Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi South32 Bursary 2027: How to Apply

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

South32 is a mining and metals company with two large South African operations: the Hotazel Manganese Mines in the Northern Cape and the Hillside aluminium smelter in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. The Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi South32 Community Bursary Scheme is named after Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi, a South32 non-executive director and former Eskom and BHP Billiton executive who died in January 2020. It funds tertiary study for young people from the communities around those two operations.

About the Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi South32 Bursary

The scheme is run as two community bursaries, each tied to a South32 operation:

• Hotazel Manganese Mines bursary for residents of the Joe Taolo Gaetsewe (JTG) district in the Northern Cape and children of Hotazel employees. The focus is on engineering and mining-related degrees.
• Hillside bursary for residents of the King Cetshwayo district in KwaZulu-Natal. This one has a wider field list that includes commerce, law, IT, health sciences and humanities.

The bursary covers tuition and registration fees, books and study material, and accommodation. Bursars also receive mentorship and career guidance, join the South32 alumni network, and are considered for vacation work at the operations.

Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi South32 Bursary eligibility requirements

• South African citizen.
• Under 21 years old.
• In your final year of Matric, or have completed Matric, with a strong academic record.
• Living in the Joe Taolo Gaetsewe district (Northern Cape) or the King Cetshwayo district (KwaZulu-Natal), or the child of a South32 employee at Hotazel or Hillside.
• Accepted or intending to enrol full-time at an accredited South African university for one of the fields below.

Preference goes to applicants from designated groups in line with South32’s employment equity plan.

Fields of study

• Mining, mine surveying, geology, metallurgy.
• Chemical, civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering.
• Health, safety and environment.
• Economic and management sciences, including accounting, finance and business science.
• Hillside scheme only: law, computer science and IT, built environment and architecture, health sciences, humanities, and mathematical, physical, earth, actuarial and biological sciences.

How to apply

1. Watch the Career Wise bursary adverts page for the 2027 South32 advert and download it. The advert contains the promotional code for the cycle.
2. Register on the Career Wise applicant portal and enter the promotional code when prompted.
3. Complete the online form and upload certified copies of your ID, Matric results or certificate, your academic record if you are already studying, proof of residence in the qualifying district, a CV and a motivation letter. Children of employees must add proof of the parent’s employment at South32.
4. Submit before the closing time on the advert. Past cycles closed at 17:00 and late applications were not considered.

Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi South32 Bursary closing date

Recent closing dates were 22 November 2024 (Hotazel, 2025 intake) and 26 September 2025 (2026 intake). No 2027 closing date has been published yet. Expect it between late September and November 2026.

Contact details

• Administered by Career Wise on behalf of South32
• Contact person: Mr Liyanda Mkhabo
• Email: applications@careerwise.co.za
• Telephone: 011 258 4464 or 0860 100 7787

Students outside the two districts should look at our mining engineering bursaries list, which includes national schemes from Anglo American, Exxaro, Sibanye-Stillwater and the Minerals Council.

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