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Scholarships & Bursaries

“Every child deserves the right to leave her own unique mark on the world.”

Scholarships
Bursaries

Sports and Cultural Scholarships

Scholarships Overview

Roedean Scholarships are decided entirely on merit. Each Scholarship is a partial financial contribution towards the Roedean academic school fee account. No contribution will be made towards accommodation in boarding.

Roedean offers five scholarships annually:

  • Anne Cleaver Scholarship (Academic) – up to two term’s fees
  • Joan Raikes (Academic) up to one term’s fees – available to external candidates only
  • Ella Le Maitre (Academic) up to one term’s fees
  • Sport (excellence in one or more of Roedean’s offered sporting codes) – up to one term’s fees
  • Culture (excellence in Music, Drama and/or Visual Art) – up to one term’s fees

All applications will be considered by a 12-member Bursary and Scholarship Committee which is made up of school staff members, Board members and SAORA members. Offers for scholarships will be made in the second week of March 2026.

Sports and Cultural Scholarships

General Criteria

In order to be considered for any of these scholarships, applicants need to apply to Roedean and must write the Proficiency Assessment at the school in the first week of February.

Students who excel in the Proficiency Assessment will be invited to take an Academic Scholarship Exam in mid-February.

All students who write the proficiency assessment are eligible to apply for the Sports or Cultural Scholarships. Motivation applications need to be submitted to lvanbiljon@roedeanschool.co.za

Other criteria:

  • Must be in Lower V (Grade 8) on entry.
  • Only candidates who have applied to and been accepted by Roedean School (SA) will be considered.
  • This scholarship will be awarded at the discretion of the Senior School Head, acting in consultation with the Bursary & Scholarship Committee.
  • The student will be selected according to the criteria of outstanding contributions, whether by way of meritorious cultural or sporting achievement.
  • The scholarship is partially funded and does not account for textbooks, uniforms, school activities and any extras whatsoever.
  • The student and at least one parent should be a South African citizen or have permanent residence. Roedean reserves the right to request proof of this information.
  • The school reserves the right not to award the scholarship.

Sports & Cultural Scholarships

Further Award Criteria

Detailed Criteria

Sports Scholarships

  • The candidate should be of provincial standard in at least one sport and proof of provincial colours should be submitted with the application. The student should play at least two other sports offered at Roedean School (SA) at A-team standard.
  • No award will be made if the level of skill and/or ability demonstrated is not high enough to justify it. The award is subject to the student maintaining a high standard of academic work, sporting achievement, and conduct.
  • The financial position of the parents is not a criterion.
  • The decisions of the Bursary & Scholarship Committee in awarding this scholarship will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • In making an application, a detailed Grade 6 report will be required. In addition, any talent displayed by the student in sporting and culture activities should be mentioned. We reserve the right to request a letter of recommendation from the head of the school which the student currently attends.
  • Unsuccessful students are not under any obligation whatsoever to attend Roedean School (SA).

Further Award Criteria

Cultural Scholarship

  • On receipt of an application form and a portfolio of evidence of cultural achievement, an interview will be scheduled at which the student will be required to demonstrate her skills in the discipline of choice, as detailed below.
  • No award will be made if the level of skill and/or ability demonstrated is not high enough to justify it. The award is subject to the student maintaining a high standard of academic work, cultural achievement and conduct.
  • The financial position of the parents is not a criterion.
  • The decision of the Bursary & Scholarship Committee in awarding this scholarship will be final and no correspondence will be entered into in this regard.
  • In making an application, a detailed Grade 6 report will be required. In addition, any talent displayed by the student in the fields of sporting, music, dramatic arts and/or visual arts should be mentioned. We reserve the right to request a letter of recommendation from the head of the school which the student currently attends.
  • Unsuccessful students are not under any obligation whatsoever to attend Roedean School (SA).
  • Before making an application, parents should consult the head of the school currently attended by their daughter.
  • The discipline of expertise, i.e. visual arts, music or dramatic arts must be taken as a subject to Matriculation level.

Further Award Criteria

Cultural Scholarship:

Dramatic Arts

  • An interview will be required focusing on the student’s understanding of, interest and experience in the field of the performing arts.
  • The student must present a prepared monologue and poem (published works).
  • They may be requested to perform an unprepared piece.
  • Proof of any previous involvement in Dramatic Arts and related activities is required.
  • The student will be required to study Dramatic Arts as a Matriculation subject and participate in school productions.

Further Award Criteria

Cultural Scholarship:

Music

  • The student must present a balanced programme of 2-3 pieces – minimum standard of playing must be comparable to Grade 5. The performance must not exceed 15 minutes.
  • A theory paper, comparable to Grade 2 music, will be written.
  • An interview will be required, focusing on the student’s interest in Music.
  • The student should have a musical curriculum vitae, illustrating past involvement in music.
  • The student must have participated regularly, and for a sustained period, in at least one music group activity, and must continue such activity at Roedean, e.g.: by joining the choir, orchestra, etc.
  • The student will be required to study Music as a Matriculation subject and participate in school musical events.

Further Award Criteria

Cultural Scholarship:

Visual Arts

  • The student’s work must bear evidence of significant integration of Art into their daily life.
  • Portfolio requirements:
    • A PDF portfolio consisting of clear photos of a minimum of three most recent art works must be presented (not mounted or framed). Three different media must have been used. For example, charcoal, watercolour, and oil, or mixed media.
    • Applicants invited to an interview are required to bring their original artwork with them. All artwork may be taken home at the conclusion of the interview.
  • A short curriculum vitae is required describing the student’s activities, spanning at least two years prior to date of application.
  • Merits or certificates must be included on application.
  • The student will be required to engage in:
    • A half-hour drawing session
    • A fifteen-minute interview
    • Presenting the original work referenced in the PDF portfolio for verification as the candidate’s own original product.
  • The student will be required to study Visual Arts as a Matriculation subject.

Scholarship Conditions

Conditions of Continued Support

  • Behaviour — the student must conform to the Guiding Principles of Roedean School (SA) and make a positive contribution to the school community.
  • To retain the scholarship, the student will be assessed annually on academic performance, their skill and ability in their chosen discipline, and their level of commitment to the school.
  • The award is subject to the student maintaining a high standard of work and conduct.

Conditions for Withdrawal of Award

  • This award may be forfeited as a consequence of unsatisfactory work or conduct, as determined by the Senior School Head, acting in consultation with the Bursary & Scholarship Committee.
  • This award may be withdrawn owing to non-payment of school fees.

Apply Today

Scholarship Packs

For a comprehensive guide on all scholarship criteria as well as the application process, please download the latest scholarship pack below. 

Download Scholarship Pack

Bursaries

Roedean School Bursaries

Working in partnership with the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the Aumund Fund as well as the Student Scholarship Programme (SSP), Roedean awards up to six bursaries each year to pupils entering Lower V (Grade 8). These are awarded to pupils who excel academically and who demonstrate the ability to make contributions to Roedean in other areas.

The application process is facilitated by Roedean. Following a consultative process with the stakeholders, suitable candidates are then recommended and interviewed by the school.

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Claudia Bickford-Smith

Claudia began her career as a teacher and has extensive Board and Director-level experience in education: international qualification and assessment development, and school operational management, working with Headteachers and their leadership teams, Ministries of Education, Regulators, and Awarding Bodies. Over the past 30 years, Claudia has led large-scale international curriculum and assessment innovations and teacher professional development programmes, impacting schools worldwide.

In her current role Claudia works with schools on sustainable growth strategies and innovative pedagogies. She serves as Chair of the Board of Governors and Nominated Proprietor for two UK independent schools and Oxford’s oldest 6 th form college and is responsible for financial sustainability, regulatory and financial compliance.

With degrees from the University of Cape Town, the University of Cambridge, and UCL’s Institute of Education, Claudia’s thought leadership in education is widely recognized. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.) and a member of the Harvard Graduate
School of Education Professional Community.

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Dominique Laroque

Dominique Laroque is a third generation Roedeanian. She matriculated with distinction and was awarded the prestigious white honours blazer for colours across four sport disciplines. In tertiary she graduated at the top of her class with a BSc QS and a BCom (Law).

Dominique enjoyed a very successful career path in construction and mining before moving into investment banking. As an analyst at JP Morgan she achieved ratings in various sectors locally and abroad and gained extensive corporate finance experience as a member of JP Morgan’s global aerospace advisory team. She then spent years in research management at Credit Suisse and Nedbank before starting her own stockbroking company in 2017 as an empowerment initiative.

It has been an upward trajectory for Dominique and her team who have developed a mathematical model which evaluates an organisation’s ability to generate long-term value for investors. They are currently ranked no. 3 in South Africa in this field.

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Thabiso Madiba

Thabiso Madiba qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006 after completing his articles at Ernst & Young in the Mining and Manufacturing division. In 2007, he spent three months on secondment at Ernst & Young LLP in New York, where he focused primarily on auditing hedge funds.

In April 2008, he joined the University of Johannesburg as a lecturer, teaching the Finance 3 module to undergraduate students in the Chartered Accounting stream. During this time, he also supervised Master’s students in Taxation. He went on to complete his M.Com in International and South African Taxation at North-West University in 2010.

In addition to his academic and professional work, Thabiso provides financial and tax consulting services to small and medium enterprises. He also serves in various board and committee roles, including:

  • Sasol Khanyisa – Chairman
  • UJ Provident Fund – Chairman
  • Trevor Noah Foundation – Board Member
  • Peermont Global East Free State – Board Member
  • King Edward VII School Governing Body – Deputy Chairman and Chair of the Finance Committee
  • Old Edwardian Society – Executive Committee Treasurer
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Gontse Nkwe

Gontse Nkwe is a proud Old Roedeanian, a Roedean mother, and a member of the SAORA Committee. She holds a BSc in Property Studies and brings experience from corporate real estate, retail development, and lease negotiation.

Her work today sits at the intersection of education, personal development, and integrative thinking. She is particularly interested in how individuals and communities navigate change with clarity and agency, and how insight, awareness, and embodied understanding support meaningful and sustainable transformation.

Gontse is a writer and long-form thinker whose work explores the relationship between mind, body, and consciousness, with an emphasis on lived experience, integration, and practical application.

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Monde Nkosi

Monde is an Investment Director of Value Capital Partners (VCP). He is also an experienced director who has served on the boards of five public companies listed on the JSE and Nasdaq in sectors including financial services, education, staffing, hospitality, and quick-service restaurants. Prior to joining VCP in 2017, Monde was a Senior Associate on the investment team of FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, and a management consultant at Bain & Company, where he focused on financial services and telecommunications clients across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Monde serves on the advisory board of the Centre for Development and Enterprise and is an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Associate. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science with Honours in Finance from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

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Yusuf Noorbhai

Yusuf Noorbhai is a Senior Executive at Standard Bank, heading up the Corporate Finance Division. He also serves on the Executive Committee for Investment Banking.

He has over 18 years of global corporate experience, with a strong track record in building businesses, managing teams, client relationships, and operating effectively at a senior stakeholder level across a variety of cultures and markets throughout the world.

He has represented Standard Bank in various capacities, and has served on external boards of companies and investment funds in which the bank has strategic shareholdings. He has been integral to the development and execution of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for Standard Bank, which has afforded him insight and knowledge into the subject matter, coupled with an important appreciation for the challenges faced by any institution in navigating this complex yet crucial initiative.

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Sipho Maseko

Sipho Nkosinathi Maseko is Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at Telkom SA and Principal at Kleoss Capital. He also serves on the boards of Afrox Healthcare, the Centre for Development and Enterprise, and the Gyro Group.

Previously, he held the positions of Chairman of Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries; Chief Executive Officer of BP Southern Africa; Chairman of the Business Connexion Group; Managing Director and Group Chief Operating Officer of Vodacom SA; Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Vodacom Group; and Managing Director of Vodacom (Pty) Ltd.

He holds a graduate degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an undergraduate degree from the University of the Witwatersrand

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Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko

Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko serves as the Chief People Officer at Pick n Pay, where she leads the overall People function across PnP retail stores, serving a workforce of over 33,000 employees. A career spanning close to two decades in the retail and communication sectors, Thembi possesses qualifications in finance and information systems.

Throughout her career, Thembi has held various leadership positions, at PnP, Unilever and Woolworths. She has held diverse roles across Marketing, Strategy, Commercial/Buying, ESG, and currently, People/HR. In her current role, she assumes responsibility for directing the strategy and implementation of the complete employee value proposition, which spans recruitment, training, reward, change management, and industrial relations. Thembi’s commitment lies in cultivating a customer-focused, values-led, diverse, and inclusive team within the organisation.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Thembi finds great fulfilment in her role as a family-oriented individual. She has two young children, who attend Roedean and St Johns College. Furthermore, she embodies optimism regarding the future of her country and wholeheartedly believes in actively engaging as a social citizen.

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Dale Quaker

Dale Quaker is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Cupric Africa, a private equity owned mining company which through its Botswana sister company Khoemacau Copper recently completed the building of its copper silver project.

He was previously the CFO of the Khoemacau Group leading the finance function as the Group transitioned from an exploration company, through the fundraising of a $650m debt, streaming and equity funding package through to completion of construction..

Prior to joining Cupric, he was an independent consultant to the mining and construction industries. In his last corporate role, he headed up the marketing and logistics function for Xstrata Coal South Africa, after having fulfilled a senior finance role in the company previously..

Dale held roles at BHPBillition subsidiary, Samancor Chrome, both at the operations and corporate office in Johannesburg. Dale is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Management Accountant.

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Lindi Dlamini

Mrs. Lindi Dlamini has been at the helm of Roedean as Executive Director of Roedean since January 2023 and is the first black woman to be in this role in the 120 years history of Roedean. She has a wealth of leadership experience with 20 years executive leadership experience. She serves as an Independent Non-Executive for a bank and wealth management firm.

Prior to her tenure at Roedean School (SA), Lindi was the CEO of the President’s GBVF Response Fund1 which was set up in 2020 to resource the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as part of South Africa’s commitment to SDG5 (Gender Equality) and the country’s National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF. She was previously a CEO of Safrican Insurance Company, Group Executive of PPS Human Capital, MD of Alexander Forbes Retail and Group Executive for Emerging Consumer Markets and Retail Operations in South Africa at Liberty Holdings. She has over twenty-five years of financial services experience. She is a fellow of the sixth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALISA) and the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).

She holds BA (LAW); LLB and LLM degrees.