Updated 12 October 2026
Teaching bursaries for 2027
Compare funding for Bachelor of Education and eligible PGCE routes, including Funza Lushaka, provincial programmes and teaching fellowships. Confirm every date with the programme before applying.
Main national teaching bursary
Funza Lushaka 2027 applications close 31 January 2027
The official Funza Lushaka site states that applications for 2027 opened on 1 October 2026. New applications close on 31 January 2027, and existing bursars must submit their re-applications by 30 November 2026. Apply on the e-Gov portal (www.eservices.gov.za) using the 2027 application button.
Funza Lushaka supports selected BEd and Senior/FET PGCE students in priority teaching subjects. First-time applicants must be 30 or younger, be South African citizens and first gain admission to an accredited public university programme that meets the selection rules.
Read the verified Funza Lushaka 2027 guide2027 teaching bursary directory
Upcoming deadlines and programmes waiting for 2027 dates appear before closed windows.
- Postgraduate Deadline 23 Nov 2026
NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
National Research Foundation (NRF) / Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)
The DSTI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship is South Africa's flagship public research funding for Honours, Master's and PhD students at South African public universities. Awards are made at Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS) across science, engineering, technology, the social sciences and the humanities, with FCS reserved for South Africans who are financially needy, living with a disability or exceptional academic achievers. For the 2027 academic year, Honours applications close on 23 November 2026; first-time Master's and Doctoral applications closed on 3 July 2026.
2027 values per year: Honours R180,000 (FCS) or R140,000 (PCS); Master's R190,000 (FCS) or R145,000 (PCS); Doctoral R200,000 (FCS) or R150,000 (PCS). FCS holders also receive a once-off R10,000 electronic study device allowance, and students living with a disability can get up to R20,000 for assistive technology.View details → - General Deadline 30 Nov 2026
SIOC-CDT Bursary Fund
SIOC Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT) (administered by Dux PD)
The SIOC Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT), established through Sishen Iron Ore Company (Kumba Iron Ore), offers a comprehensive bursary to young people who live in or come from its beneficiary communities: Gamagara, Ga-Segonyana, Joe Morolong and Tsantsabane in the Northern Cape and Thabazimbi in Limpopo. The bursary covers registration and tuition, accommodation, prescribed study material, a once-off laptop, a monthly stipend and assistive devices for students with disabilities, with priority fields in agriculture, health, education, law, tourism, business, engineering and IT. Applications for the 2027 academic year are open and close at midday on 30 November 2026; the selection process is run by Dux PD.
Comprehensive bursary (rand value not published): registration and tuition fees, accommodation, prescribed study material, a once-off laptop, a monthly stipend and assistive devices for students with disabilitiesView details → - Education Teaching Deadline 31 Jan 2027
Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme
Department of Basic Education
Funza Lushaka funds selected students completing an initial teaching qualification in priority subjects at an accredited public university. Applications for 2027 opened on 1 October 2026 and close on 31 January 2027 for new applicants (30 November 2026 for returning bursars). Recipients must teach at a public school for one year for every year funded.
Varies by university; essential study costs up to an annual capView details → - Education Teaching 2027 dates TBA
ADvTECH Student Teacher Bursary
ADvTECH Group (administered by the ADvTECH Schools Division)
ADvTECH, South Africa's largest private education group, has funded senior teaching students through its Student Teacher Bursary, with mentorship and practical placements at Trinityhouse schools. As of 12 October 2026 the group's careers site no longer lists the bursary: its CSI page directs bursary enquiries to the individual school brands, and ADvTECH schools have instead advertised a Teacher Intern programme for registered teaching students, with a monthly stipend towards transport and tuition.
Tuition fee coverage linked to academic performance (up to full cover)View details → - Education Teaching 2027 dates TBA
ETDP SETA Bursary Scheme for Unemployed Students
ETDP SETA (Education, Training and Development Practices Sector Education and Training Authority), administered by partner Higher Education Institutions
The ETDP SETA funds unemployed South African 'missing middle' students studying education, teaching and training-related qualifications at partner Higher Education Institutions. From the 2025/26 cycle, ETDP SETA no longer advertises or accepts direct or walk-in applications: partner universities and private HEIs administer the bursary, and students apply through their institution's financial aid office. The bursary covers up to R150,000 per year, with registration and tuition prioritised.
Bursary not exceeding R150,000.00 per annum per student. The breakdown of what the amount covers is determined by the institution applied to, with registration fee and tuition treated as priority funding aspects. Any unspent funds are returned to the ETDP SETA, not the student.View details → - General 2027 dates TBA
MANCOSA Bursary Programme
Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA)
The MANCOSA Bursary covers tuition fees for South African students who cannot afford the full cost of MANCOSA's distance-learning Higher Certificate, Bachelor's, Honours, Postgraduate or Master's programmes.
Full tuition fees (registration and textbooks excluded)View details → - General Closed (14 Sept 2026)
Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) South Africa Program Grant
Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) - a US-based non-profit public charity linked to the World Bank Family Network (the South Africa Program is administered directly by MMEG)
The MMEG South Africa Program is a women-only education grant for women aged 25 and over who are already enrolled at an eligible South African university and committed to improving the lives of women and children in their communities. SA bursary aggregators report a one-time grant of up to US$7,500 (about R120,000), though the exact amount varies with available funds and exchange rates and is not explicitly confirmed on the official MMEG pages. Running since 2008, the program had supported 168 women from African countries as of the latest official figures.
A one-time education grant of up to US$7,500 (approximately R120,000) per grantee, as reported by South African bursary aggregators - this figure is not explicitly confirmed on the official MMEG pages, and actual amounts may vary depending on availability of funds and exchange ratesView details → - Postgraduate Closed (02 Sept 2026)
Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship
Canon Collins Trust
The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship funds postgraduate study at South African universities in Justice, Education and Humanities - open to nationals of 10 southern African countries pursuing Master's or PhD research with a focus on social change.
Between R20,000 and R100,000 per year (depending on circumstances)View details → - General Closed (31 Aug 2026)
Ninety One Changeblazers Bursary
Ninety One (administered by CareerWise)
The Ninety One Changeblazers Bursary is a fully-funded, holistic undergraduate bursary for high-potential South African school leavers from low-income households entering their first year of university in 2027. Beyond covering tuition, accommodation and learning materials, the programme provides private tutoring, mentorship and wellbeing support to help talented young people succeed. It is run by global asset manager Ninety One (formerly Investec Asset Management) and administered by CareerWise.
Full tuition, accommodation, meals and learning materialsView details → - Education Teaching Closed (31 Jul 2026)
Jakes Gerwel Graduate Teaching Fellowship
Jakes Gerwel Fellowship (funded by the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Endowment Teaching Initiative)
The Jakes Gerwel Graduate Teaching Fellowship (GTF) is a fully funded programme that develops exceptional graduates into outstanding high school teachers. It covers a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at a partner university along with accommodation, allowances, mentorship and leadership development, with fellows committing to teach at a South African high school after qualifying. It targets passionate final-year undergraduates and graduates under 30 who want to transform education in South Africa.
Full scholarship covering PGCE tuition, accommodation, allowances and a monthly stipend (single value not published)View details → - General Closed (30 Jun 2026)
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
Mastercard Foundation (delivered through South African partner universities: University of Pretoria, University of the Western Cape and University of Cape Town)
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a fully funded undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship for academically talented young Africans, including South Africans, who face economic and social barriers to higher education. It covers the full cost of study and adds mentorship, leadership development and wraparound support, with a strong focus on women (around 71% of scholars) and on producing transformative leaders. Applicants apply directly through a partner university rather than through the Foundation.
Fully funded (full tuition, accommodation, stipend and allowances)View details → - Education Teaching 2027 dates TBA
Provincial Education Department Bursary
Provincial Education Departments
Shape the future of South African education. Join the public school system and make a lasting impact on young minds across all nine provinces while building a meaningful teaching career.
R40,000 - R80,000 per yearView details → - Government 2027 dates TBA
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 → - Education Teaching 2027 dates TBA
STET Bursary Programme for Black Female STEM Students (UNISA)
Support Teacher Empowerment Trust (STET) (South African non-profit established 2017; self-administered via the online bursary application form on stet.co.za)
The STET Bursary Programme is run by the Support Teacher Empowerment Trust, a South African non-profit set up in 2017 to develop young Black women as future-ready STEM educators. It funds undergraduate STEM qualifications specifically at the University of South Africa (UNISA), chosen for its distance-learning accessibility, and pairs that funding with mentorship, leadership development and ICT, coding and robotics training for the classroom. The exact bursary amount is not publicly disclosed; applications for the 2026 cycle closed on 5 January 2026, with the next intake expected to follow a similar early-January window.
Not publicly disclosed (financial support towards UNISA tuition and related study costs)View details → - General 2027 dates TBA
Victor Thebe Sifora Provincial Bursary Scheme
North West Provincial Government, Office of the Premier (administered in-house via the NWPG online Bursary Application Portal)
The Victor Thebe Sifora Provincial Bursary Scheme is the North West Provincial Government's flagship bursary, administered in-house by the Office of the Premier for permanent residents of the North West Province. It funds full-time undergraduate study at recognised South African public institutions, prioritising fields aligned to provincial development and skills needs. Renamed in 2022 to honour the late academic and struggle activist Victor Thebe Sifora, the scheme has cumulatively awarded roughly 4,870 bursaries worth around R405 million.
Not officially published as a fixed figure; awards cover full-time undergraduate study at public institutions. The provincial scheme has cumulatively awarded approximately 4,870 bursaries worth around R405 million to North West residents.View details → - General 2027 dates TBA
Kagiso Trust Education Development Trust Bursary
Kagiso Trust (Education Development unit, administered in-house)
The Kagiso Trust Education Development Trust Bursary is a comprehensive, full-cost bursary for academically strong South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are pursuing an undergraduate degree at a South African university. It covers tuition, textbooks, accommodation, transport and related expenses for the full 3-4 year degree, and adds mentorship and alumni network support. The Trust funds study across several priority fields, including the natural sciences, commerce, law, health sciences and teacher training.
Not officially published. Comprehensive, full-cost funding covering tuition, textbooks, educational equipment, accommodation, transport and related expenses for the duration of a 3-4 year undergraduate degree.View details →
PGCE bursaries for 2027
A PGCE is a one-year initial teacher-education qualification for graduates whose existing degree contains suitable teaching subjects. Funding rules depend on the programme: a bursary that funds a four-year BEd does not automatically fund every PGCE.
Funza Lushaka for PGCE
The current official FAQ includes PGCE study in Senior Phase and FET teaching, subject to age, admission, priority-subject and selection rules.
Jakes Gerwel Graduate Teaching Fellowship
A graduate teaching route at participating universities. Check the current intake, partner institution and age requirements.
Provincial teaching bursaries
Provincial education departments may recruit for local priority subjects and districts. Dates and routes are not uniform across all nine provinces, so verify the programme with the relevant department rather than relying on a national generic deadline.
How provincial education funding worksCheck before applying
- Teaching phase and priority subjects
- University admission and qualification approval
- Age and citizenship rules
- Annual renewal requirements
- Public-school placement or service obligation