The Rio Tinto Bursary is offered by the Rio Tinto Group which is a group that owns Richards Bay Minerals (RBM). The group was founded in 1976 as a South African company. Rio Tinto bought 74% stake on RBM followed by Horizon Investments and the rest is owned by the employees.
Located on the north side of KwaZulu Natal province RBM produces titanium dioxide from mineral sand deposits of the mineral-rich sand dunes in the region.
WHAT IS RIO TINTO/RICHARDS BAY MINERALS (RBM) BURSARY?
The Rio Tinto/RBM Bursary is a financial assistance that gets awarded to applicants who meet eligibility requirements. It provides funding for Undergraduate studies in selected fields of study. Successful applicants receive assistance with tuition, books, meals and more
RIO TINTO/RICHARDS BAY MINERALS (RBM) BURSARY – STUDY FIELDS
Rio Tinto invites applications from students who wish to secure financial assistance in a form of a bursary. The bursary award is available to the following fields of study:
Core Fields of Study:
- Engineering: Extractive Metallurgy, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (BSc or BEng)
- Sciences: Environmental Science, Geology (BSc)
Non-Core Fields of Study:
- Law and Safety: Bachelor of Arts in Law, Safety Management
- Engineering: Civil Engineering, Land Surveying, Industrial Engineering
- Health Sciences: Pharmacy, Nursing, Medicine
- Humanities: Journalism, Media and Communication
- Management Sciences: Economics, Commerce, Finance
- Information Technology: Computer Science, Data Science
- Social Sciences: Community Development, Criminology, Psychology
Is this not your match? Read similar Engineering Bursaries and Scholarships that are OPEN for application for 2026 academic year. Aternatively, browse through other Bursaries OPEN for applications in South Africa.
Richards Bay Minerals remains committed to develop and expand South Africa’s skills base. We provide bursary opportunities to South Africans to acquire qualifications and skills to develop a career in Core – Mining or Non-core disciplines.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RIO TINTO/RBM BURSARY
For your application to be considered you need to meet the following criteria set by the company:
- Be a South African citizen
- Matric Term Results with Maths and/Science for Engineering Disciplines
- Matric Term results with minimum Level 5 pass per subject for Other Disciplines
- Studying full-time within one of the aforementioned fields of study
- Currently in your Matric OR 1st year of study
- Studying at a recognised tertiary institute in South Africa
- In financial need
- Passionate about your field of study
- Applications from students with disabilities are welcome
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO APPLY FOR THE RIO TINTO/RBM BURSARY
- STEP 1 – Visit the official Rio Tinto/Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) Application 2026 dedicated page
- STEP 2 – Read through all requirements before you apply
- STEP 3 – Click the APPLY button
- STEP 4 – Complete the application form
- STEP 5 – Attach all required documents
- STEP 6 – Submit your application before the closing date
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
There is a set of documents all applicants need to submit for the purpose of application assessment. Please submit copies of the following documents:
- ID document (certified copy)
- Matric Term Results (certified copy)
- Matric certificate (certified copy)
- Full tertiary academic record (certified copy)
- Proof of registration at a tertiary institution
- Motivation letter for chosen field of study
- Proof of financial need (parent/guardian payslip or affidavit)
CLOSING DATE FOR THE RIO TINTO/RICHARDS BAY MINERALS (RBM) BURSARY
Applications for 2026 academic year are now open. We will confirm the new closing date once it is out. Late submissions will result in your disqualification.
BURSARY PROVIDER’S CONTACT DETAILS
If you have queries regarding to this bursary opportunity and you wish to contact the provider, you can use the following contact details:
Email address: recruitment.support@riotinto.com
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Grads24 helping you find a bursary that matches your financial & academic needs! This article was last updated in July 2025.