Postgraduate Bursaries South Africa 2025. Have you completed your undergraduate qualification and are now eager to further your studies with a postgraduate degree, but lack the necessary funding? Don’t worry, as there are numerous bursaries, scholarships, and funding opportunities available to cover all your postgraduate study-related expenses in South Africa. Whether you’re aiming for an Honours, Masters, or Doctoral degree, this guide provides a comprehensive list of financial support options for 2025.
Postgraduate Bursaries South Africa 2025
Honours Bursaries for 2025
An Honours degree, classified as an NQF-8 qualification, is pursued after completing an undergraduate degree. This degree represents a higher level of education, as it combines research projects, a thesis, and coursework. During this program, students focus on a specific area of interest. Upon completing the Honours program, many students move on to pursue a Master’s or Doctoral degree. Some Honours degrees are offered separately from Bachelor degrees, with distinct admission requirements. Typically, a high GPA is necessary for consideration.
Here are some bursaries available for Honours degree studies in 2025:
- Ada & Bertie Levenstein Bursary
- Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary
- Analyze Consulting Bursary
- Aon Bursary
- AWS Skills Development Bursary
- Babette Taute Scholarship
- Baker Hughes Bursary
- BANKSETA / UKZN Outstanding Student Debt Fund
- Council for Geoscience Bursary
- CPGR Bursary
- Critical Food Studies Postgraduate Scholarship
- CSIR Bursary
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Bursary
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Bursary
- Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Bursary
- Department of Tourism Bursary
- Department of Transport Bursary
- Department of Water & Sanitation Bursary
- DSI-CSIR Bursary
- DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
- Energy Mobility Education Trust Scholarship
- FirstRand Foundation Honours Bursary
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program South Africa
- Garden Cities Bursary
- Genesis Educational Foundation Trust (GEFT) Bursary
- Gold Fields Ltd Bursary
- Golder Bursary
- GreenMatter Fellowship PhD at University of Cape Town
- Guy Butler Research Award Scholarship
- Harry Crossley Foundation Research Fellowship
- HCI Foundation Bursary
- HWSETA Postgraduate Bursary
- IIE-Vega School Bursary Competition
- Imfundo Enhle Education Trust Bursary
- Inscape Scholarship
- INSETA Bursary
- John Davidson Educational Trust Bursary
- Keaton Energy Mining Bursaries
- LGSETA Bursary
- Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarship
- Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
- Mhlathuze Water Bursary
- MINDS Scholarship
- MiWay Bursary
- Netflix Scholarship
- Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Bursaries
- Potato Industry Development Trust Bursaries
- PwC Honours Bursary
- Quantum Foods Bursary
- Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) Bursary
- Rhodes Trust Scholarship
- Royal Bafokeng Holdings & Liquid Intelligent Technologies Bursary
- Rothschild & Co Foundation Scholarship
- RSM Education Trust Bursary
- SA Cultivar & Technology Agency (SACTA) Bursary
- SA WISE Angus Scholarship
- SAAFoST Aubrey Parsons Study Grant
- SAAFoST Foundation Bursary (for Part-Time Students)
- SAMAC Bursary
- SANBI Biological Invasion Bursary
- SANBI Joan Wrench Scholarship
- SANRAL Bursary
- SANSA Bursary
- Sasol Bursary
- SARAO Postgraduate Scholarship
- Scatec Bursary
- South Africa International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) Bursary
- South African National Seed Organization (SANSOR) Bursary
- South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) Bursary
- South African Reserve Bank Scholarship
- Sibanye-Stillwater Bursary
- SKA South Africa Bursaries
- South African Association of Botanists Scholarship
- South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) Bursary
- Tomorrow Trust Bursary
- Toyota Tsusho Africa Bursary
- Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) Bursary
- UCT Centre For African Studies: Jack Simons Bursary
- UCT Department of Information Systems Bursary
- UCT International and Refugee Scholarship
- UFS Honours Bursary
- UKZN Archbishop Denis E. Hurley Scholarship
- Unisa Postgraduate Bursary
- UWC/ INSETA Bursary
Masters Bursaries for 2025
A Master’s Degree, classified as an NQF-9 qualification, is an advanced academic degree that provides specialized knowledge and skills in a specific field. The program typically involves rigorous research, culminating in a thesis or dissertation. A Master’s Degree is essential for those seeking to pursue academic careers or specialized professional roles. Admission to a Master’s program generally requires a relevant Honours Degree, a professional Bachelor’s Degree, or a Postgraduate Diploma.
Here are some bursaries available for Master’s degree studies in 2025:
- Ada & Bertie Levenstein Bursary
- African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Bursaries
- African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) Bursary
- Africa Wetu Foundation Bursary
- Agbiz Centenary Bursary
- Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Bursary
- AIMS Google DeepMind Scholarship
- Aon Bursary
- Astron Energy Bursary
- AWS Skills Development Bursary
- BANKSETA / UKZN Outstanding Student Debt Fund
- Canon Collins Trust Mail & Guardian Scholarship
- Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship
- Canon Collins Scholarship for Economic Justice
- Canon Collins Sol Plaatje Scholarship
- Canon Collins Tom Queba Scholarship
- Canon Collins Trust and University of London Scholarships for Distance Learning
- Cecil Renaud International Scholarship
- Cenfri Bursary
- CETA Thapelo Madibeng Bursary
- Council for Geoscience Bursary
- CPGR Bursary
- Critical Food Studies Postgraduate Scholarship
- CSIR Bursary
- David and Elaine Potter Fellowship
- Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Bursary
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Bursary
- Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) Bursary
- Department of Tourism Bursary
- Doug Banks Renewable Energy Vision (DBREV) Scholarship
- DSI-CSIR Bursary
- DSI-NRF Postgraduate Scholarship
- Dudley D’Ewes Scholarship
- Embassy of France Scholarship
- Energy Mobility Education Trust Scholarship
- Erika Theron Trust Scholarship
- Ernst & Ethel Eriksen Trust Bursary
- FoodBev SETA Bursary
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program South Africa
- Gates Cambridge International Scholarship
- Genesis Educational Foundation Trust (GEFT) Bursary
- GreenMatter Fellowship PhD at University of Cape Town
- Guy Butler Research Award Scholarship
- Harry Crossley Foundation Research Fellowship
- HENSOLDT South Africa Bursary
- HWSETA Postgraduate Bursary
- Imfundo Enhle Education Trust Bursary
- Imperial Stellenbosch University Bursary
- John Davidson Educational Trust Bursary
- Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme
- KAS-SAIIA-Scholarship
- MANCOSA Bursary
- Mastercard Foundation Scholarship
- MINDS Scholarship
- Mintek Bursary
- Mpumalanga Provincial Government Bursary
- Maize Trust Bursary
- Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarship
- Master Builders Association Western Cape (MBAWC) Bursary
- Meat Industry Trust (MIT) Bursary
- National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) Bursary
- NESP Scholarship
- Netflix Scholarship
- NMU/ AIDC Postgraduate Bursary
- NMU/ AIDC PostDoctoral Fellowship
- NRF Scholarship at UJ
- Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) Bursary
- Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Bursaries
- Potato Industry Development Trust Bursaries
- Quantum Foods Bursary
- Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships (QECS)
- Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) Bursary
- Rhodes Trust Scholarship
- SAAFoST Brian Koeppen Memorial Scholarship
- SA Cultivar & Technology Agency (SACTA) Bursary
Conclusion
In 2025, South African students have access to a wide range of postgraduate bursaries, ensuring that financial barriers don’t hinder their academic pursuits. These opportunities empower students to advance their education and contribute meaningfully to their fields.
