Dube TradePort Corporation is the KwaZulu-Natal state-owned company that runs the special economic zone and cargo terminal beside King Shaka International Airport. Its Financial Assistance Programme helps KwaZulu-Natal residents pay for tertiary study in fields linked to the zone’s work. The latest intake, which Dube TradePort ran through the SA Youth platform, has closed, and the company has not said when the next one opens.
Fields Dube TradePort supports
Dube TradePort says it currently assists students in five areas:
- engineering
- agriculture
- information technology
- maritime studies
- built environment
KZN residence and a place at an institution
Dube TradePort sets two basic conditions on its own site. You must live in KwaZulu-Natal and show a real interest in tertiary study. You must also already hold an acceptance or provisional acceptance, or at least a Central Applications Office (CAO) application receipt. Matric learners who have applied through the CAO can therefore apply before final admission comes through.
Dube TradePort’s corporate social investment report lists 22 students on the scheme, with an investment of R1.2 million. The company does not publish a breakdown of what each award pays for.
Applying through SA Youth
Dube TradePort does not take paper or email applications for this programme. The “Apply Now” button on the Dube TradePort careers page sends students to an opportunity on SA Youth, the free national youth jobs and opportunities platform. That opportunity now shows as closed. Create an SA Youth profile in advance so that you can apply quickly when Dube TradePort posts a new intake, and check the careers page for the new link.
The same page covers the company’s internship and in-service programmes, which Dube TradePort usually opens in February. Those suit students who need workplace experience to finish a diploma.
More funding for KwaZulu-Natal students
Durban students should look at the eThekwini Municipality Student Relief Fund, and engineering students at the uMngeni-uThukela Water bursary. The KZN provincial government bursaries cover a wider range of fields through different departments.