Masicorp’s first tertiary-level scholars: Olwethu’s story

Olwethu Mlaza is the one of the first Masicorp-funded Bursary graduates. He joined the programme in 2006, and in 2009 graduated with a Nation Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. By 2015 Olwethu had added three qualifications to his name while working full time; GCC (Government certificate of competence), two of which were from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, B-Tech Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Project Management.

When Olwethu graduated in 2015 from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a double qualification B-Tech Degree in both Mechanical Engineering and Project Management, he added a third string to his bow – as one of the first Masicorp-funded graduates.

Olwethu and his brother had been raised by their mother in a community near to Masiphumelele, and as a hard-working pupil, Olwethu desperately wanted the opportunity to pursue further education. Having graduated from school with successful results, Olwethu heard about Masicorp’s scholarships programme and successfully applied.

Leveraging this opportunity, Olwethu attained two B-Tech Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Project Management, and worked his way from his post as a Junior Technician in the automotive industry in 2008 to his current role as Operations Director at a global FMCG company.

This is a heart-warming story of how gifts from supporters of Masicorp, like you, can be magnified through the hard work and determination of individuals like Olwethu, and transform lives for generations to come.

Not only did Olwethu maximise the opportunity he was given by Masicorp, building a career and providing security for his family, but he valued it so much, he now gives back financially to support Masicorp’s work, allowing future generations to follow in his footsteps and carve a new path for themselves.

Olwethu said, “I would like to thank Masicorp for supporting me so generously. This scholarship has enabled me to follow my passion for studying  Engineering and positively affect people around me”.

With your help, we can continue to transform lives for communities in Masiphumelele for another 20 years.

Masicorp’s mission is to end poverty through education. One of the ways we achieve this, is through our range of programmes, which included the highly successful university bursary programme. This offered financial and mentoring support to students undertaking courses at local universities/colleges. Starting from just three students in 2009 we have supported over 50 students with their studies. Recently, owing to the recent changes in state funding for students and the rapid increase in university fees,  we made the decision in 2019 to relaunch the bursary programme, under two umbrellas: Pathways (for Matric students) and the Masicorp Fellowship Programme. Find out more here.