Vhembe District Municipality

Vhembe District Municipality came into being in 2000 under the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998, as part of the transformation of local government. Vhembe District Municipality has its headquarters in Thohoyandou and covers four local municipalities in the far north of Limpopo: Makhado, Musina, Thulamela and Collins Chabane.

Registered name

Vhembe District Municipality

Type

Local government (district municipality)

Fields funded

Fields the district needs for its development

Website

vhembe.gov.za

Phone

015 960 2000

A large district with large infrastructure needs

Vhembe covers 21 407 square kilometres and is home to more than 1.1 million residents, according to the district’s own history page. Water supply dominates many of the district’s projects: Vhembe’s website highlights a disaster relief project at the Mutshedzi water plant and a pipeline from the Vondo water plant to reservoirs R3A and R3B. Projects like these depend on engineers, project managers and finance officers, the skills a district bursary can help build locally.

The Executive Mayor’s Bursary Fund

Vhembe District Municipality funds residents through the Executive Mayor’s Bursary Fund, which supports diploma and bachelor’s degree study. The provider record BursariesAfrica consulted describes two forms of support: a sponsorship that supplements a student’s other funding by covering certain costs, and fuller support for students without other funding.

Conflicting information about the application window

BursariesAfrica has found two different application patterns for the Vhembe mayoral bursary. One source describes forms published in December and applications closing in late January; the 2025 round closed on 24 January 2025 under that pattern. Another source describes a window running from 1 May to 30 September, which would mean the 2027 window closes on 30 September 2026. Both cannot be current, so applicants must confirm the dates with the district before relying on either.

How to check the Vhembe bursary yourself

Call Vhembe District Municipality’s offices in Thohoyandou and ask the bursary office which window applies to the 2027 academic year, where to collect forms and which documents the district wants. Check the notices section of vhembe.gov.za and the offices of your local municipality in Makhado, Musina, Thulamela or Collins Chabane, since local offices often display district adverts. Keep proof of residence, such as a letter from a ward councillor or traditional authority, ready in advance.

Ask as well whether the district expects bursars to work for the municipality after qualifying, and in which fields the district is currently short of skills.

Limpopo students can compare Vhembe’s bursary with other public funders on our Government Bursaries page.