ANFASA Grant Scheme for Authors 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: No current round published
Provider: ANFASA
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

ANFASA has historically opened the scheme around May, closed it on 31 July and announced awards in December.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Academic and Non-Fiction Authors’ Association of South Africa (ANFASA), founded in 2004, represents the country’s non-fiction writers and channels part of its reprographic royalty income into the ANFASA Grant Scheme for Authors (AGSA). The grants buy research and writing time for authors, including postgraduates turning a thesis into a book, and have gone to more than a hundred writers.

About the ANFASA Grant Scheme for Authors

Grants of about R25 000 each in recent rounds, paid before the end of the award year.
Funds research and writing time for non-fiction books, academic works and manuscripts developed from postgraduate research.
Assessed on the quality and viability of the proposal, the author’s track record and the likelihood of publication.

ANFASA Grant eligibility requirements

A South African non-fiction author, including postgraduate students and academics.
An ANFASA member; membership can be taken out when applying.
A clear book proposal with a chapter outline, timeline and budget.
Evidence of a publisher’s interest strengthens the application but is not always required.

How to apply for the ANFASA Grant

Download the AGSA application form from anfasa.org.za when the call opens.
Complete the proposal, budget and timeline sections and attach your CV, a sample chapter and proof of ANFASA membership.
Email the application to ANFASA by the closing date. Awards are announced in December.

ANFASA Grant closing date

Historically 31 July. No 2027 date has been published.

Contact details

Telephone: 011 403 0027
Email: info@anfasa.org.za
Website: www.anfasa.org.za

Postgraduate writers should also apply to the DSI-NRF postgraduate scholarship and the National Arts Council bursary, and see our postgraduate bursaries list.

FAQs

1. When does the ANFASA grant scheme close for 2027? +

ANFASA has historically opened the Grant Scheme for Authors around May and closed it on 31 July, with awards announced in December. The last widely published call was for 2022, so email ANFASA to confirm whether a 2027 round will run.

2. What is ANFASA? +

The Academic and Non-Fiction Authors' Association of South Africa, founded in 2004, which represents non-fiction authors and distributes reprographic royalties and writing grants.

3. What does the grant fund? +

Research and writing time for a non-fiction book, academic work or postgraduate-derived manuscript, with grants of about R25 000 each in recent rounds.

4. Who qualifies? +

South African non-fiction authors who are ANFASA members (membership can be taken out when applying), including postgraduate students turning a thesis into a book, with a viable proposal and a publisher's interest where possible.

5. How do I apply? +

Download the AGSA application form from anfasa.org.za, complete the proposal, budget and timeline sections, attach your CV and a sample chapter, and email it to ANFASA by the closing date.

6. Who do I contact? +

ANFASA on 011 403 0027 or info@anfasa.org.za.

Update note (checked September 2026): ANFASA’s website had no open call for its Grant Scheme for Authors when we checked in September 2026. Its current call on the site is the separate DSAC Publishing Hub manuscript call, which closed on 26 June 2026. Source: anfasa.org.za.

This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.

Visit the provider’s website

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.