Medical & Health Sciences Bursaries
Bursaries for South African students pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, radiography and allied health sciences. Government, foundation and private healthcare-sector funders.
13 medical bursaries
- Medical Closed (08 Dec 2025)
ADSA Dietetics Bursary
Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA)
The Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) awards an annual bursary to financially disadvantaged South African students studying towards an undergraduate BSc Dietetics degree. Worth up to R30,000 per year for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of study, it is aimed at first-year (or just-completed-first-year) students who show a genuine passion for food science, nutrition and health. Recipients also receive free ADSA student membership for the duration of the bursary.
Up to R30,000 per year, paid directly to the student's university account, for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of study (covering registration fees, textbooks, accommodation and other study-related expenses)View details → - Medical Closes 30 Sept 2026
Aspen Pharmacare Bursary
Aspen Pharmacare
Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, awards bursaries to South African students studying BPharm and other pharmaceutical-sector qualifications including chemical engineering and related sciences. The programme is open to both new applicants and children of Aspen employees, and supports up to full cost of study at approved institutions.
Up to full cost of study (varies by qualification)View details → - Medical Closes 31 Oct 2026
Clicks Foundation Bursary
Clicks Foundation (Clicks Group Limited)
The Clicks Foundation, the corporate social investment arm of JSE-listed retail-pharmacy group Clicks Group Limited, awards merit-based bursaries to South African students pursuing a BPharm (Pharmacy) degree. The fund targets scarce and critical skills in retail and pharmaceutical healthcare, covering registration, tuition, prescribed textbooks and study aids for the year of registration. Preference is given to persons with disabilities and applicants from designated Employment Equity groups.
Comprehensive cover for the year of registration (registration fees, tuition, prescribed textbooks and study aids)View details → - Medical Closes 31 Aug 2026
Discovery Foundation Bursary Programme
Discovery Foundation
Join South Africa's leading healthcare innovator. Build your medical career with a focus on preventive care, wellness innovation, and community health improvement.
R100,000 - R180,000 per yearView details → - Medical Closed (10 Jan 2026)
IMASA Health Science Bursary Fund
Islamic Medical Association of South Africa (IMASA) (administered in association with Baytul Nur)
The IMASA Health Science Bursary Fund is a needs-based, Zakaat and donation-funded bursary that helps financially disadvantaged South African students pursue health science qualifications such as medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy. Administered by the Islamic Medical Association of South Africa in association with Baytul Nur, it provides partial or full tuition support together with mentorship from established healthcare professionals. It is aimed at academically capable students who have genuine financial need and are enrolled, or intending to enrol, in a recognised health science programme.
Partial or full tuition coverage (needs-based, not a fixed value)View details → - Medical Closes 15 Aug 2026
Life Healthcare Bursary Programme
Life Healthcare
Join South Africa's leading private healthcare provider. Build your medical career with access to world-class facilities, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to excellence in patient care across our network of premier hospitals.
R90,000 - R160,000 per yearView details → - Medical Closes 31 Jul 2026
Mediclinic / ER24 Bursary
Mediclinic Southern Africa / ER24 (applications via the Mediclinic SuccessFactors careers portal)
The Mediclinic / ER24 Bursary supports financially needy South African students pursuing Nursing, Pharmacy or Emergency Medical Care at accredited tertiary institutions. ER24 is a Mediclinic subsidiary, so this is a single joint programme that covers full tuition plus a living stipend and feeds qualified graduates into the wider Mediclinic / ER24 group. Applications open annually around early May and close on 31 July, with studies starting the following January.
Full tuition (course fees) for the academic year, plus a monthly stipend towards living expensesView details → - Medical Closes 25 Dec 2026
MRC Bursary Programme
Medical Research Council of South Africa
Premier medical research bursary programme supporting the next generation of health researchers and contributing to South Africa's medical advancement.
R90,000 - R180,000 per yearView details → - Medical Closes 31 Dec 2026
Netcare Bursary
Netcare
Netcare offers bursaries to academically gifted students who lack the financial means to fund tertiary studies, with a focus on Pharmacy and Commerce qualifications that feed into Netcare's hospital and operational pipeline. Applications are open year-round, making it one of the more flexible programmes in South Africa's healthcare sector.
Full cost of study (tuition, textbooks, accommodation, living allowance)View details → - Medical Closes 11 Oct 2026
PSSA Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (FPE) Bursary
Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) — administered through its Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (FPE)
The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa runs the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (FPE) bursary scheme to support South African pharmacy students. Undergraduate awards help full-time BPharm students from their second year onward, while postgraduate awards support Honours, Masters and Doctorate pharmacy studies. Bursaries are granted on a combination of financial need, academic merit and other assistance already received, and are renewable each year on reapplication.
Not published as a fixed rand value — awards cover one academic year based on financial need, academic merit and other assistance received, and are renewable on annual reapplicationView details → - Medical Closes 30 Sept 2026
SAMA Medical Education Bursary
South African Medical Association (SAMA)
The South African Medical Association awards medical education bursaries to South African citizens studying towards an MBChB or equivalent medical degree at a South African medical school. The bursary is non-exclusive — recipients may hold other bursaries at the same time — making it a useful top-up for students already funded elsewhere.
R20,000 per year (R10,000 in January, R10,000 in August)View details → - Medical Closed (16 Feb 2026)
SASLHA Myrtle L Aron Bursary Fund
South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SASLHA) — administered via its Myrtle L Aron Bursary Fund
The Myrtle L Aron Bursary Fund is awarded annually by the South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SASLHA) to one deserving student from a disadvantaged background studying towards an undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Therapy/Pathology and/or Audiology at an accredited South African university. Named after a pioneer of the professions in South Africa, the bursary supports students entering their 3rd or 4th year on the basis of academic merit and demonstrated financial need. Applicants must be SASLHA student members (membership is free).
Financial support towards undergraduate tuition (monetary value not publicly disclosed by SASLHA)View details → - Medical Closed (31 Dec 2025)
Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) Health Science Bursary Programme
Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF)
The UYDF Health Science Bursary Programme is a top-up funding and student-support scheme that helps disadvantaged students from rural KwaZulu-Natal (and parts of the Eastern Cape) qualify as health professionals. It is layered on top of NSFAS, covering costs NSFAS does not, paying a monthly allowance, and providing mentoring so students complete their degrees. In return, graduates commit to working in rural public-sector hospitals to ease the shortage of healthcare workers in underserved communities.
NSFAS top-up funding (covers costs not included in NSFAS) plus a monthly allowance reported around R3,800; no fixed total amount is publishedView details →
Medical bursaries in South Africa - what to know
The MBChB squeeze
South African medical schools admit roughly 2,000 students per year against tens of thousands of applicants. Securing a bursary alongside university admission is a separate challenge - most medical bursaries pre-select students and pay tuition directly to the university.
Allied health pays well too
Physiotherapy, radiography, occupational therapy and pharmacy bursaries are less competitive than MBChB funding and offer real career stability. Discovery Foundation and Life Healthcare in particular fund a wide range of allied health professions.
Provincial health departments
Every provincial department of health runs a bursary scheme with a work-back commitment in the public sector. These are large-scale and often less competitive than corporate bursaries.