SAMA Bursary 2027, Requirements & Application

Key facts

Status: Check with the provider
Provider: SAMA
Field of study: Medical, Medicine
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

SAMA's own bursaries page says funding depends on sponsorship and asks applicants to watch the page for timelines and forms.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The South African Medical Association is the professional body for the country’s doctors. It uses sponsorships and donations to fund medical student bursaries and scholarships for doctors doing research degrees.

About the SAMA Bursary

Past student bursary: R20 000 a year towards tuition for second to fourth-year MBChB students.
Research Masters Supplementary Scholarship: R50 000 over two years.
PhD Supplementary Scholarship: R100 000 plus tuition for the year.

Eligibility requirements

South African citizen.
Student bursary: studying MBChB in second to fourth year.
Scholarships: a medical graduate of a South African university, one year into a research master’s or PhD.
Preference for SAMA members for the scholarships.

How to apply

Watch the bursaries page on samedical.org for forms and dates.
Email graceb@samedical.org to ask when the next call opens.
Prepare your ID, academic record, proof of registration and, for scholarships, your research proposal.

Closing date

No dated 2027 call had been posted when we checked.

Contact details

SAMA: 012 481 2000
Bursaries officer: graceb@samedical.org

Medical students should also see our medicine bursaries page, the Vesalius scholarship and the Gallagher Foundation scholarship.

FAQs

1. Is the SAMA bursary open for 2027? +

SAMA's own bursaries page says its bursaries and scholarships depend on sponsorship and asks applicants to watch the page for timelines and forms. No dated 2027 call had been posted when we checked.

2. What is SAMA? +

The South African Medical Association, the non-profit professional body representing doctors in South Africa.

3. What did the student bursary offer? +

In past rounds, R20 000 a year towards tuition for MBChB students in their second to fourth year. It did not cover accommodation or books.

4. What postgraduate funding does SAMA offer? +

A Research Masters Supplementary Scholarship worth R50 000 over two years, and a PhD Supplementary Scholarship worth R100 000 plus tuition for the year, for medical graduates of South African universities.

5. Who gets preference for the scholarships? +

SAMA members, with selection based on the quality and relevance of the research proposal.

6. How do I contact SAMA? +

Telephone 012 481 2000 or email the bursaries officer at graceb@samedical.org.

Update note (checked September 2026): SAMA’s bursaries page has not been updated with any dated call; it still tells applicants to watch the page for timelines and forms. Source: samedical.org.

Checked the requirements and closing date? Apply directly with the provider.

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About SAMA

Professional association (medical practitioners)

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) is a non-statutory professional association for medical practitioners in the public and private sectors. SAMA is a voluntary membership organisation registered as a non-profit company, based in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. Registered nameSouth African…

Read the full SAMA profile →

Student funding in numbers

2025811 011students funded by NSFAS580 000 at universities, 231 000 at TVET colleges, on a budget of R48.7 billion.

20261 026 091students approved for NSFAS funding609 403 first-year applicants qualified and 416 688 continuing students met the progression criteria, out of 893 847 applications.

2027 projectedR53.4bnbudgeted for NSFASThe allocation rises from R48.7 billion in 2025 to R51 billion in 2026 and R53.4 billion in 2027. Student numbers for 2027 are not published yet.

Figures from the Minister of Higher Education’s Budget Vote of 3 July 2025 and the NSFAS statement of 2 January 2026. NSFAS is the largest funder, not the only one – we track the rest.