Vision
- to identify potential leaders from the wider Stellenbosch community, who have academic promise, but lack sufficient funding to study at a tertiary level; and
- to support their journey to personal and academic independence.
Mission
We support our vision by:
- recruiting at least one bursar per year
- providing tailored personal and academic mentoring and financial support to our bursars.
Intended Outcomes
- Graduates who can develop into leaders with a commitment to serving communities in the broad South African arena
- Creation of more educational opportunities for the wider Stellenbosch community.
How to Apply:
Applications for 2027 are open!
Apply between August 1 and December 5 2026
NB: STUCET does not support other funding requests.
Support this Initiative:
Become a Donor:
Your donation, however small, will help to bridge the gap between a standard state grant and the actual cost of accommodation, fees, transport, specialised technology and other essentials. Providing complementary finance removes financial anxiety and other obstacles to successful completion of a degree programme. Your donation can make a difference. Please email donor@stucet.co.za for further information.
Bank Details:
Stellenbosch United Church Education Trust
Standard Bank
Acc No: 270 237 070
Branch Code: 050610
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
Become a Mentor:
If you would like to journey alongside one of our bursars, and have a specialisation in engineering, commerce/accountancy, science or languages, please contact us by emailing admin@stucet.co.za
Board Members
Elaine Ridge
Commitment to developing potential
Richard Jones
Commitment to scrupulous financial management
Anthony Robinson
Commitment to inclusion
Peter Koch
Commitment to removing obstacles for those eager to learn
Ulrike Reuter
Commitment to overcoming obstacles to quality of life
About Elaine
Elaine Ridge, one of the founding trustees, taught at schools in South Africa, England and Scotland, lectured at three universities and supervised research students to PhD level. She devised (and for several years ran) a special course at Stellenbosch for Gabonese English teachers. She has also written or co-authored several widely-used school textbooks. In addition to her work for STUCET, she serves on a number of cultural and education committees.
About Richard
Chairperson Richard Jones, one of the founding trustees of STUCET, started his career as a part-time musician, while working for a firm of chartered accountants in Durban. At the time of his retirement, he was the managing director of a public unlisted company. Richard has served on a variety of committees, trusts and councils related to sport, church and the financial world. Of particular relevance, is his role on the Council of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
About Anthony
After a few years in the ministry, Anthony (Tony) Robinson had a very happy ten-year spell training and tutoring Architecture students at CPUT. He also served on the Drakensberg Presbytery Education Trust committee. When he re-entered the full-time ministry in 2007, he served an inner-city community and had a chance to get to know homeless people. This gave him a new appreciation of how key education is to creating opportunities
About Peter
Peter has a firm belief in education as the cornerstone of transformation in South Africa. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and is now an Associate Director of Pegasys Consulting. Apart from his work with STUCET, he also serves as trustee and Treasurer for the Pebbles Project, an NGO focused on farming communities in the winelands.
About Ulrike
Ulrike Reuter’s career as an occupational therapist with a special interest in child development ranges from rural Namibia to work in Cambridge and Norwich in the UK, and in the Stellenbosch- Helderberg area. Since 2009 she has been actively involved in a dynamic clinical medical research team in the field of rheumatology, and does HR management of the Winelands Rheumatology and Winelands Medical Research Centres in Stellenbosch.
Heidi Arndt van Niekerk
Commitment to using data to contribute to a better life for all
Howard Reader
Commitment to flag-shipping South African talent on an international scale
About Heidi
Heidi Arndt van Niekerk is a data science specialist with a particular interest in health informatics. Her career has included consulting at Accenture, and working in risk management at Wells Fargo Bank and in the field of health informatics at Medi-Clinic. Having retired from her role as a data engineer, she has returned to academia and is putting her PhD in Information Science (SU) from Stellenbosch University to good use. She is assisting STADIO to launch its Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science.
About Howard
Howard studied electronic engineering and spent thirty years in academia in South Africa. After taking early retirement from Stellenbosch University, he moved to Austria to work in a creative engineering company operating in the power utility industry. After 5 years there, he returned to South Africa to continue his long-standing development interests in South Africa’s Square Kilometre Array activities. This is considered a flagship project for development in Southern African science and engineering sectors. Howard has always had strong interests in educational development.