Verified
Safripol belongs to KAP, a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and describes itself as the second-largest polymer producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Safripol calls itself the only producer of high-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in its market, as well as a prominent polypropylene producer.
- Registered name
- Safripol (Pty) Ltd
- Type
- Private company (polymer production)
- Fields funded
- Chemical, electrical, instrumentation and mechanical engineering
- Website
- safripol.com
- Phone
- +27 16 970 4000
What Safripol’s polymers become
Safripol’s raw plastics end up in products most people use every day. PET goes into bottles for mineral water, soft drinks, fruit juice, dairy products, edible oils, cosmetics and medicines. Safripol’s other polymers find their way into medical equipment, food packaging, industrial piping, carpets, denim jeans and children’s toys, and even into shade cloth that protects crops. Safripol makes polyethylene in Sasolburg and polypropylene in Durban.
A bursary for Safripol’s Durban neighbours
The Safripol Community Bursary funds engineering students from the communities around the Durban plant, including Wentworth, Jacobs and the Bluff. Safripol funds four engineering disciplines that a polymer plant relies on: chemical, electrical, instrumentation and mechanical engineering.
For 2026 study, Safripol made forms available from 15 November 2025 and closed applications on 31 January 2026. The 2027 dates had not been published when BursariesAfrica checked, so students in south Durban should expect forms again from mid-November 2026. Safripol handles bursary enquiries through a dedicated Durban bursary email address.
Researching Safripol
Safripol’s about page describes a culture of industry leadership and a customer base across Africa and beyond. An applicant who understands the difference between polyethylene, polypropylene and PET, and which Safripol plant makes each, can explain in a motivation why a chemical or instrumentation career at a polymer producer appeals. Visit safripol.com’s product pages before writing yours.
Students should also confirm with Safripol whether the community bursary includes vacation work at the Durban plant and whether bursars must live in the listed suburbs for the whole bursary period. Ask the bursary office which schools in Wentworth and the Bluff receive forms, because Safripol has distributed forms through local schools.
Safripol also produces polymers for export, serving customers beyond South Africa, so engineers at Safripol work in plants that must meet international product standards.
Chemical engineering students can compare Safripol with other plants on our Engineering Bursaries page.
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