September 2024.
The Globeleq Scholarship Fund (GSF), has opened for 2025 applications as it celebrates a decade of fostering equal access to education. With over R24 million allocated to date, the programme provides support to talented Black youth, having awarded bursaries to almost 500 students, over 20% of which hail from within a 50km radius of Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm or the greater Eastern Cape Province.
As a leading initiative in the renewable energy sector, the GSF provides educational opportunities that contribute to a sustainable future. The Fund plays a crucial role in empowering communities and advancing South Africa’s transformation agenda by breaking down barriers to tertiary education. Private scholarships like the GSF are essential in meeting the growing demand for education, often bridging gaps that state funding cannot fully address.
Students from within local communities in the Eastern Cape can apply to one of three categories, all funded directly by Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm. The GSF Engineering Sciences bursary, open to all students nationwide, pursuing an engineering-related qualification full-time in 2025; the GSF Other Sciences bursary, available to students from (born or living in) the Eastern Cape province pursuing one of the following qualifications full-time in 2025: Education (Mathematics and Science), Agriculture, Nursing; and the GSF Communities bursary, which supports students living in communities within 50km of the wind farm, pursuing any tertiary qualification in 2025.
“This scholarship fund goes beyond supporting Black and predominantly female youth; it sets a benchmark for other sectors to make meaningful contributions to South Africa’s development,” says Hlengiwe Radebe, Economic Development Director at Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm. “As our programme evolves, our commitment to expanding opportunities grows, reaching students in this region who need financial support to achieve their educational aspirations.”
The GSF’s holistic approach goes beyond academic performance, taking into account financial need, location, and gender, reflecting its mission to diversify the engineering sector and uplift women in STEM fields. With an annual budget of approximately R4 million, the GSF aims to nurture the skills essential for the renewable energy industry while enhancing the sustainability of the communities it serves.
Note: The application deadline is 31 October 2024. Interested candidates can apply online at www.globeleq.auraams.app or contact support@auraAMS.app for further details.
