Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) Bursary for 2027

The Sugar Industry Trust Fund for Education (SITFE) supports students from sugarcane-growing communities and awards a maximum of 41 full bursaries annually. The programme focuses on improving access to tertiary education in science, agriculture and engineering. The 2027 application form is available on the official SITFE website.

Applicants must be South African citizens from sugarcane-growing areas in KwaZulu-Natal or Mpumalanga and be registered or have applied for study in the faculties of Science, Engineering or Agriculture at a university, university of technology or college of agriculture. The main target group is the missing middle, with combined household income between R350,000 and R600,000. Children of sugarcane farm workers may apply for any field of study and are exempt from the missing-middle income requirement.

The form states that applications must reach the South African Sugar Association by Monday, 30 November 2026. It also asks applicants to provide certified identity and academic information and, where applicable, proof of a family member’s employment in the sugar industry. Applicants should use the current online form or download and email the form to [email protected].