Skye Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Skye Foundation and the Skye International Foundation are two family trusts set up in 1997 by Brian and Dorothy Zylstra to fund outstanding young South Africans through postgraduate study, in South Africa or abroad, in any field. Students cannot apply to Skye themselves. A candidate has to be nominated by the dean of their faculty, with backing from academic leaders in the discipline, and nominations close on 31 January each year. The most recent deadline was 31 January 2026, so the next is 31 January 2027.

The trusts were funded from the sale of Skye Products, a business Brian Zylstra co-founded in 1964 that grew from cosmetics and hairdressing supplies into a large footwear and apparel wholesaler. Zylstra, a Wits graduate and chartered accountant, died in 2012; his son Philip Zylstra chairs the board, and Dorothy Zylstra and her younger sons are trustees alongside trustees with academic and financial expertise. The family lives in Sydney, Australia.

Scholars of exceptional merit, normally under 30

Skye awards go only to South African citizens, normally under 30, who have distinguished themselves academically in their first or later degrees and whom the trustees and their peers expect to keep achieving at a high level. The field of study is unrestricted. Candidates must intend to take a higher degree or do research under leading people in their field; in exceptional cases a non-degree postgraduate course can be funded.

Awards can be held at South African universities with a proven record of quality research in the relevant field or, at the trustees’ discretion, at recognised institutions anywhere in the world. For study abroad, preference goes to candidates who have not yet had a chance to study overseas. The trustees may also approach local research universities themselves to find suitable candidates.

What a Skye award can cover

The foundation calls its awards generous: depending on circumstances, they may cover tuition, living expenses and other costs. The trustees can also give money for research materials and equipment. An award is generally for one academic year and can be renewed if the holder shows substantial progress; since 2024 the foundation no longer accepts multi-year applications. PhD holders are expected to have research accepted for publication early and to present at international conferences. Because the award may be large, the trustees can cap the value of other scholarships held at the same time.

The foundation’s awards page lists 26 scholarship holders for 2023 and 23 for 2024; no later list had been posted when we checked.

Joint scholarships with Cambridge and Oxford

• Skye Cambridge Scholarship, with the Cambridge Trust: a Master’s or doctoral award covering the Cambridge University composition fee, college fee and an annual stipend for up to three years, in any discipline.
• Skye Foundation Oxford Clarendon Scholarship, with the University of Oxford: a Master’s or doctoral award covering the university composition fee, college fee and an annual stipend, in any field.

Both are for South African citizens only, and candidates still need a dean’s nomination to Skye. They must also be chosen separately by the partner (the Cambridge Trust, or the Clarendon Fund or another Oxford scholarship) and must have applied to the university by its own deadline, which for Cambridge is generally early December of the year before.

What the dean sends by 31 January

Deans email nominations to nominations@skyefoundation.co.za, copied to info@skyefoundation.co.za, and each nomination is acknowledged by return email. According to the Skye nomination page, the pack contains:

• the candidate’s full CV and a two-page abridged version;
• letters of support from at least two faculty members or leaders in the field;
• full details of the planned course, with a motivation for the choice of institution, the supervisor’s name and contact details where relevant, and the duration;
• acceptance letters from the university and college, if available;
• a breakdown of tuition, living and other costs;
• the candidate’s contact details and full academic transcript.

A student who hopes to be nominated should speak to their head of department or dean well before January, since the faculty has to assemble the pack and letters. Any application a student sends directly is not acknowledged.

Honours and sports bursaries run by Wits and UCT

Skye also pays for Honours bursaries at the University of Cape Town and Wits, and for sports bursaries at Wits, a link that goes back to Skye rugby bursaries set up in 1987. These are chosen and administered by the universities themselves, so students apply through their university, not the foundation.

Students aiming for Cambridge can also look at the Gates Cambridge scholarship. For other funding see the Rhodes Scholarship for Oxford and the full list of postgraduate bursaries.

FAQs