VerifiedEnvironmental study in South Africa is funded mostly by the state. The Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment run the two largest schemes, because both employ environmental scientists directly. The conservation agencies fund the specialist work, and the private money comes mainly from mining companies and consultancies, which must employ environmental practitioners to keep their licences.
Closing within days: the Department of Water and Sanitation bursary closes 30 September 2026 and the DFFE bursary closes 2 October 2026. Both are open as of 23 September 2026.
Department of Water and Sanitation bursary
The Department of Water and Sanitation bursary is the largest single scheme in this field. The department funds engineers, scientists and built-environment graduates because it runs the dams, the bulk water systems and the water quality monitoring that the country depends on.
It covers more than environmental science: hydrology, water quality, civil and environmental engineering, land surveying, geohydrology and project management all appear in its calls. The 2027 round closes on 30 September 2026.
DFFE bursary
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment bursary funds the disciplines behind environmental regulation, including environmental law alongside the sciences. It is weighted towards postgraduate study. The 2027 round closes on 2 October 2026.
Conservation and biodiversity bursaries
| Funder | What it funds | Last confirmed closing |
|---|---|---|
| SANParks | Conservation, tourism, engineering and trades, for communities next to the national parks | 21 August 2026, opened 17 July |
| SANBI biological invasions bursary | Postgraduate research on invasive species, through the South African National Biodiversity Institute | Around 1 November, advertised in September or October |
| GreenMatter Fellowship | Doctoral study in biodiversity, at the University of Cape Town | Not published |
| iSimangaliso Wetland Park | Conservation and tourism careers, for people living around the park in northern KwaZulu-Natal | Varies |
| SAFCOL | Forestry, eco-tourism and agro-tourism, from the state forestry company | Varies |
The SANBI and GreenMatter schemes are research funding rather than undergraduate bursaries. If you are still doing a first degree, they are something to aim at later, not now.
Water board bursaries
The water boards are state-owned bulk water suppliers, and two of them fund students directly.
- Siza Water supplies the Dolphin Coast in KwaZulu-Natal and funds engineering, chemical engineering and related fields. It closes at the end of November each year.
- Mhlathuze Water supplies the Richards Bay area and funds engineering, electrical engineering and information systems.
Municipalities fund water and environmental qualifications too, because they run the treatment works. The City of Cape Town and Ekurhuleni both list them among their scarce skills.
Provincial environment department bursaries
- DEDEAT — the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Its rounds have closed in late November and at the end of December.
- LEDET — the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, for Limpopo students.
The EDTEA bursary is run by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, but despite the name it funds aeronautical engineering students, not environmental ones.
Energy and climate bursaries
The energy side of this field is funded separately, by the research institute and the regulator rather than by the environment department.
- SANEDI — the South African National Energy Development Institute funds postgraduate energy research.
- NERSA — the energy regulator funds engineering and postgraduate study in the disciplines it regulates.
- The Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision Scholarship — a single postgraduate scholarship in renewable energy. Its last round closed in September 2025 and its scholar started in 2026.
- Ngodwana Energy — a biomass power plant in Mpumalanga. No call has been published since 2023.
Consulting and industry bursaries
Mining companies and their consultants fund environmental science because a mining right carries environmental obligations that somebody has to discharge.
- Digby Wells Environmental is an environmental consultancy and the most directly relevant private funder here. Its bursary listing runs on its recruitment portal with no published closing date, so check it rather than waiting for an advert.
- Jones & Wagener is a consulting engineering firm that funds environmental science and geochemistry for work on dams, landfills and contaminated land. It closes at the end of July.
- Thungela funds environmental science within its mining-related fields.
- Nedbank groups environmental science with physics, chemistry and biotechnology in its science stream.
For the engineering route into this work, see our environmental engineering bursaries page, which lists the funders that name the degree directly.
Professional registration
Environmental scientists register with SACNASP, the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, which is the statutory body and keeps the public register. Graduates register as candidate natural scientists and move to professional natural scientist after the required supervised experience.
If you intend to do environmental impact assessments, the relevant register is held by EAPASA, the Environmental Assessment Practitioners Association of South Africa, which acts as the registration authority under section 24H of the National Environmental Management Act. Ask any prospective employer whether the work you will be doing counts towards registration.
Qualifications funded
- BSc Environmental Science. The general degree most calls name.
- Environmental management. Often a diploma or a BTech, and the qualification municipalities name most often.
- Hydrology, geohydrology and water quality. What the Department of Water and Sanitation and the water boards fund.
- Ecology, botany and zoology. The conservation route, funded by SANParks, SANBI and the provincial agencies.
- Environmental law. Named in the DFFE call and rare elsewhere.
- Environmental engineering. Funded on the engineering calls rather than the environmental ones.
When to apply
| Period | Action |
|---|---|
| July – August | SANParks opens in July and closes in August. Jones & Wagener closes at the end of July. |
| 30 September and 2 October | The Department of Water and Sanitation and the DFFE close. These are the two biggest. |
| October – November | Apply to NSFAS. SANBI advertises its research bursaries. Siza Water closes at the end of November. |
| December – January | DEDEAT has closed at the end of December and in late November. |
| Any time | Check the Digby Wells recruitment portal, which lists its bursary without a closing date. |
See also our science bursaries page, geology bursaries for the earth science funders, and agriculture bursaries for the land and water schemes on the farming side.
