Kay Mason Foundation (KMF)

Richard Mason founded the Kay Mason Foundation (KMF) in 1999 in memory of his sister Kay. Based in Bellville, Cape Town, the Kay Mason Foundation removes barriers to quality education for talented young people from underprivileged backgrounds in the Western Cape.

Registered name

Kay Mason Foundation (KMF)

Type

Non-profit organisation (education)

Fields funded

High school scholarships from Grade 8 to matric, with support after school

Website

kmf.org.za

Selecting learners at age 11 or 12

The Kay Mason Foundation starts earlier than almost any other funder. Through a model refined over nearly three decades, KMF identifies bright, determined Grade 6 learners, aged 11 to 12, from underserved communities, and then invests deeply in their education and personal development.

KMF supports scholars through a full high school journey, from Grade 8 to matric, at partner schools, via its Senior Scholar Preparation Programme. The support goes well beyond fees: tutoring, mentorship, psychometric testing, career guidance and help after school, according to a provider record checked in August 2026. BursariesAfrica’s earlier guide adds camps, and describes KMF as deliberately not a cheque.

What KMF scholars have achieved

Together with its partners, KMF says it has helped more than 600 scholars who would otherwise have been left behind. KMF scholars come from backgrounds marked by hardship, poverty and limited opportunity. KMF reports that its alumni include academics who have won Fulbright scholarships, earned PhDs and advised governments, as well as founders of multi-million-dollar companies.

KMF describes the result as proof that an investment in one scholar becomes an investment in families, communities and countries.

Timing of the scholarship

KMF’s selection runs years ahead of high school. The current round closed on 17 May 2026, after an extension from 30 April, and it targets learners in Grade 6 in 2026 who will start Grade 8 in 2028. Families of learners in Grade 5 or Grade 6 should watch for the next round early in 2027.

How families can research KMF

Read KMF’s website with your child and talk about what the programme expects, including extra classes, camps and mentoring. Ask your child’s primary school principal whether the school has put learners forward before, because schools often help identify candidates.

Contact KMF to ask which Western Cape areas qualify, how the selection process works and what commitment families make. KMF’s long relationship with each scholar means parents play an important part too.

See our high school bursaries list for similar programmes.