Verified
The Maize Trust was founded in August 1998 to promote the South African maize industry. The Maize Trust funds research, market information and transformation programmes that benefit maize producers, processors and the wider industry, and its mission is to help the industry lead the region and compete internationally.
- Registered name
- The Maize Trust
- Type
- Industry trust (agriculture)
- Fields funded
- Postgraduate research relevant to the maize industry
- Website
- maizetrust.co.za
- Phone
- 012 807 3958 (L&L Agricultural Services)
Born from the Maize Board
The Maize Trust formed after the closure of the Maize Board, the statutory marketing board that once controlled maize trading in South Africa. The trust inherited the Board’s remaining assets, a reserve fund of more than R200 million built up over years from sources such as the sale of imported maize.
The Maize Trust pays grants from the annual income on that capital, derived from dividends and interest, rather than from a producer levy. The trust employs no staff of its own: an investment adviser advises the trustees under contract, and L&L Agricultural Services in Pretoria administers the trust’s bursaries.
Who can get funding
Anyone in the maize industry who can show that a programme will benefit the industry can apply to the Maize Trust for funding. The trust’s primary focus is market and production research, and its secondary objectives include spreading market information and broadening market access.
A well-paid postgraduate bursary
The Maize Trust Bursary Scheme aims to be equitable and to help students build skills the maize industry needs. The trust funds research master’s degrees at up to R99 750 a year for two years and doctorates at up to R131 250 a year for three years, among the better-paying agricultural awards in South Africa. Approved disciplines include agronomy, agricultural economics, plant breeding, plant pathology, entomology, soil science, food science, data science and precision agriculture.
The Maize Trust pays against progress reports that the student and supervisor submit jointly, measured against the Gantt chart in the research proposal. Applications for 2027 close on 30 September 2026, and the first instalment is paid in January 2027.
How to research the Maize Trust
Talk to your supervisor before applying, because the trust must approve your topic as relevant to maize. Look at research the Maize Trust has already funded, and show how your project adds something new. Call L&L Agricultural Services to check which documents need certification.
Postgraduates can compare funders on our Postgraduate Bursaries page.
🎓 Download Our Bursary Application Checklist
Download our free Application Checklist to make sure you do not miss any required documents. Submitting a complete application is key to being shortlisted.
📥 Download Checklist (PDF)
