Letsatsi Borutho Trust Bursary 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Applications closed Closed 19 August 2026
Provider: Letsatsi Borutho Trust
Study level: TVET / college
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

The trust's 2027 advert listed 19 August 2026 at 12:00 as the closing date, although StudyTrust's general application season runs until 30 September 2026.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Closed · applications closed on 19 August 2026 Latest update ↓

The Letsatsi Borutho Trust owns shares in the Droogfontein Solar Power plant near Kimberley on behalf of the communities around it, and turns its dividends into bursaries. It has put more than R6.5 million into tertiary education, and it funds any field, from university degrees to TVET trades.

About the Letsatsi Borutho Trust Bursary

Fields: all fields, at degree, national diploma or NQF Level 6 technical and vocational level.
Covers registration, tuition and exam fees, learning materials, accommodation and meals.
Institutions: TVET colleges, universities of technology and universities.

Eligibility requirements

South African citizen.
Living within a 50-kilometre radius of the Droogfontein Solar Power plant.
Enrolled, or accepted, at an accredited public or private tertiary institution.
Demonstrated financial need.

How to apply

Open the Letsatsi Borutho Trust bursary page on studytrust.org.za, the trust’s administrator.
Upload a certified ID, your acceptance letter on the institution’s letterhead, proof of residential address and certified proof of household income.
Submit before the closing date.

Closing date

19 August 2026 at 12:00 in the trust’s 2027 advert; StudyTrust’s season runs to 30 September 2026.

Contact details

StudyTrust: 011 403 1632, apply@StudyTrust.org.za

Northern Cape students should also apply to the Sibona Ilanga Trust bursary and the Northern Cape provincial government bursary.

FAQs

1. When does the Letsatsi Borutho Trust bursary close for 2027? +

The trust's 2027 advert listed 19 August 2026 at 12:00 as the closing date, although StudyTrust's general application season runs until 30 September 2026. If you have not applied, contact StudyTrust immediately to ask whether late applications are still being accepted.

2. What is the Letsatsi Borutho Trust? +

A community trust that owns shares in the Droogfontein Solar Power plant near Kimberley in the Northern Cape, on behalf of communities within 50 kilometres of the plant. It has invested more than R6.5 million in tertiary education.

3. Which fields? +

All fields, at degree, national diploma or NQF Level 6 technical and vocational level.

4. What does it cover? +

Registration, tuition and exam fees, learning materials, accommodation and meals, at TVET colleges, universities of technology and universities.

5. Who qualifies? +

South African citizens living within a 50-kilometre radius of the Droogfontein Solar Power plant, enrolled or accepted at an accredited public or private tertiary institution, with demonstrated financial need.

6. How do I apply? +

Online through StudyTrust's Letsatsi Borutho Trust bursary page, with a certified ID, your acceptance letter on the institution's letterhead, proof of residential address and certified proof of household income.

Update note (checked September 2026): the trust’s 2027 advert listed 19 August 2026 at 12:00 as the closing date, although StudyTrust’s general application season runs until 30 September 2026. If you have not yet applied, contact StudyTrust straight away to ask whether applications are still being accepted.

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

Visit the provider’s website

About Letsatsi Borutho Trust

Community trust (renewable energy ownership)

The Letsatsi Borutho Trust holds shares in the Droogfontein Solar Power plant near Kimberley in the Northern Cape on behalf of the communities that live around the plant. Letsatsi means sun in Setswana, a fitting name for a…

Read the full Letsatsi Borutho Trust profile →

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.