Johannesburg - R40 000 a year may not sound like much but it could change the lives of 200 young people.
The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) is inviting 200 deserving youth, under the age of 35, to apply for a bursary on the CoJ website. CoJ’s MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, Loyiso Masuku, said the bursary programme aimed to empower young individuals through educational support.
She said: “The City of Johannesburg recognises the importance of education and skills development in nurturing future leaders and contributing to the growth and prosperity of our city.
“We believe that this initiative is not only an investment in the future of our youth but also an opportunity to strengthen our community and build a skilled workforce for a brighter tomorrow. We are excited to discuss this programme further and encourage potential applicants to take advantage of this opportunity.”
When the CoJ Bursary programme started in 2020, each student was awarded R35 000 but Masuku said her drive for more funding had upped the money to R40 000 a year per student for the 2024 academic year. The bursaries are renewed annually but also depending on the academic results of bursary holders.
“Education is expensive. We are also appealing that only youth who have no way of paying for fees, apply. You cannot hold multiple bursaries and rob someone else of an opportunity,” Masuku added.
Young people who are in matric this year can use their September results to apply for the bursaries. The CoJ said it would conduct thorough checks so that the most deserving youth were successful.
But it’s not just matriculants who can apply. Even if you completed matric 10 years ago and you’re still under 35, you are eligible to apply. Prospective successful applicants must also show that they have been accepted by an accredited South African institution.
“This is also strictly an undergraduate programme. If you need to complete your undergraduate degree, you can apply. You will be informed six weeks after your application whether you have been successful.,” the MMC said.
While the bursary programme has been widely publicised at schools and on social media, Masuku said many of the youth still do not know about the opportunities available to them.
“It’s lovely to see the impact of social media. Yesterday (Friday) we were in Soweto to take this good news to some of our most vulnerable youth. This program is so close to my heart. When we started, we only had 100 bursaries. Now we have doubled that number,” Masuku said.
She added that she had made it her mission to find more money for more bursaries.
“These young people are future public servants. We have to invest in the youth. They will be the ones who, in the future, will contribute to the city’s growth,” Masuku said.