​The late Prof Russel Botman, former Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University (SU), was passionate about creating opportunities for deserving students to gain access to higher education. And it is this legacy that SU and his family have continued to honour through the Russel Botman Bursary Fund (RBBF) with the help of generous donors  

The Botman Bursary Fund was established on Prof Botman's 60th birthday in 2013, where he asked for donations rather than gifts. Since its establishment, the Bursary Fund has provided bursaries to more than 10 students. The bursary was first awarded in 2016 to three students and in 2019 a total of nine students have received financial support.

“My hope is that we can continue to increase the number of recipients we can support, but this can only be done through increased donations. I hope those whose lives were directly or indirectly impacted by the work and efforts of my father would become regular donors and contribute to giving hope through education," says Prof Botman's daughter Roxanne.

Roxanne serves on the RBBF committee together with her mother, Beryl Botman as chairperson and Prof Xolile Simon from the Faculty of Theology.

In honour of Prof Botman's birthday on 18 October, the Faculty of Theology will once again present its annual Russel Botman Memorial Lecture at the Attie van Wijk Auditorium. This year's lecture takes place on Thursday, 17 October. The keynote address will be delivered by Dr Setri Nyomi, former General Secretary of the World Communon of Reformed Churches. The title of his lecture is Justice for all? The time for change is now!  Prof Ingrid Woolard, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at SU, will deliver the response.

“It has been five hard years since Russel's death, but I am grateful that we can continue his legacy through the Russel Botman Bursary Fund. I would like to thank everyone who has made a financial contribution and changed a student's life for the better. Thanks to your generous support, this Fund is creating opportunities for our next generation," says his wife Dr Beryl Botman.

• If you would like to contribute to the Russel Botman Bursary Fund – the details for direct payments are: Standard Bank, account number 07 300 695 5 and branch code 05 0610. Please make sure to add the reference: Botman.
• Alternatively make a contribution on our GivenGain page: https://www.givengain.com/cc/rbbf/
• For more information on the Bursary Fund, please visit www.russelbotman.com.