Precious and battery metals producer Sibanye-Stillwater has awarded full bursaries to 51 top-performing matriculants from the class of 2021, enabling them to pursue tertiary studies at local universities.
The bursaries were awarded to matriculants from the communities surrounding the group’s South African operations.
“We believe that, by investing in these top-performing learners from our local communities, we are investing in the future of the mining industry and our country. We welcome these candidates who have excelled academically despite the challenges of the pandemic . . . and look forward to maintaining relationships over the long term,” Sibanye CEO Neal Froneman said in a statement on February 7.
Additionally, the Bapo Ba Mogale Community Development Trust partnered to match the bursaries allocated to learners around Sibanye’s Marikana platinum group metals operation near Rustenburg in the North West province.
Sibanye has been awarding discretionary bursaries since 2019, with 33 beneficiaries pursuing different levels of studies. The discretionary bursary offering is in addition to existing bursary schemes that the group offers to learners wishing to pursue studies in mining-related disciplines.
Since its inception in 2013, Sibanye has granted 1 526 bursaries for tertiary education and provided 1 281 internships opportunities for graduates in South Africa.
Despite disruptions during Covid-19, the group said it had continued to fund education opportunities, awarding 193 bursaries and 213 internships during 2020 and 2021.