South African Lottery Operator, ITHUBA, has recently awarded over 40 bursaries for the 2023 academic year to students from around the country studying in the fields of Marketing, Information Technology, and Commerce. The ITHUBA Bursary Programme aims to bridge the social and economic divides in the education sector by providing first and second-year students with academic tuition, technology equipment, stationery, lodging, living expenses, and monthly allowances. The support extends to mentorship, coaching, and ICAS services for mental and emotional well-being.
To qualify for the bursary programme, academic excellence is essential. Financial and family circumstances are also carefully considered, and students must motivate how they will pay it forward to their communities. To increase opportunities for students who cannot afford tertiary education and to further the philosophy of ITHUBA Holdings of changing lives, the National Lottery Operator, ITHUBA Bursary Programme, was founded.
The bursary strives to make a sustainable educational impact by increasing expertise and key skills for the South African market. “The bursary programme has impacted numerous lives, and the recent bursary recipients have been placed at some of the most prestigious leading universities in South Africa.”
“Having always been passionate about education, I believe education is a critical contributing factor to economic growth”, says Mrs. C Mabuza, co-founder of ITHUBA Bursary Programme.
The ITHUBA Bursary has transformed the lives of many students, including Itumeleng Raleting, a former recipient who is now a finance intern at the Mohokare Local Municipality. Raleting spent two years working as a petrol attendant in the Free State before being selected as a recipient, while his parents were informal street traders who relied on social grant to survive. Raleting’s passion for numbers led him to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting.
Raleting says that ITHUBA has saved his life and he is now in a position to improve the socio-economic status of his family and possibly those around him. He believes that the company has helped him break generational poverty through education. Mabuza also echoes this sentiment, as she believes that education is one of the primary resources for change.
Phathiswa Myeni is another success story from the Bursary Programme. Myeni is from Durban and works in the Investment Banking Consulting sector. She is proud to say that with the help of this bursary, she completed her Degree in Finance and secured a job in consulting.
Thulisile Ntuli a new recipient studying Information Technology at the University of Free State, says she chose this field of study to bring her digital world ideas to life. Ntuli believes that the bursary has propelled her to move closer to her dreams. It has enabled her to focus solely on her studies without worrying about her financial situation and paying her tuition fees.
The ITHUBA bursary prides itself on building success through assessments, constant monitoring and personal support of students, helping them reach their academic goals. Each student is valuable, as evident by the support the bursary provides to empower.
The ITHUBA Bursary Programme has significantly contributed to ITHUBA’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives. Education is an important cornerstone for ITHUBA’s CSI initiatives, as it speaks to the heart of Ubuntu and the spirit of paying it forward. Through the Bursary, the company strives to assist students who have the potential to improve their personal and family lives, leaving them with a legacy that will change their lives and those of generations to come.
