Gert-Johan Coetzee Bursary (with the North West School of Design)

Gert-Johan Coetzee ranks among South Africa’s best-known fashion designers, recognised for red-carpet gowns worn by celebrities and pageant queens, including Miss South Africa titleholders. Gert-Johan Coetzee studied at the North West School of Design (NWSD) in Klerksdorp and has partnered with the school since 2009 to run a fashion bursary.

Registered name

Gert-Johan Coetzee Bursary (with the North West School of Design)

Type

Designer-led fashion bursary

Fields funded

Fashion design at the North West School of Design

Why Gert-Johan Coetzee funds students

Gert-Johan Coetzee set up the bursary to grow the next generation of design talent and to give back to his former school, according to BursariesAfrica’s earlier guide. The provider record adds that the bursary aims to grow South Africa’s fashion industry from the ground up by removing the cost barrier that keeps talented but under-resourced students out of formal design training.

More than tuition money

The Gert-Johan Coetzee bursary is deliberately hands-on. Recipients do not only receive fees; they also work with the designer’s studio. According to the provider record, recipients complete two internship placements each year at the Gert-Johan Coetzee studios during college holidays, which gives them real experience of how a fashion house designs, sources, fits and produces garments.

That internship requirement acts as a form of work-back. Students should be ready to spend holidays in the studio rather than at home, which is a demanding but valuable part of the award.

Limited public information

BursariesAfrica could not find an official website for the bursary when researching this profile on 15 September 2026, and our bursary guide has not been refreshed with 2027 dates. This page explains what the verified sources say, and readers should confirm details with the North West School of Design.

How to research the bursary

Contact the North West School of Design in Klerksdorp and ask whether the Gert-Johan Coetzee bursary will run for the coming year, how to apply, what portfolio the selectors want and where the holiday internships take place. Follow Gert-Johan Coetzee’s official social media accounts, where bursary announcements may appear.

Prepare a portfolio of sketches and any garments you have made. Fashion bursaries judge creativity and technical potential, so show your best work and explain your design ideas clearly.

Klerksdorp students and those willing to move there have the most direct route, because the bursary funds study at the North West School of Design.

See our fashion and textile bursaries page for other design funders.