Key facts
- Status
- Applications open
- Provider
- SARAO
- Field of study
- Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Academic year
- 2027
- Last checked
- September 2026
The 2027 DET and BET calls opened on 1 June 2026 on NRF Connect; each university of technology sets the closing date and SARAO notifies successful applicants by 10 December 2026.
VerifiedThe South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the National Research Foundation facility that runs the MeerKAT telescope and leads South Africa’s part in the Square Kilometre Array, funds engineering students at universities of technology through two scholarships. One is for the Diploma in Engineering Technology (DET), the other for the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BET, often called the BEngTech). Both cover only two specialisations, Electronics and Mechanical, and both take applications on the NRF Connect portal. The calls for 2027 opened on 1 June 2026. SARAO’s separate undergraduate scholarship for BSc and BEng students is a different programme at traditional universities.
Diploma in Engineering Technology scholarship
SARAO’s 2027 DET application guide sets the DET scholarship at R164,250 for the year, a figure SARAO says it may adjust for changes in university fees and inflation. The award runs for the rest of the diploma: three years for a first-year student, two for a second-year and one for a third-year. It is open to students who plan to study, or already study, the Diploma in Engineering Technology in Electronics or in Mechanical Engineering.
The DET guide has one clause the BET guide does not: a student starting work-integrated learning (WIL) signs a separate agreement that sets out the conditions of that grant. On finishing, DET students send SARAO a copy of the diploma.
Bachelor of Engineering Technology scholarship
According to the 2027 BET application guide, the BET scholarship is worth R169,500 for 2027, again subject to adjustment for fees and inflation. It follows the same pattern of three, two or one years depending on the year of study at the time of the award, and it covers the Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronics or in Mechanical. Current BET students must have passed every course needed to move up a year, including the core engineering courses. The same progression rule applies to current DET students.
| Scholarship | Value for 2027 | Specialisations |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma in Engineering Technology | R164,250 | Electronics; Mechanical |
| Bachelor of Engineering Technology | R169,500 | Electronics; Mechanical |
Age, citizenship and the 60% rule
Both scholarships are limited to South African citizens and permanent residents aged 24 or younger. Applicants need at least 60% in both Mathematics and Physical Science in Grade 12, or an average of at least 60% at undergraduate level. The 60% bar continues after the award: SARAO renews the scholarship every six months at its discretion, and a student who falls below a 60% semester average may lose further funding.
Obligations that come with the money
- SARAO releases no money until it receives proof of registration at the university of technology.
- A student who does not complete the qualification, drops out or leaves the institution during the award period must refund everything already paid.
- Changing field of study or institution needs SARAO’s approval in advance, and SARAO may stop funding if the change no longer fits the original criteria.
- After graduating, the student must accept employment with SARAO for three years if SARAO offers a job. SARAO may waive this at its discretion after a written motivation from the student.
Applying on NRF Connect
Both application forms are on NRF Connect. SARAO does not set a single closing date. Its guides say the closing date is set by each university of technology, so check with the institution where you plan to register. Late or incomplete applications are rejected. Every application must include:
- a copy of your South African ID;
- Grade 12 learners: final Grade 11 results and the latest Grade 12 report; current students: all university of technology results plus the Grade 12 report;
- two reference letters, one of them from a teacher or lecturer;
- a motivation written in the form.
The motivation is unusually specific. SARAO asks why you chose this qualification, when and why engineering caught your interest, which engineering skills you already have and what career you want. It also asks what is in your toolbox at home and which tools you would like to add. Finally, you explain in your own words what engineering is, which attributes matter most in an engineer, and what SARAO does and why it needs engineers. Reading about MeerKAT on SARAO’s own site before you write will help with that last question.
SARAO will notify successful applicants by 10 December 2026. If you have not heard by then, SARAO says to assume the application was unsuccessful, and it will not correspond about its decisions. More SARAO programmes are listed on the SARAO provider page, and other funders in these fields appear under electronic engineering bursaries and mechanical engineering bursaries.
FAQs
Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.
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About SARAO
National research facility (National Research Foundation)
The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) is a national facility managed by the National Research Foundation. SARAO incorporates all of South Africa's national radio astronomy telescopes and programmes, including the MeerKAT radio telescope, the Hartebeesthoek site, and…
Read the full SARAO profile →- Website
- sarao.ac.za
