Amandla Omoya Trust

Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm established the Amandla Omoya Trust under the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer programme, which requires energy projects to benefit nearby communities. The trust serves communities in the Kouga area of the Eastern Cape, including Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Hankey, Patensie and Thornhill.

Registered name

Amandla Omoya Trust

Type

Community trust (wind farm shareholder)

Fields funded

Tertiary study for young people from Kouga communities

Website

amandlaomoyatrust.co.za

How a wind farm pays for bursaries

The Amandla Omoya Trust owns 6% of the Jeffreys Bay wind farm through a trust company. When the wind farm makes a profit, 6% of it flows to the trust company as dividends and then on to the trust. The trust explains this structure openly on its website, which helps residents understand where the money comes from.

The trust also explains why benefits took time to arrive. The trust had to borrow money to buy its 6% share, and for several years almost all the income went to repaying those loans. The trust settled the loans in 2020, which freed dividends for community projects such as bursaries.

The 2027 bursary

StudyTrust administers the Amandla Omoya Trust bursary. StudyTrust’s application season runs from 1 June to 30 September each year, and the bursary for 2027 closes on 30 September 2026. Applicants apply through StudyTrust rather than directly to the trust.

Researching the bursary as a Kouga resident

Check that you live in one of the trust’s beneficiary communities before applying, because the bursary exists for those areas. StudyTrust’s website lists the requirements and documents for each bursary it manages; read the Amandla Omoya Trust listing carefully and prepare proof of residence along with your academic documents.

StudyTrust manages many bursaries at once, so apply early in the season rather than on the last day, when its systems are busiest. Ask StudyTrust whether the bursary includes mentoring or holiday workshops, which StudyTrust offers on some programmes.

Residents who want to understand the trust’s wider work can read the trust’s website, which describes how community ownership of renewable energy projects works.

The trust’s income depends on how much electricity the wind farm produces and sells, so the number of bursaries can vary from year to year. Ask StudyTrust how many Amandla Omoya bursaries are available in the current round before relying on one.

Eastern Cape students can compare other funders on our University Bursaries page.