Verified
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health is the largest employer of health professionals in the province, running hospitals and clinics that serve urban and rural communities. The department funds KwaZulu-Natal residents to qualify in the scarce skills its facilities need, from doctors and pharmacists to nurses, therapists and radiographers.
- Registered name
- KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health
- Type
- Provincial government department (KwaZulu-Natal)
- Fields funded
- Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, therapy, radiography and other scarce health skills
- Website
- kznhealth.gov.za
- Phone
- 033 395 2111
Investment in health facilities
The department’s recent news shows where health professionals will work. The KZN Department of Health announced a R359 million development at Mosvold Hospital, leading investment in the Umkhanyakude District, and the MEC congratulated the provincial Nursing College on a Bachelor of Nursing milestone.
An unusual way to get the form
The KZN Department of Health bursary does not use an online form. Applicants collect a form from the Human Resource Department of the government hospital nearest to their family home in KwaZulu-Natal, not the hospital near their university. The applicant or a family member must collect and sign for the form, and must return the fully completed form to the same hospital.
The department advertises the programme on posters at provincial hospitals, clinics and municipal offices and online. Each district’s poster lists the fields of study and scarce skills required, and applicants may apply only for fields shown on their district’s poster.
Who qualifies
- a good academic record;
- proof of application or registration at a tertiary institution;
- no other bursary;
- no existing degree or diploma.
Support depends on household income
The department recommends support on a sliding scale based on parents’ income. Households earning up to R120 000 a year can receive tuition, meals, books and accommodation. From R121 000 to R150 000, support covers tuition, meals and accommodation. From R151 000 to R200 000, it covers tuition, accommodation and books, and from R201 000 to R250 000, tuition and accommodation.
The department takes applications from 1 May to 31 August each year, so the 2027 window closed on 31 August 2026. Bursars work for the department after qualifying.
Before collecting a form, check the poster at your nearest hospital or clinic so you know your district’s fields. Ask the hospital’s Human Resource Department how long the service obligation lasts for your field, and keep a copy of your signed, completed form in case you need to follow up on your application.
See our Medical Bursaries page for other health funders.
