Growing up, Sonia Malinga (23) from Piet Retief, Mpumalanga dreamt of becoming a doctor - until she explored different career paths in her final year of school.
“After I learned of Supply Chain and Logistics Management, I would sit and watch the trucks drive in and out of my hometown and wonder who was ensuring that the quantity of goods was correct and that they arrived at the correct delivery point. That’s when I realised I had found my passion,” she explains.
Malinga obtained a BCom Honours degree in Logistics Management at the University of Johannesburg and started her career with Shoprite as a Distribution Centre Trainee Manager in February 2021. She was recently promoted to Store Replenishment Analyst.
“I knew that a Shoprite bursary would allow me to finish my studies without worrying about finances and a job working for Africa’s largest retailer, that’s why I applied for the bursary.”
- Sonia Malinga, Store Replenishment Analyst at Shoprite
“Working for Shoprite has been life-changing – it has broadened my knowledge of the retail industry, taught me even more about Logistics Management, enabled me to continuously develop my skills and advance in my career relatively quickly,” she adds.
Applications for the Shoprite Group’s all-inclusive bursary programme are now open for the 2023 academic year. The bursaries – which include tuition fees, on-campus accommodation and work-back agreements – offer high-performing students an opportunity to further their studies and then go on to work for South Africa’s largest private employer.
Registered university students with a 65% aggregate or higher are encouraged to apply by visiting the bursaries page before 31 August 2022.