Global consumer internet group Naspers has awarded bursaries to 13 University of Pretoria (UP) students to the value of over R2.1 million. Additionally, the bursary recipients also received welcome packs containing notebooks, USBs and hoodies, amongst other items.

Naspers Bursaries was established to address the funding crisis within the higher education sector, and to widen access to quality higher education for young people with exceptional academic achievements, but without the means to pursue their studies.

The bursary programme specifically funds students pursuing qualifications in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including commerce and business sciences. In this way, Naspers Bursaries can achieve its greater objective of investing in the future work force. The selection criteria for these deserving students was based on academic excellence and financial need, as well as enrolment in one of the STEM study fields.

The bursary will cover full tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks, laptops (only for first-year students) and a monthly living allowance. Naspers will also provide a mentorship and psycho-social programme for the students, given that students require holistic support in order to ensure that their university experience and academics are a success.

This is what some of the recipients said:

“I am grateful for this bursary, this means an opportunity to further my studies and a wonderful journey ahead of me. I have realised that Naspers is not just a company, but is structured in a way that makes students feel comfortable; we are more like a family to them,” said Benedict Tshimbalang, who is in his second-year of a BSc Physics extended programme.

“Being accepted by Naspers is a blessing, because I believe that for them to accept me meant that they noticed my academic excellence and hard work – they saw value in me. I am glad that Naspers has chosen to make an investment in me,” said Tshegofatso Ramoraswi, BSc (Hons) Mathematical Statistics.

“Receiving this bursary is a deeply personal thing for me, because without them I do not know what I would have done to fund my studies. Adjusting to university culture has been a bit difficult, and this bursary has offloaded some of my burden. Now all I need is to work hard and obtain good grades,” said Siyabonga Dlodlo, first-year BEng Electrical Engineering.