Illovo Sugar Bursary 2027, Requirements & Application

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Illovo Sugar Africa, part of Associated British Foods, is Africa’s largest sugar producer, with mills and cane estates in KwaZulu-Natal and operations in five other African countries. For many years it has funded engineering and agriculture students through a bursary linked to its graduate programme, recruiting the engineers and agronomists who run its mills and farms.

About the Illovo Sugar Bursary

The bursary funds full-time study at a South African university or university of technology in:

• Agriculture and agronomy
• Chemical engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Instrumentation engineering
• Mechanical engineering

It covers registration, tuition and examination fees, prescribed textbooks, meals and accommodation. Bursars do vacation work at Illovo’s operations and are considered for its graduate programme when they qualify.

Illovo Sugar Bursary eligibility requirements

• South African citizen.
• Matriculants: strong results in English, Mathematics and Physical Science, and acceptance at a university or university of technology for one of the fields above.
• Current students: strong results across all subjects and a full academic record.
• A genuine interest in a career in the sugar industry.

How to apply for the Illovo Sugar Bursary

1. Go to the bursary and graduate section of the Illovo careers portal and check whether a bursary is open.
2. Create a profile and complete the online application.
3. Upload certified copies of: your ID; your Matric results and proof of university acceptance if you are a matriculant, or your Matric certificate and latest academic results if you are already studying; and a CV.
4. Submit before the closing date on the advert.

Illovo Sugar Bursary closing date

The last confirmed closing date was 15 November 2021. Illovo’s rounds have closed between September and November of the year before study. No 2027 closing date has been published.

Contact details

• Contact person: Zanele Dube, Illovo Bursaries and Graduate Programmes
• Email: ZDube@illovo.co.za
• Telephone: 031 508 4300 (Illovo head office, Durban)
• Careers portal: www.illovocareers.co.za

Engineering and agriculture students should apply to several employers at once. See our chemical engineering and mechanical engineering bursary lists for schemes closing between September and November 2026.

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