Are you done with your undergraduate education and aspire to further your education to earn a postgraduate certificate, or are you already employed and looking forward to achieving greater heights in your career by gaining a postgraduate certification?
Going through postgraduate education can be financially challenging, mainly when unemployed.
Thanks to the availability of postgraduate bursaries in South Africa, this financial aid can help you start your postgraduate education without financial stress.
Postgraduate bursaries are available in all fields/programmes in South Africa; all you need to do is find a reliable bursary provider, meet their requirements, and then apply.
Apply now for these bursary programs:
Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP)
This programme offers financial aid to “missing middle” students, including postgraduate students, for the 2025 academic year.
This program is available for students pursuing Honours qualifications in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and Green Economy at South African public universities or universities of technology.
Open to students pursuing postgraduate qualifications.
ASSET Educational Trust Bursary Programme
This programme funds students studying towards a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE), supporting around 500 students annually.
Here are some fields where you can get a postgraduate bursary in Africa.
Business Administration
Humanities
Public Health
Law
Masters
Business Management
Education
Medical Physics
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Commerce
Conservation of the built environment
Environmental Science
Epidemiology
Executive Education
Marketing
Physiotherapy
Postgraduate Diploma in Quality
Project management
Public Management
Science Education
Social Sciences
Specialised Accountancy
Theology
Classical Studies
Postgraduate bursaries in South Africa
Ada & Bertie Levenstein Bursary
Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary
AWS Skills Development Bursary
BANKSETA / UKZN Outstanding Student Debt Fund
Council for Geoscience Bursary
Critical Food Studies Postgraduate Scholarship
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Bursary
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Bursary
Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Bursary
Department of Transport Bursary
Department of Water & Sanitation Bursary
DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
Energy Mobility Education Trust Scholarship
FirstRand Foundation Honours Bursary
Fulbright Foreign Student Program South Africa
Genesis Educational Foundation Trust (GEFT) Bursary
GreenMatter Fellowship PhD at University of Cape Town
Guy Butler Research Award Scholarship
Harry Crossley Foundation Research Fellowship
IIE-Vega School Bursary Competition
Imfundo Enhle Education Trust Bursary
John Davidson Educational Trust Bursary
Keaton Energy Mining Bursaries
Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarship
Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Bursaries
Potato Industry Development Trust Bursaries
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) Bursary
Royal Bafokeng Holdings Bursary
Rothschild & Co Foundation Scholarship
SA Cultivar & Technology Agency (SACTA) Bursary
SAAFoST Aubrey Parsons Study Grant
SAAFoST Foundation Bursary (for Part-Time Students)
SANBI Biological Invasion Bursary
South Africa International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) Bursary
South African National Seed Organization (SANSOR) Bursary
South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) Bursary
South African Reserve Bank Scholarship
South African Association of Botanists Scholarship
South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) Bursary
Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) Bursary
UCT Centre For African Studies: Jack Simons Bursary
UCT Department of Information Systems Bursary
UCT International and Refugee Scholarship
UKZN Archbishop Denis E. Hurley Scholarship
African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Bursaries
African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) Bursary
Africa Wetu Foundation Bursary
Canon Collins Trust Mail & Guardian Scholarship
Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship
Canon Collins Scholarship for Economic Justice
Canon Collins Sol Plaatje Scholarship
Canon Collins Tom Queba Scholarship
Canon Collins Trust and University of London Scholarships for Distance Learning
Cecil Renaud International Scholarship
Council for Geoscience Bursary
David and Elaine Potter Fellowship
Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision (DBREV) Scholarship
Erika Theron Trust Scholarship
Ernst & Ethel Eriksen Trust Bursary
Imperial Stellenbosch University Bursary
Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
Mpumalanga Provincial Government Bursary
Master Builders Association Western Cape (MBAWC) Bursary
Meat Industry Trust (MIT) Bursary
National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) Bursary
NMU/ AIDC Postgraduate Bursary
NMU/ AIDC PostDoctoral Fellowship
Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) Bursary
Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships (QECS)
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) Bursary
SAAFoST Brian Koeppen Memorial Scholarship
South African Road Federation (SARF) Bursary
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Scholarship
South African-German Centre for Development Research (SA-GER CDR) Scholarship
South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) Bursary
Southern African Transport Conference (SATC) Bursary
Stellenbosch University Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Scholarship
UCT Archive and Public Culture Postgraduate Bursaries
Umgeni Water Postgraduate Bursary
University of Johannesburg W&RSETA Bursary
UKZN College of Agriculture, Engineering, and Science Bursary
UKZN Ethekwini Maritime Cluster Bursary
UKZN Mellon Spatial Humanities Scholarship
UKZN Richard AD Turner Bursary
UWC Faculty of Education Bursary
Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA) Bursary
Bongani Mayosi National Health Scholars Programme (BM-NHSP)
EP Bradlow Bursary at Stellenbosch University
L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science South Africa Grant
Stellenbosch University Doctoral Scholarship
Stellenbosch University GEM Scholarship
Stellenbosch University Lisa Maskell Scholarship
Tiso Foundation Archibald Mafeje PhD Scholarship
UFS and South African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) Fellowship
University of Free State (UFS) Doctoral Scholarship
UKZN Doctoral Research Scholarships
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) Bursary
Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Bursary
Kuehne + Nagel Inzuzo Trust Bursary
Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund (LPFF) Bursary
LRF Dr Michael Bradfield Bursary
Mmabana Arts, Culture and Sports Foundation Bursary
Moses Kotane Institute Bursary
NYDA Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund
Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa Bursaries
Robben Island Museum (RIM) Bursary
SA Maths and Science Teacher Intern Programme Bursary
Southern African Weed Science Society Bursary
Tegkor/ Nelson Mandela University Bursary
The Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme
UFS Postgraduate Diploma Bursary
Upstream Training Trust Bursary