Rio Tinto, the global mining group, runs its South African bursaries through Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), the mineral sands operation at Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal. Rio Tinto owns 74% of RBM, a consortium that includes host communities owns 24%, and an employee trust holds the rest. Palabora Mining Company in Limpopo, once part of the Rio Tinto group, no longer appears among Rio Tinto’s African operations, so Rio Tinto’s portal is not the place to look for Palabora funding.
Where RBM’s bursary round stands
On 1 October 2026, Rio Tinto’s careers portal listed no RBM bursary for the 2027 academic year. RBM’s last round, for learners finishing Grade 12 in 2025, went up on the portal on 25 July 2025 as two adverts: one for core disciplines and one for non-core disciplines. Those adverts have since been taken down. Treat any closing date you see quoted for a 2027 RBM round with caution until RBM publishes the advert itself.
The fields in RBM’s non-core advert
RBM’s 2026 non-core advert reached well beyond mining. It covered:
- Engineering: civil, land surveying and industrial
- Sciences: computer science and data science
- Social sciences: community development, criminology and psychology
- Humanities: journalism, media and communication
- Health sciences: pharmacy, nursing and medicine
- Management sciences: economics, commerce and finance
- BA in law or safety management
A separate core-disciplines advert ran alongside it for the fields closest to RBM’s mining and smelting work. That advert is no longer online, so check the next round’s list when RBM posts it.
RBM’s last entry rules and paperwork
In the 2026 round RBM asked for South African citizens in Grade 12, with a year-mark average of at least 65%, who qualified for financial assistance. RBM said it would prioritise suitably qualified applicants from designated groups, such as women and people with disabilities, where they are under-represented. Applicants uploaded:
- A certified copy of their ID, certified within the last three months
- A full CV
- A certified Grade 12 mid-year report
- Proof of provisional acceptance at a university
- A certified ID copy of a parent or guardian, plus that person’s proof of income or payslip
- A motivation letter explaining the chosen field of study
Because RBM wants a mid-year report and a university acceptance, apply to universities early in your matric year so the acceptance letter is ready when the bursary advert appears. RBM may change these rules for the next round.
Finding the next RBM advert on Rio Tinto’s portal
RBM does not take bursary applications by email or post. Search for “bursaries” or “RBM” on Rio Tinto’s jobs portal and filter by Richards Bay. Rio Tinto’s process runs from an online application to assessments and interviews, then offers and background checks. Rio Tinto’s portal also lets you sign up to its talent network for alerts.
Other funders near the KwaZulu-Natal coast and in mining
The Tronox bursary comes from another mineral sands producer in KwaZulu-Natal. For mining-related degrees, compare the Kumba Iron Ore bursary and the wider engineering bursaries list.
Is the Rio Tinto bursary the same as the Palabora bursary?
No. Rio Tinto’s South African bursaries come from Richards Bay Minerals. Palabora Mining Company is not listed among Rio Tinto’s operations, so check with Palabora itself for any bursary it offers.