Key facts
- Status
- Applications open Closes 30 September 2026
- Provider
- Department of Agriculture
- Field of study
- Engineering, Bioresource Engineering, Land Surveying, Town and Regional Planning
- Study level
- Postgraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The Department of Agriculture's 2027 call is open and closes on 30 September 2026.
VerifiedOpen · closes 30 September 2026 · 6 days left The funder does not publish this date on its own site, so confirm it before you rely on it. Latest update ↓
The national Department of Agriculture funds students from poor and rural communities to qualify in agricultural sciences, agricultural engineering and veterinary science. Until 2024 it was the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), and many students still search for the DALRRD bursary. The department has since been split in two, and the agriculture bursary now runs under the Department of Agriculture (DoA).
About the Department of Agriculture Bursary
- Fields: agricultural engineering, agronomy, animal health, entomology, food science and food technology, plant pathology, soil science, viticulture, veterinary science (BVSc), veterinary nursing and related diplomas, about 18 qualifications in total.
- Covers tuition, accommodation, study materials, meals and a monthly allowance.
- Studied full-time at accredited South African universities, universities of technology and agricultural colleges.
- DLRRD bursary: geo-informatics, geomatics and land surveying, and town, urban and regional planning, from diplomas to PhDs, with the same coverage.
Department of Agriculture Bursary eligibility requirements
- South African citizen, in Matric or with Matric.
- From a previously disadvantaged, rural or poverty-stricken background.
- Minimum Matric results: level 4 (50–59%) for food science, level 5 (60–69%) for most agricultural sciences and level 6 (70–79%) for engineering and veterinary science.
- Studying, or accepted, full-time at an accredited South African institution.
- Not employed by the department.
How to apply for the Department of Agriculture Bursary
- Download the 2027 application form from dalrrd.gov.za.
- Attach a certified ID, certified Matric results or certificate, an academic record if you are already studying, a university acceptance letter if you have one and your parents’ or guardians’ IDs and proof of income.
- Email the application to Externalbursaries@nda.gov.za with the subject line “DoA Bursary 2027” before 30 September 2026. Geomatics and planning students email Externalbursaries@dlrrd.gov.za with “DLRRD Bursary Application 2027”.
Department of Agriculture Bursary closing date
30 September 2026 for the 2027 academic year, for both the DoA and DLRRD bursaries. Late applications are not accepted.
Contact details
- Department of Agriculture: Ms Silindelo Dlomo 012 319 7848, Ms Bongiwe Shabalala 012 319 7136, Mr Sifiso Nkuna 012 319 7201
- DLRRD: Ms Leah Ngoetjana 012 312 8352, Mr Emmanuel Molefe 012 312 8337
Agriculture students should also apply to the ARC bursary, the Western Cape Department of Agriculture bursary and the Limpopo agriculture bursary.
FAQs
1. When does the Department of Agriculture (DALRRD) bursary close for 2027? +
30 September 2026 for the Department of Agriculture bursary. The separate Department of Land Reform and Rural Development bursary for geomatics and town planning closes on the same date.
2. Is DALRRD still the name? +
No. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development was split in 2024 into the Department of Agriculture (DoA), which runs the agricultural bursary, and the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD), which funds geomatics, surveying and town planning.
3. Which fields? +
Agricultural engineering, agronomy, animal health, entomology, food science and technology, plant pathology, soil science, viticulture, veterinary science and veterinary nursing, and related diplomas, about 18 qualifications in total.
4. What does it cover? +
Tuition, accommodation, study materials, meals and a monthly allowance.
5. Who qualifies? +
South African citizens from previously disadvantaged, rural or poverty-stricken backgrounds, in Matric or with Matric, studying full-time at an accredited South African institution, with at least level 4 for food science, level 5 for most agricultural sciences and level 6 for engineering and veterinary science, and not employed by the department.
6. How do I apply? +
Email the department's form with a certified ID, certified Matric results, an academic record if studying, a university acceptance letter if available and your parents' or guardians' IDs and proof of income to Externalbursaries@nda.gov.za with the subject line 'DoA Bursary 2027'.
Update note (checked September 2026): the Department of Agriculture’s 2027 call is open and closes on 30 September 2026. The separate Department of Land Reform and Rural Development (DLRRD) bursary, for geomatics, surveying and town planning, closes on the same date. We could not find this date on the funder’s own website on 22 September 2026. It comes from bursary listings, so confirm it on the official application page before you rely on it.
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