Jakes Gerwel Fellowship 2027, Requirements & Application

Key facts

Status: Applications closed Closed 31 July 2026
Provider: Jakes Gerwel
Study level: Undergraduate, Postgraduate, High school
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The application window for fellows starting a PGCE in 2027 closed on 31 July 2026.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Closed · applications closed on 31 July 2026 Latest update ↓

The Jakes Gerwel Fellowship (JGF) is named after Professor Jakes Gerwel, the anti-apartheid academic and Director-General in President Mandela’s office. It aims to build a generation of expert high school teachers and educational leaders. Its Graduate Teaching Fellowship, launched in 2021, gives graduates a fully funded Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at a partner university, followed by support during their first years in the classroom.

About the Jakes Gerwel Graduate Teaching Fellowship

The fellowship is a full scholarship for the PGCE year that covers:

PGCE tuition at the partner university.
Accommodation and meals.
Books, a laptop and printing.
A tutor allowance and a monthly stipend.
Mentorship, coaching and leadership development, continuing into your first years of teaching.

Partner universities are the University of Cape Town, the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Western Cape. Fellows commit to teaching at a South African high school after qualifying.

Jakes Gerwel Fellowship eligibility requirements

South African citizen or permanent resident with a South African ID.
Under 30 years old on the closing date.
Completed an undergraduate degree, or in the final year of one, with majors that qualify you to teach high school subjects. Gateway and scarce subjects such as mathematics, physical science, accounting, economics, languages and technology are preferred.
Intending to complete a PGCE at one of the partner universities and to teach at a South African high school afterwards.
Evidence of leadership, resilience and commitment to education.

How to apply

Complete the eligibility quiz at jgfellowship.org/eligibility-quiz when the window opens.
Submit the online application with your academic record, ID, CV and motivation.
Apply separately to the PGCE programme at your chosen partner university. The fellowship does not secure your university place.
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by telephone, usually in August.
Finalists attend a multi-day selection camp before candidate fellows are chosen for the following year.

Jakes Gerwel Fellowship closing date

The last window closed on 31 July 2026. The next closing date has not been announced; expect late July 2027 for fellows starting in 2028.

Contact details

Email: info@jgfellowship.org
Johannesburg: 2nd Floor, Flushing Meadows Building, The Campus, 57 Sloane Street, Bryanston, 2191. Telephone 076 094 7679
Cape Town: Suite 111, Clock Tower Building, V&A Waterfront. Telephone 083 589 2933
Website: www.jgfellowship.org

If you miss the window, the Funza Lushaka bursary funds PGCE and BEd studies at all public universities and closes in January each year.

FAQs

1. Is the Jakes Gerwel Graduate Teaching Fellowship open now? +

No. The window for fellows starting a PGCE in 2027 closed on 31 July 2026. The next window, for a PGCE in 2028, is expected to run from about March to July 2027. Start the eligibility quiz on jgfellowship.org when it reopens.

2. Who qualifies? +

South African citizens or permanent residents under 30 who have completed, or are in the final year of, an undergraduate degree, and who intend to do a PGCE at a partner university and then teach at a South African high school.

3. Which universities? +

UCT, Wits, the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Western Cape.

4. What does the fellowship cover? +

Full PGCE tuition, accommodation, meals, books, a laptop, printing, a tutor allowance and a monthly stipend, plus mentorship and leadership development during the PGCE year and support in your first years of teaching.

5. What subjects are preferred? +

Gateway and scarce subjects: mathematics, physical science, accounting, economics, languages and technology, where schools struggle to find qualified teachers.

6. How does selection work? +

An online eligibility quiz, an online application, a separate PGCE application to the university, telephone interviews for shortlisted candidates, and a multi-day selection camp before fellows are chosen.

7. Who do I contact? +

info@jgfellowship.org, 076 094 7679 (Johannesburg) or 083 589 2933 (Cape Town).

Update note (checked September 2026): the application window for fellows starting a PGCE in 2027 closed on 31 July 2026. The fellowship has not yet announced the next window. It normally runs from about March to July, so applicants who want to start a PGCE in 2028 should prepare to apply between March and July 2027. The fellowship also runs a two-year support programme for newly qualified teachers, for which nominations are open on its website.

This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.

Visit the provider’s website