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Matakahi

COVID-19 update

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 we are not accepting applications for the Matakahi Scholarship. This programme is not taking place in 2021. All existing applications will be responded to via email.


“How do I find work placements that’ll give me an advantage?”
“I want to be work ready when I finish study.”
“Ngāi Tahu can help you connect with your iwi”.
“I’d love Study Support to make finances easier for me and my family.”

As Ngāi Tahu, you have more support than you may realise.

We are looking for tertiary students who are studying for a qualification that may lead to a role within our commercial businesses or with our commercial partners.

Matakahi is a programme developed to prepare Ngāi Tahu graduates for the working world. We aim to build Ngāi Tahu commercial talent for the future.

Matakahi can

  • equip you with skills that put you in high demand with employers
  • provide financial assistance to help with your fees
  • offer paid work placements within Ngāi Tahu commercial businesses or commercial partners
  • support you via Ngāi Tahu mentors to prepare you for graduate opportunities
  • strengthen your connection with Ngāi Tahu
  • align you with Ka Pūtea Grants and Scholarships

If you’re a registered member of Ngāi Tahu in your second year of tertiary study or beyond in the following disciplines

  • Commerce
  • Agriculture
  • Law**
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Property/Land Management
  • Information Technology
  • Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Computer Science
  • Environmental management
  • Tourism

we would love to hear from you!
** Note: Students studying law will need to combine with an additional degree and will be subject to spaces available.

Not sure if you’re eligible?

That’s OK – let’s talk! Connecting is easy – just email [email protected] or
phone 0800 KAI TAHU (0800 524 8248).

We can answer all your questions and help you apply.

Being a part of the Matakahi Whānau has provided me with foundations to base my career and personal development on. The opportunities I have had to contribute and be involved in Ngāi Tahu have strengthened my sense of identity, or my Ngāi Tahutanga. The connections made within Ngāi Tahu have also presented me with the opportunity to summer clerk at Simpson Grierson, where I have gained valuable experience, skills and connections within the corporate world. Through Matakahi, I have gained an understanding of where I come from, and support to get to where I want to go.

Morgan Couch.

For me, the Matakahi Scholarship has opened up multiple doors for the future. Before applying for this scholarship, I did not believe I was deserving of identifying myself as being Māori. However, on applying and subsequently receiving this scholarship, my involvement in this programme has drastically changed this mindset. It has allowed me to further connect with my iwi and local Rūnanga, while kickstarting my marketing career via key work experience with Vodafone, one of Ngāi Tahu’s commercial partners.

Caleb Stevenson (Ngāi Tahu – Hokonui Rūnanga).