Government Bursaries
South African government bursaries for students pursuing studies in scarce-skill, public service and development-focused fields - including National Treasury, GCRA and provincial department programmes.
7 government bursaries
- Government Closes 31 Mar 2027
Compensation Fund Bursary
Compensation Fund (Department of Employment and Labour)
The Compensation Fund Bursary is a government bursary administered by the Compensation Fund under the Department of Employment and Labour. It funds unemployed COID (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases) beneficiaries with permanent disabilities, plus dependants of COID beneficiaries who were fatally injured or permanently disabled at work.
Full-cost bursary (tuition, study materials, accommodation, monthly stipend)View details → - Government Closes 20 Mar 2027
Department of Tourism External Bursary
National Department of Tourism (South Africa)
The National Department of Tourism runs an annual external bursary programme for South African students in fields aligned to the department's strategic priorities - tourism, digital transformation, data sciences, law, economics and the broader skills the public sector needs to drive sector transformation.
Tuition, accommodation and related study costs (renewed annually)View details → - Government Closed (30 Sept 2025)
Department of Water and Sanitation External Bursary Programme
Department of Water and Sanitation (administered by the DWS Water Learning Academy)
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) External Bursary Programme is a full-cost government bursary for South African students in engineering and water-related sciences, aligned to the department's mandate to manage the country's water resources. Priority is given to financially needy applicants from poverty-stricken and rural communities, and students with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Successful candidates join the DWS Water Learning Academy as graduate trainees after qualifying.
Full-cost bursary (no fixed figure published; covers all study-related costs plus a monthly stipend)View details → - Government Closes 30 Sept 2026
Gauteng Department of Health Bursary
Gauteng Department of Health
The Gauteng Department of Health runs one of the largest provincial bursary programmes in the country, funding South African citizens from Gauteng studying towards in-demand health professions including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy and the allied health sciences. Recipients enter a service-binding agreement to work in Gauteng's public health system after qualifying.
Full cost of study (tuition, accommodation, books, allowance)View details → - Government Closes 27 Dec 2026
GCRA Bursary - Gauteng City-Region Academy
Gauteng Provincial Government
Provincial government bursary programme developing future public servants and leaders to drive sustainable development in Gauteng province.
Up to R100,000 per yearView details → - Government Closes 30 Sept 2026
National Treasury External Bursary
National Treasury of South Africa
The National Treasury External Bursary funds South African students studying economics, accounting, taxation and internal audit - fields aligned with the Treasury's mandate to manage the country's fiscal policy and public finances.
Full tuition + registration + prescribed books + residence + mealsView details → - Government Closed (29 May 2026)
Nkangala District Municipality Bursary Programme
Nkangala District Municipality (administered in-house)
The Nkangala District Municipality Bursary Programme (sometimes branded the NDM Mayoral Bursary) is a government bursary that funds full-time undergraduate study for financially needy students from the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga. It targets young people aged 17-35 who reside within the six local municipalities of the district and who wish to study scarce-skills fields relevant to the region.
Full bursary covering tuition fees for undergraduate study (specific monetary amount not published). The bursary does not cover any outstanding student debt.View details →