The programme is a three-year, full-time scholarship covering:
- Technical cybersecurity training with industry certifications from CompTIA, AWS, Microsoft, Cisco and Fortinet.
- Bridging courses in mathematics, English and computer literacy.
- Personal development, soft skills and, at the Johannesburg campus, transcendental meditation.
- A 12-month internship in Absa’s cybersecurity teams.
- Tuition, accommodation, meals, healthcare, travel, specialised learning technology (including screen readers and magnifiers for visually impaired students) and a monthly stipend.
Graduates are placed in cybersecurity roles. In 2023, 19 graduates were permanently employed by Absa, 85% of them women.
Absa Cybersecurity Academy eligibility requirements
Requirements from the 2025 Hein Wagner intake, which are representative:
- South African citizen, aged 18 to 32.
- Matric with at least 50% in English and in mathematics or mathematical literacy.
- Currently unemployed (affidavit required) and not enrolled in another learnership or internship.
- From a disadvantaged background.
- Clear criminal record.
- For the Hein Wagner campus: a permanent visual impairment confirmed by a medical certificate, basic computer literacy with a screen reader or magnifier, and willingness to relocate to Worcester for three years.
How to apply
- Watch absa.africa and heinwagneracademy.org for the next call for applications.
- Complete the online application form published with the call.
- Upload certified copies of your ID and Matric certificate, an affidavit confirming you are unemployed, and for the Hein Wagner campus a medical certificate of visual impairment.
- Shortlisted candidates complete aptitude assessments and interviews before selection.
Absa Cybersecurity Academy closing date
The last intake closed on 28 April 2025. No 2027 closing date has been published.
Contact details
- Absa: CyberSecurityAcademy@absa.africa, 7th Floor, Absa Towers West, 15 Troye Street, Johannesburg, 2001. Telephone 011 350 4000
- Hein Wagner Academy, Worcester: training@heinwagneracademy.org. Telephone 023 346 6800
While you wait for the next intake, the Cisco Charitable Foundation Trust bursary (closing 30 September 2026) and the ISPA Inspires sponsorship (closing 30 October 2026) both fund IT and cybersecurity qualifications for 2027.