Rustenburg Local Municipality Mayoral Bursary

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Rustenburg Local Municipality’s Full-time Mayoral Bursary is run by the Office of the Executive Mayor for school-leavers from the municipality’s 45 wards who have been provisionally admitted to a tertiary institution. It is aimed at students from poor households: the application form asks for proof that the parents’ or guardians’ total income is no more than R3,500 a month. The most recent call was for the 2026 academic year; forms became available on 15 September 2025 and the round closed at the end of October 2025.

There was still no call for the 2027 academic year when this page was checked on 27 September 2026. Its bursaries page still showed only the 2026 poster and form, both uploaded on 17 September 2025.

Residents of the 45 wards with a household income under R3,500

The 2026 poster set out who the Office of the Executive Mayor would consider:

• residents of the Rustenburg Local Municipality, which the poster stresses is a must;
• previously disadvantaged young people and youth living with a disability;
• applicants who have completed Grade 12, or will complete it, and have provisional admission to a recognised South African tertiary institution.

Among those who qualify, preference goes to the learners with the highest academic results. The document checklist on the form adds the income test: proof that the parents’ or guardians’ total monthly income does not exceed R3,500. Neither the poster nor the form limits the bursary to particular fields of study. The form simply asks which discipline and qualification you are applying for, giving “BComm (Accounting)” as an example.

What the bursary pays for

The municipality does not publish a rand value. It asks applicants for pro forma invoices for the course, accommodation and books, which shows those are the costs it considers. The invoices must come from institutions with a valid tax clearance certificate, and the poster says public institutions are preferred. Nothing on the poster or form mentions a work-back obligation or a living allowance.

The four-part application form

The RLM Mayoral Bursary Scheme form asks for your intended institution and qualification, and whether you have received an RLM bursary before. It then covers your personal details, school results (the latest available, Grade 12 June or Grade 11 year-end if you are still in matric), any other bursary or loan you hold, and your parents’ or guardians’ employment and annual income. A household section asks how many people live with you, how many are dependants and how many earn an income. You must also declare any parent or family member who works, or has worked, for the Rustenburg Local Municipality. Both you and a parent or guardian sign.

Attach these documents:

• Grade 12 results or your most recent academic record
• certified copies of your ID and your parent’s or guardian’s ID
• your admission letter or proof of admission
• proof of your parents’ or guardian’s income, a pension slip for indigent applicants, or an affidavit if a parent is unemployed
• proof of residence
• pro forma invoices for the course, accommodation and books

Collecting and returning the form at Missionary Mpheni House

For the 2026 round, forms were available from Room 8 on the ground floor of Missionary Mpheni House (Special Projects) and from all ward councillors. The form could also be downloaded from the bursaries page of rustenburg.gov.za. Completed forms had to be hand-delivered to Missionary Mpheni House, at the corner of Nelson Mandela Drive and Naude Street in Rustenburg, as the poster gives the address. There was no email or online route. Enquiries go to the Special Projects office on 014 590 3249 or 014 590 3319.

The two documents gave slightly different deadlines. The 2026 poster said 31 October 2025, while the last page of the application form said both 30 October 2025 at 16:00 and 31 October 2025. When the next round opens, hand the form in before the earlier of any dates shown.

Other funding for Rustenburg students

Students in the Rustenburg area can also look at the North West provincial government bursary, the Royal Bafokeng Institute student loan and the Implats bursary from one of the area’s main mining employers.

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