EduTalk – the Thutho Trust Blog

Cambridge University Press recently secured a Level-1 B-BBEE rating

Cambridge University Press South Africa, one of Thuto Trust’s loyal partners and funding contributors, has successfully secured a level 1 B-BBEE rating​. CUPSA’s skills development investment in bursaries for black students at higher education institutions and the Thuto Empowerment (Pty) Ltd (100% black-owned, 60% female-owned company) contributed towards its B-BBEE scorecard points.  With these contributions, CUPSA funds black students to obtain a B.Ed. or a PGCE at one of South Africa’s top universities.

“CUPSA has partnered with Thuto to develop and further the synergies the two organisations have in the education space. This partnership provides access for black students to top Universities to give them the best start in life.” – Carmen Ashby, Finance Director of Cambridge University Press South Africa (Pty) Ltd

How your organisation will benefit by making a difference while you earn B-BBEE scorecard points

Help produce skilled teachers to improve the quality of basic education in South Africa with your financial contribution.

Do not wait – use your CSI or skills development budget to increase your B-BBEE rating either via skills development bursary or SED contributions. Spend your skills or socio-economic development and/or CSI budget wisely by funding comprehensive bursaries at higher education institutions for black students from previously disadvantaged communities who are studying to obtain a B.Ed. degree or a PGCE at one of South Africa’s top Thuto Trust partner university).

These students participate in the Thuto Trust full-time internship and teacher development programme at one of our public and private partner schools under the guidance of experienced mentors, to gain valuable practical experience.

The development programme includes accommodation, a living allowance (stipend), practical teacher training, books, and a holistic intensive psychosocial programme.

Thuto Trust is a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) and thus issues tax exemption certificates to qualifying contributors. Our university degree bursary students participate in a full-time internship teacher development programme. The beneficiaries are 100% black, enabling you to improve your B-BBEE scorecard. You can earn points by partnering with Thuto Trust with your skill development expenditure on bursaries for black students at higher education institutions or with your socio-economic development (SED) contributions.

Change the face of education in South Africa with your contribution to quality teaching to improve overall education outcomes by helping produce better-skilled teachers to improve the level of education in our country.

Visit www.thutotrust.org or contact us today on +27 (0) 11 285 0148 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how you can participate to make a difference while you benefit.

Thuto Trust acknowledges that South African youth from previously disadvantaged backgrounds have many struggles to overcome. However, once they do, they can truly become the best they can be.

Thuto Trust has therefore recognised the need to provide deeper, more holistic psychosocial support to our teacher interns, establishing the Thuto Life Academy to equip teacher interns with the necessary tools to become the most dynamic and resilient educators possible as they create their own healthy and self-sustaining futures.   

Thuto Trust recently partnered with an international organisation, headquartered in Canada, which has been working in southern Africa for 17 years to deliver innovative support programmes that help people heal, learn new skills and strategies, and ultimately take action for the benefit of others.

We obtained a license to deliver more than 100 training modules on topics such as goal setting, gender issues, conflict resolution, grief and loss, decision making, self-esteem, sexual violence, HIV/AIDS, health, stress management and leadership, guidance for pregnant teenagers, young mothers, grandmothers, adolescents, girls, boys, young adults, community leaders, and government officials, among others. 

The academy appointed three dedicated and experienced psychosocial support facilitators that will be joining Thuto Trust on 1 October 2021. They will embark on intensive training for six months to study these successful methodologies to enhance the support we provide to our teacher interns. 

Our aim

We believe when Thuto Trust develops a cohort of confident teachers, able to recognise needs and impart social support to young learners, the country can embark on an exciting path of positively enhancing and impacting the education of the youth in our country.  

We strive to change the landscape of education in South Africa through our effective teacher development programme.

Our new offices

Thuto Life Academy facilitators will operate out of our newly set-up offices at the Soweto YMCA, close to many of our public school partners. The facilitators will start with intensive psychosocial support for our teacher interns at the beginning of the 2022 school year

Thuto Trust celebrates its student success stories, new partnership,s and much more In the latest Thuto Trust Newsletter (the Summer 2021 edition).  You can also read how you can benefit from partnering with Thuto Trust to help us develop skilled teachers and improve the quality of basic education in South Africa.

Do not miss out on this edition and find out how Thuto Trust's co-funding partners not only help make a difference but also reap financial and B-BBEE scorecard benefits.

Download/ Read the latest Thuto Trust Newsletter 2021

New funding partners 

Thuto Trust recently concluded a five-year tripartite agreement with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE), to offer full bursaries to thirty-five eligible B.Ed. students, to participate in the Thuto Trust teacher development programme at Primary School level. This is an exciting addition to the Thuto Trust programme and facilitates the inclusion of public schools to Thuto’s network of host schools in Gauteng, this being a fundamental component of the Thuto Trust strategy.

The internship partnering schools have already been identified in District 12, Johannesburg West, the 20 students have been placed, and we are ready to launch the programme. 

Watch this space for an official launch announcement!

New and expanded partnerships

We are extremely excited about the addition of several new partner schools, bringing our total network of partner schools to thirteen. We are grateful for our ongoing relationships with St John’s College, Roedean School, St Peter’s Prep School and Streetlight Schools all of whom continue to successfully host our full-time internship students. Our new school partners include four private schools and five public schools. The private schools are Redhill School, Kyalami and Beaulieu Preparatory Schools as well as Beaulieu College.

As part of our recent partnership with the Department of Basic Education and the Gauteng Department of Education, we have added five new public schools to our list of eight partner schools. These schools include Makhoarane Primary School, Nkone Maruping Primary School, Palesa Primary School, Princess Primary School and Vezokuhle Primary School, all from District 12 in Johannesburg West.

The process of continuously growing our network of partner schools encapsulates our ethos of excellence through collaboration, and assures our students participating in our teacher development programme of exposure to the best public and private schools. This practical experience throughout their studies prepares our teacher interns for a successful teaching career in which they can be confident and effective teachers across diverse school environments.

Our students ... our pride!

At the end of 2020, four of our students graduated, completing the Thuto Trust teacher development programme, together with the two-year Post Graduate Certificate Education (PGCE). They are the first Thuto Trust students to complete the two-year PGCE programme. (Two students graduated in 2018 and two more in 2019, completing a one-year PGCE as part of the Thuto Trust teacher development programme.) It is with great pleasure that we can announce that three of the four 2020 graduates have already been employed - two as teachers in the math and science department at Roedean School and one as a junior biochemistry lecturer at North West University. Two Thuto Trust PGCE interns will be completing the programme at the end of 2021, and eight B.Ed. interns will complete this year as well.

Thuto Trust is funding 57 students in 2021 - we aim to more than double the total number of students participating in our Teacher Development Programme in 2022. This year’s cohort includes 50 B.Ed., five PGCE and two honours students, all of whom have been placed at our partner schools for their full-time internship.

Thuto Trust continues to make a difference to the face of education

The Thuto Trust Newsletter (first edition 2021) shares our latest teacher development programme success stories, new partnerships, and value adds to our student psycho-social development programme.

We are also excited to share our recent new co-funding partnership with the DBE and GDE and the addition of five public schools; a total of thirteen partner schools.

Read or download the newsletter and find out how your financial contribution can make a difference in the development of our future teachers.

Click here to read or download the Newsletter

Read our latest newsletter for an update on Thuto Trust's 2020 highlights, achievements and success stories. You can also find out how you can become a valued partner.

Click on the link to read more.

Thuto Trust Spring Newsletter 2020

Read our latest newsetter for an update on Thuto Trust's latest achievements, success stories and also share testimonials. We tell you more about our psycho-social development programme.

Click on the link to read more.

A higher purpose is not about economic exchanges. It reflects something more aspirational. It explains how the people involved with an organisation are making a difference. It gives them a sense of meaning and draws their support.

Striving to fulfil its higher purpose, Fedgroup aspires to secure the future of South Africans. Fedgroup endeavours to achieve this goal through its involvement in various programmes, one of which is its partnership with Thuto Trust.

Get involved

Partner with Thuto Trust and make a difference!

Your company can earn B-BBEE scorecard points, receive tax exemption, or become an investment partner in the Level 1 B-BBEE
Thuto Empowerment (Pty) LTD investment company.

Click on the link below for a summary document.

B-BBEE Benefit Explained

Teaching in a child's mother tongue is a challenge in a country such as South Africa with 11 official languages. However, research has proved many times that pupils learn best in their mother tongues.