The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) hosted a career expo in Ntafufu, Eastern Cape Province today, Tuesday, to equip learners from local high schools with information that they can use to inform their career choices. SANRAL also used the career expo to share information on its scholarship and bursary programmes.
The career expo scholarship and bursary drives are part of SANRAL’s nationwide roadshows to visit high school learners in previously disadvantaged communities who do not have access to information, particularly those who are in rural and remote areas.
Welekazi Ndika, SANRAL’s Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator for the Southern Region, encouraged learners to focus on their studies and make an extra effort in excelling to meet minimum requirements that are stipulated by universities and other institutions of higher learning and training.
“Our scholarship programme is available to learners from grades eight to 12, regardless of their subjects of choice. If you achieve an overall aggregate of 60% and above on your studies, you are eligible to apply for a scholarship at SANRAL,” said Ndika.
SANRAL’s scholarship programme pays for school fees, stationery, school uniforms and hostel accommodation where necessary.
Ndika said that the roads agency also offered a bursary programme for those learners who wanted to study career fields such as legal, finance and human resources. SANRAL’s bursary programme was previously only available to civil engineering students and those who wanted to pursue careers in the related fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
During the 2020/21 financial year SANRAL awarded 220 scholarships at a total investment of R7m, and 100 bursaries at a total investment of R8m in the Eastern Cape.
Using words of motivation, Tru FM presenter Apostle Batandwa Kwatsha encouraged the learners to look for mentors in their communities. “Always know that you will always get a second chance in life. Take care of yourself and know that your well-being is important, not to be associated with people who will drag you down. I encourage you all to make use of these opportunities offered by SANRAL and study further enough to improve not only your lives, but also of those that brought you into this world. I wish you wealth – including wealth of knowledge – and strive to make a difference both in your homes and communities that you live in,” she said.
Echoing Apostle Kwatsha’s encouraging words, Phiwaba Ngozi, a local councillor, encouraged the learners not to be deterred by their upbringing and where they come from. She also thanked SANRAL for convening the career expo.
Learners attended local schools including Ntafufu Senior Secondary School, Ben Mali Senior Secondary School, Sobaba Senior Secondary School, and Toli Senior Secondary School.
SANRAL also hosted a quiz for the learners to make them aware of its distinct mandate to finance, improve, manage, and maintain the national road network, often referred to as the “economic arteries” of South Africa.
The winning school Toli won a project to the value of R100 000 (incl VAT); the 12 participants each received a back-pack and the three top learners each won a tablet.
Applications for bursaries and scholarships close on 30 September 2022 and are available on the SANRAL website.
