Swart, a former learner of Outeniqua High School in George, says a bursary from the Dippenaar Family Trust did not only gave him peace of mind about funding his studies; it also encouraged him to work even harder and perform better.

This final-year BAcc student and resident of Dagbreek, has been a recipient of the bursary since his first year. "My father is blind, which already made it a challenge to study further, besides the financial considerations. The bursary, however, ensured that my concerns about student fees were not realised. Since receiving the bursary, I have been much calmer about finance. The scholarship also motivated me to continuously improve my academic performance, especially because I knew that all my hard work had not been in vain."

Swart applied for a bursary while enrolling at SU. "When you apply you are offered the choice of applying for scholarships. I decided to go for it and provided all the information and documents." In May of his first year, he received the news that he had been awarded the Dippenaar Family Trust bursary.

Privilege

Swart, an outdoor enthusiast and avid beach and rock angler, says it is a privilege for him to study in such a beautiful environment. Initially, he was very uncertain about which university and field of study to choose. "I decided on SU because it is relatively close to home and knew I would receive a high quality education. And although BAcc was always one of his options, he only started considering it as a first choice in his matric year. "I chose it because it is a very versatile degree that will not limit me to a specific employer."

Swart has met the Dippenaars on two occasions and says their positivity and encouragement mean almost as much to him as the bursary itself. "I want to thank them again – not only for the bursary, but also for all their efforts to get to know the bursary recipients, to make them feel comfortable and for their encouragement. Their positivity about the future of our country is also very encouraging."

He is 100% sure about his plans for the foreseeable future – he wants to ensure he gets selected to do and complete his honours degree in 2021, after which a clerkship and SAICA membership will follow. What about further into the future? "If I am privileged enough to do so, I would definitely like to help someone in the same way one day."

Support

For the past 23 years, the Dippenaars have been contributing to a better future for talented young Matie students through the scholarships offered
by their family trust.

In 2020, the Dippenaar Family Trust donated R 1 865 000 to financially assist 29 students in the University's Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. This support enables students to focus on their studies without having to worry that they may have to discontinue their studies due to a lack of financial support.

Most of their bursary holders are first generation students and students from the "missing middle" who do not have the financial resources at their disposal to further their studies.

For Estelle Dippenaar, it is a pleasure and privilege to make a positive difference in the lives of students. "The philosophy of our family trust is education – so it only makes sense to give money for scholarships."

They also believe in building relationships with the bursary holders, hence their annual Dippenaar Family Trust dinner. "It is so nice to get to know the students better and hear what they are doing and find out more about their future plans. We’ve even been invited to weddings!" she says.

But for her, the chain reaction to their donation is particularly gratifying. "I feel we have planted a seed," she explains. “Many of these bursary holders will one day, when they are able to, also plough back and empower a new generation of students. Now that is great for me."