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Eskom has partnered with the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) by donating R2.7 million, that will benefit 1,040 learners through Campus’ Girls in STEMI and Winter School programmes.
The collaboration was officially celebrated during a handover ceremony at VUT’s main campus, Vanderbijlpark on Wednesday.
Timed to coincide with Women’s Month, this initiative underscores both institutions’ commitment to empowering young women and advancing gender equality, a statement read.
The donation will directly support VUT’s Girls in STEMI Programme and Winter school initiative, creating greater opportunities for learners to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Innovation (STEMI), fields that are critical to the country’s economic growth.
Whereas the winter school programme is set to start in the winter of 2026, Eskom’s collaboration with VUT’s Girls in STEMI has been running for two years now.
In addition to the Girls in STEMI programme, which focuses on opening pathways for young women into technical careers, the Winter School initiative offers extra academic support in key subjects to matric learners, both boys and girls during the winter academic break.
Together, these programmes will reach and benefit a total of 1,040 learners.
Eskom Development Foundation Acting CEO, Mologadi Motshele, stressed that the collaboration between Eskom and VUT demonstrates the power of partnership in driving transformation and excellence.
“Through this investment, we are shaping South Africa’s future by empowering young women with dedicated support, while ensuring all learners have access to high-quality technical education,” she added.
Eskom’s commitment to STEMI programme
Professor Khehla Ndlovu, VUT Vice Chancellor and Principal stated that Eskom’s commitment to their STEMI and Winter School programmes is not just a corporate gesture, it is a catalytic force for transformation.
“As Vice-Chancellor, I see daily how opportunity changes lives: a young learner gains confidence in mathematics, a girl discovers a future in engineering, and communities are lifted.
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“With Eskom’s support, we are not simply running programmes, we are rewriting futures by empowering hundreds more to break barriers in science and technology, to aspire and to achieve.
“Together, we are building a diverse pipeline of talent for South Africa, lighting up futures and reshaping our nation’s story,” he concluded.
