Hard work pays off for bursary recipients

Written by: Edwin Tshivhidzo

Aphiwe Ngwani (17) from Zwelonke High School in KwaZulu-Natal is one of the learners who made the country proud when the 2022 Matric results were released.

Ngwani, who hails from Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal, obtained a Bachelor pass with three distinctions in English, Life Orientation and IsiZulu.

She is excited about her achievement because it is key to opening doors to her future, as she will be studying towards a Civil Engineering qualification.

“I worked hard throughout the year because I wanted to see myself becoming an engineer,” she says.

Ngwani is one of the learners who secured a bursary from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to study in the field of the built environment.

She is grateful for this opportunity because, with-
out the bursary, her dream might have been impossible to achieve.

According to Ngwani, she has been accepted by the University of Johannesburg to study for a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering).

She encourages the matric class of 2023 to work hard on their studies to achieve good results and realise their dreams.

The DPWI’s bursary programme forms part of the Skills Pipeline Programme where high school learners are encouraged to consider careers in the built environment.

The bursaries are awarded to learners in need of financial assistance, who display excellence and have been accepted for courses in the built environment for their tertiary education.

Speaking at the bursary award-giving ceremony in Pretoria recently, the department’s Minister Patricia de Lille applauded the class of 2022 for their hard work and dedication.

“The last three school years were challenging with the added factor of COVID-19, but today you can be proud of yourselves because you have reached a big milestone. Your education is one of the most important investments you can make to secure your future and be part of building our beautiful country,” said Minister De Lille.

“The DPWI is proud to have invested in your lives through the student bursaries so that you can study for a degree in the built environment and I encourage you to grab this opportunity with both hands. There is a lot of work to be done in our country and we need more skills in our country, especially in the built environment and we are starting with this investment in our young people,” she added.

DPWI bursary programme

The DPWI bursary programme has so far benefitted 524 students since 2014, including 72 matriculants who are funded in 2023. To date, the department has invested R160 million into students’ lives.

This year, the total value of the bursary is estimated at R165 000 per student per year. Of the total number of this year’s recipients, 42 are female.

The Minister encouraged the bursary recipients to continue to work hard in their tertiary education so that they can become a successful part of the country.

Director-General in the Presidency Phindile Baleni, also speaking at the event, said more female students should be given the opportunity to be involved in the built environment and other previously male-dominated fields.

The department’s bursary programme also serves as a feeder to the department’s Internship and Young Professionals Programme and later forms a pool of qualified built environment professionals to serve the state in the delivery of infrastructure projects.

The bursary is for study areas including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Marine Engineering, Property Studies / Real Estate, Actuarial Science, Quantity Surveying, Construction Project Management, Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Town and Regional Planning.

It covers tuition, accommodation, meals, textbooks, project and compulsory study resources and a monthly allowance.