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.
18 government bursaries
- Government Closed (10 Oct 2025)
City of Cape Town External Bursary Programme
City of Cape Town (Metropolitan Municipality, administered in-house by the City's Human Resources / Skills Development department via the HR Service Desk)
The City of Cape Town runs an annual external bursary programme for Cape Town residents studying full-time towards qualifications in advertised scarce-skills fields such as engineering, accounting, IT, data science, environmental management and the built environment. The bursary covers registration, tuition and examination fees plus capped allowances for study aid, transport and meals, and can lead to year-for-a-year work experience with the City after graduation. Funding spans undergraduate through postgraduate study at accredited South African institutions, including TVET colleges.
Covers registration, tuition/class fees and examination fees, plus capped allowances for study aid (books/equipment), transport and meals. Exact rand value is not publicly fixed and depends on the field and institution.View details → - Government Closed (31 Oct 2025)
City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Bursary Programme
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (administered in-house via the CoJ Human Resources / Skills Development office)
The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Bursary Programme is a metropolitan government bursary that funds undergraduate study for academically capable students who permanently reside within the City of Johannesburg in Gauteng. Approximately 200 bursaries are awarded each cycle, covering registration, tuition and prescribed study material up to R40,000 per year across scarce-skills fields relevant to the City. It is distinct from the Gauteng Provincial Government GCRA bursary.
Up to R40,000 per academic yearView details → - 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 Closed (06 Mar 2026)
Ehlanzeni District Municipality Mayoral Bursary (Mayoral Funding) for External Students
Ehlanzeni District Municipality (Mpumalanga; administered in-house by the municipality's Human Resources Unit, with applicants selected by the External Bursary Committee chaired by the MMC for Corporate Services and final approval by the Municipal Manager; head office Mbombela)
The Ehlanzeni District Municipality Mayoral Bursary, defined as "Mayoral Funding" in the municipality's Bursary Policy, is a government bursary for financially needy external students from the Ehlanzeni district in Mpumalanga. It funds full-time undergraduate degrees and diplomas at recognised South African universities, universities of technology and TVET colleges, with funding paid directly to the institution. Preference goes to previously disadvantaged individuals and persons with a disability who reside in the district.
Not publicly fixed - the bursary amount is determined annually by Council subject to available funds, and is paid directly to the tertiary institution. It covers all or some of registration, tuition, administration, examination fees and a prescribed-book allowance.View details → - Government Closed (30 Apr 2026)
eThekwini Municipality Student Bursary
eThekwini Municipality (administered by the eThekwini Municipal Academy via the durban.gov.za e-Careers / e-Recruitment portal)
The eThekwini Municipality Student Bursary is a government bursary that funds full-time undergraduate study for financially needy, academically capable students who live within the eThekwini Municipal area in KwaZulu-Natal. Administered by the eThekwini Municipal Academy, it prioritises scarce-skills fields such as engineering, the built environment and computer science, and provides comprehensive support covering tuition, accommodation, examination fees, a book allowance and a once-off computer allowance. Students with disabilities and underrepresented candidates are encouraged to apply.
Comprehensive bursary covering tuition fees, accommodation, examination fees, a book allowance and a once-off computer allowance in the second year of study (subject to compliance with the Municipal Bursary agreement). A specific rand value is not published.View details → - Government Closed (16 Jan 2026)
Free State Provincial Government Full-Time Bursary Programme
Free State Provincial Government, Office of the Premier (applications administered via the Free State Training and Development Institute (FSTDI), Bloemfontein)
The Free State Provincial Government, through the Office of the Premier, offers a comprehensive full-cost bursary to financially needy Free State residents who excel academically and study full-time at accredited South African institutions. It covers registration, tuition, residence and meals, books and approved special equipment across a wide range of priority fields. Applications are administered by the Free State Training and Development Institute (FSTDI) in Bloemfontein and submitted by hand using the official PDF form.
Comprehensive (full-cost) bursary; specific monetary value not published.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 Closed (28 Feb 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 Closed (15 Aug 2025)
Legal Practitioners' Fidelity Fund (LPFF) Bursary
Legal Practitioners' Fidelity Fund (LPFF) (formerly the Attorneys Fidelity Fund; statutory fund established under the Legal Practice Act, administered in-house via the LPFF student portal)
The Legal Practitioners' Fidelity Fund (LPFF) Bursary funds the final two years of LLB tuition for South African law students at public universities, with an additional postgraduate further-study stream for practising and candidate attorneys. It is offered by the LPFF, a statutory fund (formerly the Attorneys Fidelity Fund) that protects the public against theft of trust money by legal practitioners. The undergraduate award is open to students currently in their 2nd or 3rd year of an LLB - first-year students are not eligible.
Covers tuition fees only; the funded amount is set annually by the Fund and approved by the Minister of Justice. The undergraduate LLB award covers tuition for the final two years of study (some older sources cite a historic R7 000/year cap for the postgraduate further-study stream).View details → - Government Closes 22 Aug 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 → - Government Closed (31 Oct 2025)
SAGC Council Bursary Programme (Surveying, Geomatics & GISc)
South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) — the statutory regulator of the geomatics profession established under the Geomatics Profession Act 19 of 2013 (formerly the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors, PLATO), administered in-house by the SAGC
The South African Geomatics Council (SAGC) — the statutory body that regulates the surveying and geomatics profession in South Africa — offers a Council Bursary Programme for financially needy students with outstanding academic records who are studying SAGC-accredited surveying, geomatics and GISc qualifications. The bursary covers tuition fees and pairs recipients with mentorship and guidance from professionals in the geomatics industry. It is a merit-and-need based award open to South African students enrolled full-time at accredited institutions.
Covers tuition fees (full financial assistance toward studies); the exact rand value is not published on the official SAGC bursaries page.View details → - Government Closes 30 Jan 2027
SANAS External Bursary Programme
South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) (a statutory body under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition; administered in-house by the SANAS Human Resources Department)
The SANAS External Bursary Programme is a government bursary funded by the South African National Accreditation System, the country's single national accreditation body operating under the dtic. It supports unemployed South African youth studying towards a National Diploma, Degree, Honours or Postgraduate Diploma in any field of study. The bursary covers tuition fees only, up to R50,000 for a National Diploma or Degree and up to R70,000 for an Honours or Postgraduate Diploma.
Tuition only: up to R50,000 for a National Diploma or Degree; up to R70,000 for an Honours or Postgraduate DiplomaView details → - Government Closed (28 Feb 2026)
SANPC Bursary Scheme for Persons with Disabilities
South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) (formed from the merger of iGas, PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund; administered in-house, applications emailed to [email protected])
The SANPC Bursary Scheme for Persons with Disabilities is a government bursary run by the South African National Petroleum Company, the new state-owned entity created from the merger of iGas, PetroSA and the Strategic Fuel Fund. It is open exclusively to South African students living with a disability and covers tuition fees and prescribed textbooks for a first qualification at NQF Level 5 to 7 or higher. It does not cover accommodation, meals, transport or living allowances.
Full-cost bursary covering tuition fees (paid directly to the institution) and prescribed textbooks onlyView details → - Government Closes 30 May 2027
SARS Bursary
South African Revenue Service (SARS) (administered by CareerWise (Pty) Ltd)
The SARS Bursary is a full-cost government bursary funded by the South African Revenue Service and administered by CareerWise (Pty) Ltd, supporting academically strong South African students with demonstrated financial need. It covers tuition, accommodation, meals, prescribed textbooks and a monthly allowance for studies in scarce-skills fields such as Chartered Accountancy, taxation, law, IT, actuarial science, science and engineering. Recipients may also gain valuable vacation work experience at SARS during their studies.
Full-cost bursary (specific rand value not officially published)View details → - Government Closed (23 Jan 2026)
Vhembe District Mayoral Bursary Fund
Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo (administered in-house by the office of the Executive Mayor via the Mayoral Bursary Fund)
The Vhembe District Mayoral Bursary Fund is a government bursary run in-house by the office of the Executive Mayor for financially disadvantaged students who reside within the Vhembe District in Limpopo. It funds Diploma and Bachelor's degree study in scarce-skills fields relevant to the district, awarded either as a 'sponsorship' that supplements other funding or as a fuller 'scholarship' covering most costs including accommodation. Recipients must work back for the municipality for a period equal to the bursary duration or repay the amount with interest.
Not published as a fixed rand value. Awarded either as a 'sponsorship' (supplements other funding: covers tuition, prescribed books and course materials) or as a fuller 'scholarship' (full tuition, prescribed books, course material, meals and residential/accommodation/transport expenses), per summaries of the official terms.View details →