VerifiedNo bursary on this site funds human resources on its own. Every scheme that pays for an HR qualification funds it as one line in a longer list, usually alongside accounting, finance, marketing and information technology, and often alongside engineering.
That is the first thing to understand about funding this field, because it changes how you apply. You are not competing for an HR bursary. You are competing for a general bursary against applicants from every other field on the same advert, and the places are rarely split evenly.
Services SETA
The Services SETA is the closest thing to a dedicated route. It funds qualifications at NQF level 5 and above that are linked to the services sector, and it names human resources directly alongside business management, marketing and public administration.
Because it is levy-funded rather than employer-recruiting, it does not expect you to work for a particular company afterwards. Its last confirmed round closed on 15 September.
Mining company bursaries that fund human resources
Mining companies employ very large workforces under collective agreements, so they need HR practitioners and they fund them. These are among the few large schemes that name human resources explicitly.
| Funder | Last confirmed closing |
|---|---|
| Marula Platinum | 9 January 2026 |
| Harmony | 27 February 2026 |
| DRDGOLD | Varies |
| De Beers | 21 January 2022 |
| Imerys | Varies |
| Kumba Iron Ore | October |
| Black Mountain Study Trust | 8 December 2025 |
| Assmang | 12 December 2025 |
Most of these carry a work-back obligation and several are restricted to the communities around the mine. Read the eligibility section before you apply, because a national-sounding scheme is often a host-community one.
Corporate bursaries that include human resources
| Funder | What it is | Last confirmed closing |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone | BCom in business, commerce, finance, marketing, human resources, project management and IT | Varies |
| CSG | Human resources and industrial psychology alongside IT and finance | 31 January 2026 |
| Bombela | The Gautrain concession company | Varies |
| BEKA Schréder | Lighting manufacturer | Varies |
| Air Products | Industrial gases | Varies |
| Hitachi | Names human resources among a short list of funded fields | Varies |
| Alfeco | Engineering group that also funds finance and human resources | Varies |
| Samsung South Africa | Graduate programme | Varies |
| Grand Gaming | Gaming operator | 30 May 2026 |
| Railway Safety Regulator | Human resources management and risk management alongside engineering | 23 December 2025 |
| FinX BEE | Engineering-weighted but includes commerce fields | 29 February 2026 |
| LegalWise | Law, accounting, human resource management and information science | 30 September 2026 |
Trust and disability bursaries
- The Bradshaw LeRoux bursary for students with disabilities names human resources among its fields.
- The Black Mountain Study Trust funds human resources alongside agriculture, education, finance, medical fields and social work.
- The Career Wise programme administers bursaries for corporate clients across a wide field list.
Dalitso Holdings appears in bursary searches but is a human resources and recruitment firm that administers bursary programmes on behalf of corporate clients. It is worth watching because the schemes it runs are advertised through it, but the money is not its own.
Distance learning
HR is one of the most commonly studied qualifications by distance, and two providers run their own funding.
- The MANCOSA bursary covers tuition on its distance programmes, including human resources management, business management, supply chain management and marketing management.
- The Sasha Laurel bursary covered Regenesys certificates, degrees, postgraduate diplomas and the MBA, including human resource management.
Check whether the qualification is accredited and whether NSFAS covers it before committing, because NSFAS funds public institutions rather than private ones.
Industrial psychology
If you want the regulated version of this career, industrial psychology is it. Industrial psychologists register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the title is protected, which human resources practitioner is not.
It is funded more widely than HR: it appears on the psychology and commerce calls as well as the HR ones. See our psychology bursaries page for those funders.
Professional registration
The SA Board for People Practices is the professional body for the field and is recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority. It offers student membership, professional designations, a candidate programme, board examinations and continuing professional development.
Joining as a student costs little and is worth doing early: several employers ask for it, and the candidate programme is the structured route from a degree to a professional designation.
What to do when no bursary names your field
- Apply to NSFAS first. It funds a BCom in human resources at a public university like any other qualification and applies no field exclusion.
- Apply to the broad commerce schemes on our commerce bursaries page, where HR usually sits.
- Apply to your own municipality and provincial government, which employ HR staff and fund residents.
- Look at learnerships rather than bursaries. HR learnerships are common, and the SABPP runs its own.
When to apply
| Period | Action |
|---|---|
| September | Services SETA closed 15 September in its last round. LegalWise closes 30 September. |
| October – December | Apply to NSFAS. Kumba, Black Mountain and Assmang close. The Railway Safety Regulator closed 23 December. |
| January – February | Marula, CSG, Harmony, FinX and Cipla close. This is the busiest window for the schemes that name HR. |
| May – June | Grand Gaming closes at the end of May. |
See also our commerce bursaries page, psychology bursaries for the industrial psychology route, and project management bursaries, which appear on many of the same calls.