Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 30 September 2026
- Provider
- Sibona Ilanga Trust
- Study level
- TVET / college, High school
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
Applications run from 1 June to 30 September each year, so the 2027 round closes on 30 September 2026.
VerifiedOpen · closes 30 September 2026 · closes today Latest update ↓
The Sibona Ilanga Trust holds shares in the De Aar Solar Power plant on behalf of the Northern Cape communities around it, and turns the dividends into bursaries. It is one of the few schemes that funds artisan and TVET training on the same footing as university degrees, which suits a town where trades are in short supply.
About the Sibona Ilanga Trust Bursary
- Programmes: NQF Level 6 technical and skills training such as plumbing and bricklaying, TVET college programmes, national diplomas and degrees.
- Covers tuition, registration and examination fees, plus accommodation, meals and learning materials.
- Selection weighs your Grade 12 results, or the highest grade you passed, and your financial need.
Eligibility requirements
- South African citizen.
- Living within a 50-kilometre radius of the De Aar Solar Power plant.
- Accepted at a recognised South African tertiary institution or TVET college.
- Able to show that you cannot fund the studies yourself.
How to apply
- Open the programme page on studytrust.org.za and apply online.
- Attach your ID, Grade 12 results or highest grade passed, proof of acceptance and proof that you live within the 50-kilometre radius.
- Submit before 30 September, or hand a hard copy to the Ethembeni Community Centre, 3 Friedlander Street, De Aar, or email it to b.ndlovu@studytrust.org.za.
Closing date
30 September annually, so 30 September 2026 for the 2027 academic year.
Contact details
- StudyTrust: 011 403 1632, b.ndlovu@studytrust.org.za
- Sibona Ilanga Trust: sibonailangatrust.co.za
Northern Cape students should also apply to the Northern Cape provincial government bursary and the Assmang Khumani Mine bursary.
FAQs
1. When does the Sibona Ilanga Trust bursary close for 2027? +
30 September 2026. Applications open on 1 June each year and close at the end of September.
2. What is the Sibona Ilanga Trust? +
A community trust that holds shares in the De Aar Solar Power plant in the Northern Cape on behalf of the communities around it, and uses the dividends to fund education and development.
3. Who can apply? +
South African citizens who live within a 50-kilometre radius of the De Aar Solar Power plant and have been accepted at a recognised South African tertiary institution.
4. Which programmes? +
NQF Level 6 technical and skills programmes such as plumbing and bricklaying, TVET college programmes, national diplomas and degrees at universities and universities of technology.
5. What does it cover? +
Tuition, registration and examination fees, plus accommodation, meals and learning materials, with the package set per student.
6. How do I apply? +
Online through the StudyTrust platform, or by submitting a hard copy to b.ndlovu@studytrust.org.za or to the Ethembeni Community Centre, 3 Friedlander Street, De Aar. Selection weighs your Grade 12 results, or the highest grade you passed, and your financial need.
Update note (closing date confirmed on studytrust.org.za on 22 September 2026): applications run from 1 June to 30 September each year, so the 2027 round closes on 30 September 2026. Applications are through StudyTrust, with hard copies accepted in De Aar. The trust’s own website gives a season ending on 31 October, but StudyTrust, which runs the applications, closes them on 30 September, so apply by 30 September.
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
Apply on the provider’s websiteOr send your application by email:
b.ndlovu@studytrust.org.za