Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified
Information technology is the applied route. Most IT qualifications in South Africa are diplomas, advanced diplomas and BTech degrees at universities of technology and TVET colleges rather than degrees at research universities, and the work is running systems rather than designing them.
That is why this page has the longest funder list on the site. Almost every employer needs IT staff, so almost every bursary names it, including dozens of municipalities, mines and manufacturers that would never fund a computer science degree.
Why the list is worth reading to the end
Municipal schemes fund IT for their own residents and get far fewer applications than the national ones.
Mines and manufacturers fund IT alongside engineering, and the IT allocation is often uncontested.
SETAs including INSETA, SASSETA and Fasset fund IT qualifications within their sectors.
Provincial treasuries and departments fund IT because they run large systems themselves.
If you are at a TVET college rather than a university, start with NSFAS, which funds public TVET study in full for students who qualify, and then use this list for the gap.
Each bursary has its own eligibility criteria and application process. Be sure to check the specific requirements for each bursary and apply accordingly.
IT appears repeatedly on the government’s gazetted list of scarce skills, which is part of why the funding here is steady. The Occupations in High Demand list shows which IT roles are named and the qualification level each one starts at.
Update note (checked September 2026): technology company bursaries usually close between August and November 2026 for 2027, with Sage closing on 30 September 2026, while government, SETA and municipal bursaries often run until January 2027. Open each linked page for the latest confirmed closing date before you apply.
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