Hollywood Foundation

The Hollywood Foundation is the corporate social investment arm of Hollywoodbets, the Durban-based betting company. The Hollywood Foundation directs part of Hollywoodbets’ profits into education, health, sport and community development, and the Future is Bright bursary campaign has become one of the foundation’s largest programmes.

Registered name

Hollywood Foundation

Type

Corporate foundation (Hollywoodbets)

Fields funded

University and college study through the Future is Bright bursary

Website

hollywoodfoundation.co.za

A foundation with a wide spread of projects

The Hollywood Foundation’s own news shows how varied its work is. The foundation has invested at the South African Jockey Academy’s main campus in Summerveld, opened applications for the 2026 Limpopo Bambelela Business Awards for entrepreneurs, and handed over soccer kits to teams in KwaZulu-Natal. An Eastern Cape entrepreneur, Zinzi Rwicila, founder of Chef Zinzi, won top honours at the foundation’s second Eastern Cape business awards.

In Gauteng, the Hollywood Foundation partnered with the Shimuzic Foundation, which DJ Shimza started in Tembisa in 2016, on a back-to-school campaign that helped vulnerable children at the start of the academic year.

Future is Bright: a one-month window

The Future is Bright bursary has a short intake. For 2027 study, the intake ran from 3 August 2026 and closed on 3 September 2026 at 12:00 midday, and the foundation does not accept late applications. Students interested in 2028 funding should expect the next intake to open in August 2027.

Because the foundation funds the bursary as a social investment, bursars do not sign up to work for Hollywoodbets, and applicants do not need to be Hollywoodbets customers.

What to research before the next intake

The Hollywood Foundation publishes success stories from past bursars when it opens each intake. Reading those stories shows the kinds of students and fields the foundation has funded. Prepare certified copies of your ID, results and proof of household income in July, so a one-month window does not catch you without documents.

One of our Hollywood Foundation pages describes an older intake and has not been refreshed for 2027, so rely on the August to September dates above and on hollywoodfoundation.co.za.

Hollywoodbets began in KwaZulu-Natal, and many of the foundation’s projects are rooted in that province, although the foundation’s news shows work in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng too. Students from any province should read the Future is Bright rules for the current intake to confirm which applicants qualify.

Students looking for other privately funded bursaries can browse our University Bursaries list.