It isn’t easy to fund an education nowadays, and with the SA Reserve Bank just announcing a repo rate hike, bursary opportunities are increasingly the best ways to fund tertiary studies. However, open bursaries can be difficult to find, especially if you don’t know where to look.
Now, with Matric exams coming to an end, students should strike while the iron is hot and seek to apply for a bursary programme, especially if their marks are beyond reproach.
We have covered many bursary launches in the past, including ones from Gauteng eGovernment, Gauteng City Region Academy, DWS, Ithuba and others. However, since we cover bursaries as they become available, some may close for application sooner than others.
But luckily there are loads of open bursaries and scholarships for South African students, either emerging from the 2022 matric exams or preparing to embark on another year of tertiary studies.
We have collected three online platforms that aggregate available bursaries so that students may find the right bursary for them. Just click their names to go to the respective site:
All Bursaries South Africa
All Bursaries collects and lists currently open bursaries for South African students in a general sense.
These bursaries are structured into lists based on their final deadlines to make sure that you don’t waste your time either looking over them or applying for them since the application process is usually time and effort-intensive.
For example, here is a list of all the bursaries closing in November 2022. Some of the offers here have already closed, as of 1st November, but many others are still available. All Bursaries lists available offers in terms of the months they are closing, from January to December.
Clicking these links will tell you all the information you need to know about them, including what documentation and criteria are required, and where to apply or send the application.
Expect more offers to be listed for next year too. The lists are also constantly updated as the All Bursaries staff is on the persistent lookout for new offers.
Those looking for specific offers can look here to select which subject they wish to apply for to find relevant bursaries.
ZABursaries.co.za
Like All Bursaries, ZABursaries lists available offers through a blog format. As of time of writing, one of the latest articles lists all the bursaries that are set to close in January 2023 for applications.
The site also offers tricks and tips to make the application process easier, such as a guide on how to write better bursary motivational letters, and how to prepare for a bursary interview.
At the very top of the site, there are categories where students can look to find specific bursary offers. For example, the Arts tab takes you all “Music, Visual and Performing Arts Bursaries South Africa 2022 – 2023.”
Here you will find lists of open bursaries for next year broken down into their according fields, such as “Drama & Theatre Bursaries,” or “Fashion & Textile Bursaries.”
Careerwise.co.za
While the two previous options are more “wild west” because you have to look, find and apply for bursaries yourself through a series of links, tabs and email addresses, Careerwise’s bursary portal provides a more concise platform that makes the finding and application process a bit easier.
Once you sign up for the platform, which is a quick and easy process and all that is required is an email address, the platform will take you towards a page where you can begin to input all the necessary documentation and information that you will usually need to build a bursary application profile.
This includes parents’ or guardian’s details, academic education details such as what schools you went to and your academic record, motivation such as letters and interests and funding details.
The site allows you to upload all relevant documentation and you can even check the status of open applications, which you will complete through the portal itself.
Click here to check available bursaries offered on the Careerwise portal.
Remember, all bursaries have different funding opportunities. Some will cover more costs than others and some may even come with future career opportunities.
Each bursary will require a letter of motivation and excellent grades are prioritised, and some may be closed or open depending on the location of the institution and student.
