Second-year civil engineering student Lethabo Matabane, who is a member of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (Saice), has received a bursary from engineering services multinational Egis.

The bursary will cover her tuition fees, textbooks and residence accommodation costs, as well as provide her with mentorship based on her studies and professional objectives.

The bursary is part of a partnership between Saice and Egis to drive their vision of prioritising education, skills and development through the successful awarding of a bursary in civil engineering.

Matabane's academic and extracurricular activities, as well as her personality, made her the successful recipient of the Egis bursary programme, the organisations say.

“The bursary has given me the opportunity to study further, which would have not been possible otherwise. I now have the opportunity to change my future and the future of so many others through engineering,” comments 20-year-old Matabane.

“The mentorship programme with Egis enables me to grow more confident about my career choice and how to achieve the goals I have set for myself and, through Saice, there are opportunities to access the corporate world by networking with learned and experienced engineers and keeping abreast of exciting new developments and projects.”

Egis Operation South Africa CEO Laurent Bouchacourt explains that partnerships in South Africa’s private sector are critical to help students, such as Matabane, to access opportunities and build a brighter and better future.

“The bursary is just one part of the journey and is built further to help with the transition between the academic and the corporate world. We value the work Saice does in identifying young talent at an early stage and helping those candidates embrace opportunities.

"It is important for Egis to align with a brand, Saice, that we already have an established partnership with, and which encompasses the same vision and values with regards to education,” he says.

South Africa's private sector must continue to drive partnerships that enhance the education of our young people, which he believes will go a long way in developing South Africa’s future leaders.

Such partnerships must extend beyond just tuition fees and financial provisions to include a holistic vision that includes mentoring, training and development, adds Bouchacourt.

“Saice and Egis strongly advocate for striving for excellence and embracing education as a tool to improve society for a better future for all. In South Africa, the policies around redress and securing the intellectual capital of our country are present, but the process needs to be grown and encouraged and we must all do our part to invest in a better tomorrow for all through education,” he explains.

Saice remains committed to playing an active and instrumental role in the development of graduates and young professionals, as well as in student initiatives across South Africa, with the aim to provide civil engineering students with opportunities and keeping them up to date with what is happening in industry, says Saice CEO Vishaal Lutchman.