Eastern Cape Department of Transport Bursary

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Eastern Cape Department of Transport offers a small number of external bursaries each year for full-time university study in fields its work depends on. For the 2026 academic year it advertised seven bursaries across three degrees: marine engineering, geomatics with a transport planning focus, and civil engineering. The bursary is for young people from the Eastern Cape, and applications are made on paper through the Department’s human resource development (HRD) offices in the districts, not online.

Seven bursaries in three transport degrees

The Department’s External Bursaries Advert for the 2026 academic year lists these places:

The bursaries are for full-time study. Neither the advert nor the application form lists what the bursary pays for or how much it is worth, and neither mentions a requirement to work for the Department after graduating. Applicants who need those details before accepting an award should ask the HRD coordinators listed below.

Level 4 in Maths, Physical Science and English

The advert sets a minimum of Level 4 in Mathematics, Physical Science and English, and applicants must meet the admission requirements of their university and attach proof. Within that pool, the Department gives preference to people who:

• excel academically;
• can show financial need;
• show potential and are not already funded by another bursary scheme.

The 2026 application form adds two conditions not in the advert: the bursary is meant for unemployed youth aged 18 to under 35, and applicants must be South African citizens living in the Eastern Cape. The form also asks whether the applicant has ever held another state bursary or loan, and if so, what obligations came with it and whether they were met.

Certified documents to attach

1. ID copy;
2. Matric or equivalent certificate;
3. admission letter from the university or institution;
4. proof of income, such as a payslip, or a sworn affidavit if the parents or guardian are not working or are self-employed;
5. proof of residence, such as a municipal bill;
6. a motivation letter from the applicant.

The form must be printed in black ink with every section completed. The Department warns that an incomplete form disqualifies the application and that late applications are not considered.

District HRD offices that hand out and collect forms

Forms are collected from, and returned to, an HRD practitioner in the applicant’s district or at head office:

The 2026 round closed on 27 January 2026. The Department’s website at ectransport.gov.za still showed that advert in September 2026 and had not published anything about bursaries for 2027. Other provincial departments’ bursaries are gathered on the Eastern Cape government bursaries page, and funders for the same degrees are listed under civil engineering bursaries and land surveying bursaries.

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