Young would-be entrepreneurs invited to enlist on fellowship programme

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Cape Town - To help grow South Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation invites eligible, would-be entrepreneurs to enlist on its 2019 Fellowship Programme. Grade 12s, as well as first and second-year university students, are urged to apply. The foundation takes a holistic approach to entrepreneurial development and believes that entrepreneurially-minded individuals, with ethical values and strong leadership skills, hold the key to change in South Africa and the globe. The 2019 Fellowship theme, 'Earn your stripes' falls in-line with the Foundation’s five pillars which include: Achievement Excellence; Intellectual Imagination; Personal Initiative; Spirit of Significance and Courageous Commitment. Further, these five pillars also encompass the foundation’s values and represent the traits it seeks and aims to develop in beneficiaries. The Fellowship Programme is one of three programmes the foundation offers in pursuit of creating a pipeline of responsible entrepreneurs.

Through its Scholarship Programme, the foundation offers high school scholarships to learners who are in financial need; have a curious, entrepreneurial mindset; and are high academic achievers. The programme focuses on nurturing the entrepreneurial mindset, personal mastery and academic excellence of scholars.

Fellowship recipients, known as Allan Gray Candidate Fellows, receive funding for university studies as well as access to support and development to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Much like the scholarship, personal leadership and academic excellence is central to the Fellowship Programme.

As a follow-on programme, the Association of Allan Gray Fellows is made up of Fellows who have completed the Fellowship Programme and have either pursued further studies, entered the world of work or started a business. The purpose of the Association is to provide support for each Fellow’s lifelong entrepreneurial journey.

Accordingly, the Fellowship Programme gives students a stepping-stone to nurture their entrepreneurial potential in order for them to grow into well-rounded, responsible entrepreneurs – but not before a rigorous selection process to ensure the right candidates are selected.

Tick-box criteria for Grade 12s:

Level 5 in Pure Mathematics for Grade 11 final results

Level 6 average for your final Grade 11 results (excluding Life Orientation)

Completion of the National Benchmark Test by 30 September 2019

Under the age of 21 in your application year

South African citizen

Intention to study towards a degree in Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine), Engineering, Law or Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS); University of Johannesburg (UJ); University of the Free State (UF); University of Cape Town (UCT); Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Rhodes University; the University of the Western Cape (UWC); University of Stellenbosch, the University of Pretoria (UP), Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) or University of Kwa Zulu Natal (UKZN).

Applications for Grade 12 learners close on 15 March 2019.

Tick-box criteria for 1st year students:

Minimum average of 65% for your 2019 mid-year (June) exam results

Studying towards a degree in Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine), Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics), Engineering or Law

Studying at one of the following universities: WITS, UJ, UCT, NMU, Rhodes, UWC, Stellenbosch, UFS, UP, TSiBA or UKZN

Applicants must be under the age of 22 in the year of their application

South African citizenship

Applications for 1st-year students close on 2 August 2019

Tick-box criteria for 2nd-year students: