Beyond Bursaries: How Steinmüller Africa’s Comprehensive Support Transforms Lives

Johannesburg, South Africa – August 4, 2025, Engineering student Londiwe Maseko’s journey from an underprivileged background to near-graduation shows that bursary success requires more than money.

When 12-year-old Londiwe lost her father, her world collapsed. The middle child of five in a single-parent household, she watched her retail-worker mother struggle to make ends meet. Like many in her situation, Londiwe assumed her future would mirror her mother’s, a life limited to retail work.

Just four months from completing her fourth year of engineering at North-West University, Londiwe’s story illustrates the importance of bursaries that offer more than financial assistance. Steinmüller Africa’s bursary programme sets itself apart by building human connections that ensure success.

Support Through Setbacks

“When I gave up on myself, they didn’t,” says Londiwe, reflecting on the comprehensive support that carried her through two failed academic years and a traumatic accident involving a delivery bike.

While many bursary programmes stop at covering tuition fees, Steinmüller Africa’s programme extends far beyond the basics. It includes textbooks, a laptop, excursions, and even vacation work opportunities. But crucially, it also provides counselling services and regular check-in calls during difficult periods, support elements often absent from traditional bursary schemes.

“When I wanted to give up, I received supportive calls from Wilmé,” says Londiwe. She is referring to Wilmé van Niekerk, Training Coordinator at Steinmüller Africa. Londiwe explains that Wilmé’s supportive calls gave her the strength to overcome academic struggles and personal trauma, enabling her to transition from residential housing to independent off-campus living with her adequate stipend support.

Breaking Generational Cycles

Londiwe’s transformation began with an act of faith. To attend her bursary application interview, she accepted a lift from strangers, her only transportation option. Her worried mother called “every two minutes” during the journey.

That leap of faith honoured a promise her late father made when she was just four years old: “You are going to be an engineer.” His words, spoken years before his death, planted a seed that Steinmüller Africa’s programme helped nurture into reality.

The impact extends beyond Londiwe. Her youngest sister is now also studying mechanical engineering, evidence of how one transformed life can influence an entire family.

Paying It Forward

“God can still change your story,” Londiwe advises young people facing similar circumstances, “Keep on believing.”

Her experience has inspired a personal mission: to support upcoming engineers in her future career, creating a ripple effect of opportunity that extends Steinmüller Africa’s impact far beyond individual recipients.

About Steinmüller Africa’s Bursary Programme

Steinmüller Africa’s comprehensive bursary programme demonstrates that sustainable educational support requires more than financial assistance. By providing academic resources, accommodation support, career development opportunities, and ongoing mentorship, the programme addresses the full spectrum of challenges facing disadvantaged students.