VerifiedPharmacy is a vital healthcare profession in South Africa.Â
It is responsible for dispensing medication, providing healthcare advice, and ensuring the safe and effective use of medicines.
The South African pharmacy industry is well-developed, with a network of community pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.
A career in pharmacy offers a wide range of opportunities, from community pharmacy practice to specialized roles in hospital settings, research, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Career Opportunities in Pharmacy
Some common career paths include:
- Community Pharmacist
- Hospital Pharmacist
- Pharmaceutical Research
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
- Pharmacy Technician
Fields of Study
To become a pharmacist in South Africa you need a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from a university such as Rhodes, NWU, UWC, Wits, UKZN, Nelson Mandela University, Limpopo or Sefako Makgatho.
The degree covers pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics and pharmacy practice.
After graduating you complete a one-year internship and a year of community service, then register with the South African Pharmacy Council as a pharmacist. Pharmacist’s assistants and pharmacy technicians follow shorter qualifications.
Pharmacy Bursaries
Here are a list of bursaries and scholarships that fund General Medical studies:
- CHIETA Bursary
- Cipla Bursary
- Clicks Foundation Bursary
- DSI-CSIR Bursary
- Education Empowerment and Development Fund (EEDF) Bursary
- Garden Cities Bursary
- Gauteng Department of Health Bursary
- IDB Education Trust Bursary Loan
- ISFAP Bursary
- Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
- Lonmin Bursary
- Moshal Scholarship Program
- Mpumalanga Provincial Government Bursary
- NESP Scholarship
- Netcare Bursary
- North West Provincial Government Bursaries
- Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa Bursaries
- Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships (QECS)
- Rio Tinto/ Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) Bursary
- SASSETA Bursary
- Shoprite Bursaries
- SIOC Community Development Trust (SIOC-cdt) Bursary
- W&RSETA Bursary
- WAAW Foundation Scholarship
- Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Bursary
Students from low-income households should also apply to NSFAS, and see our Pharmaceutical Society bursaries, medicine bursaries and health science bursaries pages.
