Harmony is investing in our country’s youth through education to enable them to survive, thrive, transform our world, and deliver a
better future for all of us.
For these reasons, Harmony has rewarded 100 top matriculants with free laptops and other basic tertiary education tools in
recognition of their outstanding performance.
The move to celebrate the achievements of the class of 2022 is part of a joint venture with the Department of Basic Education.
“We believe it is important to recognise excellence among high school graduates who have excelled in their studies,” says Mashego
Mashego, Executive Director: Corporate Affairs at Harmony Gold.
Harmony is South Africa’s largest gold producer by volume, operating in the Gauteng, Free State and North-West provinces.
“We hold annual Matric Excellence Awards in Gauteng, North-West and Free State provinces, where the best performers are awarded
laptops and other tools to support tertiary education. These provinces represent the footprint of Harmony’s mining communities in
South Africa.”
Harmony considers Responsible Stewardship to be one of the key strategic pillars guiding its social investment plans, with education
remaining the main underlying priority.
For this reason, Harmony’s CEO Financial Support Program was introduced in 2021 to support the so-called “missing middle”, i.e.,
learners who have passed Matric and are in their first year of university, who did not qualify for bursaries and are unable to qualify for
the national NSFAS loan.
This means that Harmony invests R3 million each year on 30 first-year students who did not qualify for a scholarship and are not
eligible for the NFSAS loan.
“Although our support for learners goes back decades, in the last 5 years we have implemented over 900 school projects, sponsored
over 350 bursaries and offered internships to 349 students in the various disciplines of our company – all of these beneficiaries are from
our mining communities,” said Mashego.
He also thanked the Department of Basic Education and local community representatives who have continuously assisted the company
in identifying students and schools that need help and support.
“You have helped us reach out to students in child-headed households, students participating in school feeding programs, schools in
need of science and computer labs, students in need of learning support and the list goes on,” Mashego said. “Thank you for joining
Harmony in creating a better world for these students.”
