Verified
The South African National Society (SANS) is a heritage organisation dedicated to cultivating an appreciation of South Africa’s heritage. SANS has been active for more than a century and is based in Durban, with a particular focus on KwaZulu-Natal, according to a provider record checked in August 2026. A volunteer committee and secretary run the society.
- Registered name
- South African National Society (SANS)
- Type
- Heritage society (public benefit organisation)
- Fields funded
- Postgraduate research in South African history, preferably KwaZulu-Natal
- Website
- sanationalsociety.co.za
What SANS stands for
SANS’s constitution sets out its aims: to cultivate love for and appreciation of the natural, historical and cultural heritage of South Africa and all its peoples, and to support the South African Heritage Resources Agency and Amafa/Heritage KwaZulu-Natal in preserving that heritage. SANS is a registered public benefit organisation, so donations are free of donations tax.
A prize for young designers
SANS honours its former member Daphne Strutt with an annual prize for the best second-year student in the Department of Fashion and Textiles at the Durban University of Technology. SANS explains that final-year students must create a costly collection, so even a small prize helps. Caitlin Edwards won the 2026 prize, announced at a SANS meeting at St Margaret’s Church, Durban North, on 23 May 2026.
Who Killie Campbell was
Dr Killie Campbell (1881–1965) spent her life collecting Africana books, manuscripts, art, photographs and oral histories. She bequeathed the collection to what is now the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where it forms the Killie Campbell Africana Library within the Campbell Collections in Durban.
The Killie Campbell Bursary
SANS’s Killie Campbell Bursary funds honours, master’s and doctoral students researching South African history, preferably KwaZulu-Natal. The award is about R25 000, paid in two tranches, the second after a satisfactory supervisor’s report. A selection committee reviews applications and may interview candidates, and SANS announces winners at a society meeting.
Past recipients show the range of topics. Sadhana Moodley, studying a master’s in heritage and conservation at the University of Pretoria, won in 2025. Sarah Smit, a UCT PhD student, won in 2024, and Sandile Kheswa completed a UKZN master’s on women activists of the Black Sash in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. In one year SANS made no award because none of the shortlisted candidates met the criteria.
The most recent round closed on 31 July 2026, and SANS runs an annual July cycle.
How to research SANS
Visit the Campbell Collections in Durban to see the archive Killie Campbell built, and use it in your research if relevant. Read the society’s invitation letter carefully, since it lists every document the committee needs.
See our Postgraduate Bursaries list for humanities funders.
🎓 Download Our Bursary Application Checklist
Download our free Application Checklist to make sure you do not miss any required documents. Submitting a complete application is key to being shortlisted.
📥 Download Checklist (PDF)
