The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is providing a bursary opportunity for young South Africans to study certain fields of interest.
The bursary will enable students to address certain skills shortages and possibly develop future employees.
The matric and tertiary students should study the academic requirements carefully because the qualifying mark differs.
What are the applicant requirements for the IDC bursary?
Applicants will need to be between the ages of 16 and 26 years and a South African citizen, as per the supplied eligibility criteria.
Academic achievement is also a significant consideration
What if you are currently in matric?
Applicants who are currently in matric will need to have an overall average of at least 75%.
The applicants will also need to be a South African citizen.
This academic requirement indicates that matric students must have a proven record of excellent academic achievement before starting at tertiary level.
What if you are already at university or another tertiary institution?
Applicants who have started their tertiary studies will need to have an overall average of at least 65%.
The age and citizenship requirements also apply.
Students should check the latest bursary information for additional specific requirements for their qualification.
Which fields of study are covered by the bursary?
The bursary will cover specific fields of study, including technical, economic and development fields.
The supplied information lists Engineering, Business and Economics, Agricultural Science and Computer Science as supported fields.
Engineering
Engineering entails using mathematics and science to solve real-world problems.
Some of the activities include designing, developing and constructing systems, structures, machines, devices and processes, as well as maintaining and improving existing systems.
Students who consider a career in engineering should check the current bursary information to see which of the many fields in engineering are supported.
Business and Economics
Business and Economics is another supported field, although the application criteria indicates that this covers fields in commerce.
Like Engineering, students should check the current bursary programme to see which specific degrees are supported.
Agricultural Science
The IDC bursaries will also support students who would like to study Agricultural Science.
This discipline involves using scientific methods to further the agricultural industry.
Students should check the current bursary information to see which fields or qualifications are supported.
Computer Science
Another field that the bursary covers is Computer Science.
Students who want to further their computer science studies should confirm that their degree or field of study is actually supported.
What is the relevance of the academic requirements?
The academic requirements for matric and tertiary students (75% versus 65%) are significantly different.
Applicants should be aware that these marks are a minimum requirement and the bursary is not a guarantee.
The minimum academic requirements are the beginning of the bursary application process.
Students should check the latest programme information before making any application.
IDC bursary programme at a glance
| Requirement | Information |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Industrial Development Corporation |
| Citizenship | South African citizen |
| Age | 16 to 26 years |
| Matric applicants | Minimum overall average of 75% |
| Tertiary applicants | Minimum overall average of 65% |
| Engineering | Supported field |
| Business & Economics | Supported field |
| Agricultural Science | Supported field |
| Computer Science | Supported field |
What should applicants check before applying for the bursary?
Applicants should be aware that age and academic requirements are only the beginning of the bursary application process.
Before making an application students should confirm:
- Whether their qualification is supported.
- Whether their institution and/or programme meets the requirement.
- If any other academic requirements apply.
- Which documents they will need.
- The dates when the bursary applications open and close.
- How to apply.
- If any additional conditions apply to the bursary recipients.
Applicants should use the latest IDC information at all times, rather than an old bursary advertisement, because requirements can change.
A bursary is more than an application form
Students who want to apply for a bursary need to understand what kind of opportunity they are applying for.
IDC states that its bursary programme falls under human-resource development, capacity building and human-capital development, including addressing skills shortages and developing potential professional employees.
This indicates that students need to see the IDC bursary programme as a long-term academic opportunity.
Students should continue to apply themselves academically and remember that they will need to meet the requirements of any organisation that offers them a job after university.
What should students prepare before applying?
Although students should double-check the current IDC application requirements, they should keep their academic and personal information together should they decide to apply.
This might include documents that prove:
- Their identity, citizenship, current academic status.
- Their matric performance.
- Their tertiary academic performance.
- Their qualification and field of study.
Applicants should only submit the documents requested by the official application process.
Be careful with unofficial bursary information
IDC bursaries are likely to become very popular because of the fields of study covered by the programme.
Therefore, students should be extremely careful when finding bursary advertisements on social media, online forums and other third-party websites.
Before submitting personal information, applicants should make sure that the opportunity is legitimate and that the application process directs them to an official IDC bursary page or another application route, as specified by the organisation.
Students should not pay an individual who claims that they can guarantee an IDC bursary.
Who may find the programme relevant?
The opportunity might be relevant to South Africans who are studying or plan to study engineering, business, economics, agricultural science and computer science. Matric students will need to work hard to achieve the minimum 75% average. Tertiary students will need to maintain a good academic record because the minimum average is 65%.
Application deadline and application method
The supplied information does not list a closing date for bursary applications.
For this reason, students should not assume a date.
They should double-check the latest bursary information for the closing date, as well as the application process, required documents and application dates.
Source and verification
Source: Industrial Development Corporation bursary programme information supplied for this article.
This article has been independently written to explain the opportunity to South African students.
It does not reproduce the original programme language or structure.
Editorial policy
Our bursary coverage aims to provide clear and practical information for South African students and parents.
We distinguish between stated programme requirements and general guidance and do not present eligibility as a guarantee of funding.
Fact-checking policy
Age limits, academic thresholds and eligible study areas are based on the IDC information supplied.
Where the available information does not specify a detail, such as the current closing date or complete funding conditions, no figure or requirement has been invented.
Corrections policy
If a factual error is identified, the information will be checked against the relevant IDC source and confirmed errors will be corrected.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general information and does not guarantee that an applicant will receive an IDC bursary.
Bursary requirements, eligible qualifications, application dates and funding conditions can change.
Students should verify the latest information directly with the IDC before applying.
The key point for students
The IDC bursary covers South African students between the ages of 16 and 26 years who are or want to study fields such as engineering, business and economics, agricultural science and computer science and have a minimum of 75% for matric students and 65% for tertiary students.
Students should check the latest application information before applying, specifically the supported fields of study and closing date.
