Only 10 bursary places are open at Northam Platinum’s Booysendal Mine, and applications close on 3 November 2026. If you are in Matric or already studying towards a career in mining, engineering, geology, chemistry or Human Resources, this Northam Booysendal bursary could take the money stress out of your 2027 studies. But places are few, and every year strong students miss out over small errors, like the wrong mark threshold or a missing certified copy. Here is exactly what you need to apply properly.
What is this bursary about?
Northam Platinum is offering bursaries through its Booysendal Mine for the 2027 study year. There are 10 places spread across five study-field groups. The reference number is BDHR26/26. The funding amount and expense breakdown are not published, so you must confirm the details directly with Northam before you build a budget around it.
Study fields and places available
- Mining Engineering: 3 places
- Electrical or Mechanical Engineering: 2 shared places
- Metallurgical Engineering or Analytical Chemistry: 2 shared places
- Geology: 2 places
- Human Resources: 1 place
The paired disciplines share one allocation. Two places for Electrical/Mechanical Engineering does not mean two for each field. Write the exact name of your qualification clearly in your CV and email so the screeners can place you in the correct group. If you are comparing other engineering bursaries, always check the supported qualification first. A similar course name does not automatically make you eligible.
Who can apply?
If you are currently in Matric (school route)
- Grade 11 or Grade 12 mid-year results
- Mathematics: 60% or higher
- Physical Science: 60% or higher
- Language: 60% or higher
Your final National Senior Certificate results will still count in the funding decision. For example, a learner with 65% in Maths, 62% in Science and 55% in Language would miss the Language threshold required of current learners. Keep pushing on that mark while you apply.
General technical category
- Grade 12 qualification
- Mathematics: at least 60%
- Physical Science: at least 60%
- Language: at least 50%
This is where many applicants go wrong. If you are still in Matric, use the higher 60% Language mark from the school route. The lower 50% threshold belongs to the general technical category only.
Human Resources (non-technical)
- Grade 12 qualification
- Language: 60% or higher
HR is the listed non-technical field, and it carries only one place. If your school subjects do not match the technical list, ask Northam how this category is assessed. Do not assume the non-technical route automatically waives the school-learner conditions.
If you are already at a tertiary institution
- A minimum 60% aggregate in your major subjects
- An academic record showing those results
- Proof of registration or acceptance, as applicable
Use your institution’s official academic record to find your major-subject marks. An overall average across all modules is not the same as the major-subject requirement, and mixing the two up is a common rejection reason.
What do you gain?
The advert does not state the bursary value or which costs are covered. That is common with mining bursaries, but it means the responsibility sits with you to ask. Before you commit to any study costs, request written answers on:
- Which expenses are covered, such as fees, books or accommodation
- How and when payments are made
- Whether renewal conditions or post-study work obligations apply
Never treat an expense as covered if it is not written into the agreement. Get the funding terms in writing before you spend money you cannot recover.
How to apply, step by step
- Match your field and marks. Compare your subjects and results against the correct category above, and note anything you need to ask Northam about.
- Collect your documents. You will need an updated, comprehensive CV; a certified ID copy; certified qualification certificates and relevant results; school results for your learner category; a full academic record if you are studying; and proof of tertiary acceptance or registration.
- Check the community-stamp question. Confirm with Northam whether your CV needs a community stamp. If it does, find out which local office can assist long before the deadline.
- Email your complete application to [email protected]. Check the address spelling carefully before you send.
- Use this subject line: BURSARIES (REF: BDHR26/26).
- Send before 3 November 2026. Open every attachment to confirm it works, then keep a copy of the sent email as your proof.
Keep the email short. State your intended field and whether you are in Matric or already studying. Make sure every detail matches your CV and academic record exactly.
Tips to improve your chances
Check your scans before attaching anything. Open each file and confirm your name, marks and certification details are readable. Blurry scans are a silent application killer. Name your files clearly, for example “Surname_Academic_Record.pdf”, so you never attach the wrong document.
Many applicants also struggle with timing. Apply well before the closing date, because last-minute problems like an uncertified copy or a missing stamp cannot be fixed on deadline day. And keep your study-place arrangements moving in parallel. Acceptance at a university and bursary selection are two different things. One does not guarantee the other.
What happens after you apply?
Only shortlisted candidates will receive feedback. If you hear nothing within 21 days after the closing date, you should regard your application as unsuccessful. That is hard to read, but it is honest. With only 10 places, competition is real, and no bursary can promise you a spot.
So protect yourself. Compare other bursaries on SETA Careers while you wait, and keep a separate checklist of each programme’s requirements and deadline. One application should never be your only plan.
Your next steps
Start with your Language mark and your study category. Those two details decide which requirements actually apply to you. Then gather your certified documents, confirm the community-stamp question, and place BDHR26/26 in your email subject line.
Send your complete application before 3 November 2026. Keep the sent email safe, keep working towards your required marks, and keep exploring your funding options. You are building a career, one careful step at a time.