Stellenbosch GEM Scholarship 2027: How to Apply

Key facts

Status: Applications closed Closed 7 August 2026
Provider: Stellenbosch University
Study level: Postgraduate
Academic year: 2027
Last checked: September 2026

GEM admitted Elite Scholarship cohorts in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Written by Keagan HendricksStaff Writer (Unisa Alumnus)

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

Closed · applications closed on 7 August 2026 GEM's recent calls have closed in early to mid-August; check the GEM Elite scholarships page on su.ac.za from June. Latest update ↓

The Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences (GEM) is the doctoral school of Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Its flagship GEM Elite Scholarships fund a small cohort of full-time PhD candidates each year at R200 000 a year, with structured skills development and close progress monitoring, to produce the next generation of academics in economics, management and finance.

About the GEM Elite Scholarships

Value: R200 000 a year for three years.
Cohort: six PhD candidates per intake.
Mode: full-time, residential doctoral study at Stellenbosch University.
Support: cohort-based skills development, seminars and a streamlined progress-monitoring platform shared with supervisors.

Any PhD in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences qualifies: economics, business management, accounting, finance, industrial psychology, statistics and actuarial science, public management, logistics and related fields.

GEM Scholarship eligibility requirements

A Master’s degree in economic and management sciences, or a closely related field, passed with at least 65%.
Accepted, or applying, for a full-time PhD in the faculty, with a department and supervisor willing to support the research.
A strong academic record, a promising research proposal and evidence of leadership potential.
Willing to study full-time in Stellenbosch for three years.

How to apply for the GEM Scholarship

Apply for admission to the PhD through Stellenbosch University’s postgraduate application system and secure a supervisor.
Email your CV, certified academic transcripts, research proposal and motivation letter to GEM@sun.ac.za with the subject line “GEM Scholarship Application”.
Ask three academic referees to send confidential letters directly to the same address before the closing date.
Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by the GEM selection panel.

GEM Scholarship closing date

Past calls closed in mid-August for the following year. No 2027 closing date has been published.

Contact details

Email: GEM@sun.ac.za
Website: su.ac.za/en/faculties/economy/gem

Doctoral candidates in these fields should also apply to the NRF and to Stellenbosch’s Postgraduate Funding Office. See our postgraduate bursaries list.

FAQs

1. Is the GEM scholarship open for 2027? +

The Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences (GEM) admitted PhD cohorts in 2024, 2025 and 2026 under its GEM Elite Scholarships. A 2027 call had not been published when we checked. Past calls closed in August; email GEM@sun.ac.za to ask whether a 2027 cohort will be funded.

2. How much is the scholarship? +

R200 000 a year for three years of full-time, residential PhD study, for a cohort of six candidates.

3. Who qualifies? +

Graduates with a Master's degree in economic and management sciences, or a related field, passed with at least 65%, who are accepted for a full-time PhD in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch and have a strong research proposal and leadership potential.

4. Which fields are covered? +

Any PhD in the faculty: economics, management, accounting, finance, industrial psychology, statistics, public management, logistics and business management.

5. How do I apply? +

By email to GEM@sun.ac.za with your CV, academic transcripts, a research proposal and a motivation letter, and by asking three academic referees to send confidential letters directly to the same address.

6. What is GEM? +

The Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences, the doctoral hub of Stellenbosch's Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, which runs cohort-based training and progress monitoring for PhD candidates.

Update note (checked September 2026): Applications for GEM’s 2027 Elite Scholarship cohort closed on 7 August 2026, and the new PhD intake starts on 18 January 2027. Shortlisted candidates will hear by 16 October 2026. Source: su.ac.za.

This round is not open right now. Check the provider’s own site for the next round.

Visit the provider’s website

Or send your application by email:

GEM@sun.ac.za

Put GEM Scholarship Application in the subject line.

About Stellenbosch University

Public university (research-intensive)

Stellenbosch University (SU) is a public research-intensive university in the town of Stellenbosch in the Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch grew from the Stellenbosch Gymnasium and Victoria College, and received full university status in 1918. Its students are widely known…

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Website: sun.ac.za