DELTA Corporation’s investment in education has yielded another crop of professionals after 12 beneficiaries of its bursary programme graduated in fields ranging from medicine and engineering to pharmacy, technology and finance.
The beverages company celebrated its Class of 2026 at a sundowner held in Harare last Friday, marking the completion of years of university education supported through its Schools Assistance Programme.
The graduates studied at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) and National University of Science and Technology (NUST).
Their qualifications cover Medicine, Pharmacy, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Science, Actuarial Sciences, Spatial Planning and Management, Food Processing Technology, as well as Forensic Accounting and Auditing.
Delta Corporation general manager for corporate affairs Patricia Murambinda said the programme was designed to go beyond simply paying university expenses by creating opportunities for young Zimbabweans to develop professional skills.
“For us, this is about much more than providing bursaries. It is about creating opportunity and enabling young people with potential to acquire the knowledge and professional capabilities they need to build meaningful futures,” Murambinda said.
“Seeing our beneficiaries graduate in fields such as medicine, engineering, pharmacy, science, technology and finance is particularly rewarding.”
The company views the graduates as part of a wider investment in Zimbabwe’s human capital, particularly in technical and professional fields considered important to the country’s long-term economic development.
Murambinda said completing university should not be regarded as the end of the beneficiaries’ journey, but the beginning of a responsibility to apply their education for wider benefit.
“Their graduation represents years of commitment and perseverance, but it also marks the beginning of a new responsibility: to use their knowledge and skills to contribute to their professions, communities and country,” she said.
Delta has placed education among the pillars of its community investment programmes, with its Schools Assistance Programme aimed at expanding access to learning and skills development.
The company believes investment in university education can have benefits extending well beyond individual bursary recipients as graduates enter sectors including healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, technology, planning and financial services.
“Corporate social investment creates its greatest value when it builds capability that continues multiplying long after the initial intervention,” Murambinda said.
“A bursary may support one student, but an educated doctor, engineer, pharmacist, scientist, planner or financial professional can potentially influence many more lives throughout a career. That is the multiplier effect of education.”
She said the company therefore regarded the graduates as more than recipients of financial assistance.
“We see these young people not simply as beneficiaries of a programme, but as part of Zimbabwe’s emerging human capital,” Murambinda said.
The graduation comes at a time when businesses are increasingly being challenged to complement Government efforts in education and skills development by investing in programmes that prepare young people for the labour market and entrepreneurship.
For Delta, supporting students across different disciplines is intended to help build a pool of professionals capable of contributing to both traditional and emerging sectors of the economy.
The company also acknowledged the role played by the graduates’ families, lecturers and universities throughout their studies.
As the 12 graduates make the transition from university into professional life, Delta challenged them to ensure their qualifications are accompanied by integrity and continuous learning.
“Their qualifications represent academic achievement. What they now do with the knowledge, opportunities and capabilities behind those qualifications will define their contribution to the future,” Murambinda said.
Delta said it would continue investing in education and skills development initiatives as part of its broader community programmes, with the Class of 2026 providing another example of its push to develop Zimbabwe’s future professionals.
