The Sishen Iron Ore Company Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT) invests in the Northern Cape and Limpopo communities linked to Sishen Iron Ore Company’s mining. Education and skills development form one of the trust’s focus areas, and the SIOC-CDT bursary is its route into post-matric study. SIOC-CDT is taking applications for the 2027 academic year now, and the round closes at 12:00 (midday) on 30 November 2026.
Five municipalities, one bursary
SIOC-CDT only funds people who live in, or come from, its beneficiary areas. The 2027 application form names five:
- Ga-Segonyana (Kuruman area)
- Joe Morolong
- Gamagara (Kathu and surrounds)
- Tsantsabane (Postmasburg area)
- Thabazimbi in Limpopo
You will need a recent proof of residence to back this up, such as a municipal account, a bank statement showing your address, a letter from your landlord or an affidavit from your local councillor.
The 65% average and R600 000 income ceiling
SIOC-CDT’s selection partner, Dux Powered by People Dynamics, warns applicants that the trust will not consider anyone who misses a single requirement. For 2027 you must:
- be a South African citizen;
- be 35 or younger on 30 November 2026;
- have an average of at least 65% in your latest results (Grade 12 June or prelim results, first-semester university results, or final results);
- come from a household with a gross income below R600 000 a year, counting both parents if both work;
- have applied to, or been accepted (even provisionally) by, a recognised public university or TVET college.
Matriculants, current students and people who left their studies and want to return can all apply: the form asks what you studied before and why you stopped. Applicants living with a disability attach a medical certificate. The online form says you must study full-time, while the PDF form offers a part-time tick box, so part-time students should confirm with SIOC-CDT before relying on the bursary.
Applying online or at the Kathu and Thabazimbi offices
SIOC-CDT prefers online applications. Start from the SIOC-CDT 2027 bursary page, which links to the online application form on the Dux website. You do not need to register or log in, and Dux takes WhatsApp questions about the process on 060 656 1305.
If you prefer paper, download the 2027 SIOC-CDT application form (PDF), fill it in legibly and deliver it yourself to one of these offices before midday on 30 November 2026:
- SIOC-CDT Office Park, corner of Hendrick van Eck and Ian Flemming Road, Kathu
- Thabazimbi Hub, Mollies Building, 11 Jourdan Street, Thabazimbi
The trust makes you responsible for proving that a hand-delivered form arrived on time, so keep proof of delivery.
Documents that sink an application if missing
SIOC-CDT rejects incomplete applications outright. Certified copies must be less than three months old. Prepare:
- your South African ID, certified;
- your latest academic results, plus a certified NSC certificate if you matriculated in an earlier year;
- proof of application, acceptance or registration at a public institution;
- recent proof of residence;
- proof of income for each parent or guardian (latest payslip, a certified declaration of unemployment or a SASSA grant certificate);
- a full three months of bank statements for each parent or guardian, with no missing pages, or your own if you have no parent or guardian.
After 30 November: final results by 14 January
An application only counts as complete once SIOC-CDT receives your final results for the year, either your matric results or your institution’s official results. The form sets 12:00 on 14 January 2027 as the cut-off and notes that the date may change. Dux emails applicants a link for uploading these results, so watch the inbox you gave on the form. SIOC-CDT contacts only short-listed candidates, who then go to an interview.
Students from the Northern Cape iron ore belt can also look at the Kumba Iron Ore bursary, which recruits for the mines themselves, and the Motsepe Foundation bursary. More options sit on our general bursaries page.
Can I apply if I already study at university?
Yes. The 2027 form has sections for current tertiary students, who submit proof of registration and an academic record, and for people who studied before and want to return.
Do private colleges qualify for SIOC-CDT funding?
The requirements ask for proof of application or acceptance at a recognised public institution of higher learning, so plan on a public university or TVET college.