Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA)

The Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) is the professional, not-for-profit membership body for registered dietitians. ADSA serves dietitians’ interests, supports standards in the profession and promotes good nutrition in South African communities, and volunteers run much of ADSA’s work.

Registered name

Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA)

Type

Professional association (dietetics)

Fields funded

Undergraduate dietetics, from second year

Website

adsa.org.za

What dietitians actually do

ADSA calls dietetics one of the world’s fastest-growing professions, with a key role in modern medicine. Many people think dietitians only help with weight loss, and ADSA agrees that obesity is part of the work, but ADSA points out that dietitians treat many other nutrition-related conditions. Dietitians work in public and private healthcare, and some conduct research on nutrition topics that informs how other health workers practise.

ADSA’s website includes a video showing registered dietitians working across different nutrition fields in South Africa, a useful starting point for anyone deciding whether to study dietetics.

An undergraduate bursary from second year

ADSA’s bursaries page lists an Undergraduate Bursary for Dietetic Students Starting 2nd Year. That timing matters: school leavers and first-year students cannot apply, while students who have completed first year of a dietetics degree can. Past recipients thank ADSA on the bursaries page for funding the remaining years of their undergraduate studies.

ADSA uses an early-December closing date. The 2026 bursary closed on 8 December 2025, and the 2027 call had not been published when BursariesAfrica checked, so expect the next closing date in early December 2026.

Researching ADSA and dietetics

First-year dietetics students should use their first year to prepare. Keep marks strong, collect a certified academic record as soon as results come out, and read ADSA’s bursaries page in November for the current application form. Ask your university’s dietetics department whether previous students received ADSA funding and how they prepared their motivations.

Students still deciding on a career can read ADSA’s descriptions of dietetic practice and speak to a registered dietitian at a local clinic or hospital. Dietitians must register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, so check that your university’s dietetics programme leads to that registration.

ADSA members work in hospitals, clinics, schools, sports teams, the food industry and private practice, so a dietetics degree leads to a wider range of careers than many students expect.

Health science students can compare ADSA with other funders on our dietetics and nutrition bursaries page.