Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)

The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is the state-owned entity responsible for passenger rail in South Africa, including Metrorail commuter trains in the major cities and long-distance services. PRASA reports to the Department of Transport, and its head office is in Hatfield, Pretoria, according to a provider record checked in August 2026.

Registered name

Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)

Type

State-owned company (passenger rail)

Fields funded

Civil, electrical, electronic, industrial and mechanical engineering, and quantity surveying

Website

prasa.com

Why rail matters to commuters

Commuter trains are the cheapest way for many low-income workers to travel long distances from townships to jobs in city centres. When trains stop running, commuters pay more for taxis and buses and spend longer travelling. PRASA’s network suffered badly from cable theft, vandalism of stations and overhead lines, and service collapses on several corridors, especially during the COVID-19 period.

Rebuilding the network

PRASA has been working to recover corridors, rebuild stations and restore signalling and electrical infrastructure. New commuter trains built by Gibela, a joint venture that manufactures trains in a factory in Ekurhuleni, are gradually replacing old Metrorail rolling stock. Rebuilding a rail network needs civil, electrical and mechanical engineers, signalling specialists and quantity surveyors, which explains the fields PRASA’s bursary funds.

The PRASA bursary

PRASA’s bursary funds degree and diploma study in civil, electrical, electronic, industrial and mechanical engineering, and quantity surveying at public institutions, covering registration, tuition, examination fees and prescribed books. Applicants must be South African citizens aged 18 to 35 with financial need and at least a 60% average if already studying. PRASA gives preference to orphans, learners from child-headed households and top performers.

Timing

PRASA had not advertised a 2027 bursary by mid-September 2026. The last published round closed on 15 November 2024, so watch PRASA’s careers pages from October 2026. PRASA’s website did not respond to BursariesAfrica’s research tool on 15 September 2026.

How to research PRASA

Follow news on PRASA’s corridor recovery in your city, and describe in your motivation how your field could help restore reliable trains. Visit PRASA’s website in a browser for the current careers page, and be wary of adverts on social media that ask for payment.

PRASA also runs long-distance Shosholoza Meyl trains and the Autopax bus service, so graduates may work on more than commuter rail.

See the Gibela bursary and the Railway Safety Regulator bursary.