Eskom and VUT have formed a meaningful partnership marked by a donation R2.7m, geared towards 1 040 learners through VUT’s Girls in STEMI and Winter School programmes.
The collaboration was officially celebrated during a handover ceremony at VUT’s main campus.

The initiative underscored the commitment of both institutions to empower young women and advancing gender equality. The donation will create 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.

Eskom’s collaboration with VUT’s Girls in STEMI has been running for two years now, with the winter school programme set to start in the winter of 2026.
The Winter School initiative offers extra academic support in key subjects to matric learners, both boys and girls, during the winter academic break.

Mologadi Motshele, Acting CEO of the Eskom Development Foundation, says, “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.”

VUT Vice Chancellor and Principal Khehla Ndlovu says, “Eskom’s commitment to our 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. 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.

Ndlovu said both institutions are building a diverse pipeline of talent for South Africa, lighting up futures and reshaping the nation’s story.