New General Bursaries South Africa 2025

General bursaries' in South Africa 2025

General Bursaries South Africa 2025

Regardless of the field of study you are in or what your chosen career path may be. This list is made up of various fields of study, from Tourism and Hospitality, to Public Relations, Journalism, Public Administration, Social Work etc.

If you’re looking for a certain bursary field, this list has it all.
 

View all Bursaries and Scholarships OPEN for application

CHEFFING & COOKING BURSARIES FOR 2025

Cheffing is the activity of working as a professional chef- a chef is someone who is a trained professional in the culinary (cooking) industry. Chefs often focus primarily on one type of cuisine and are responsible for being proficient in all aspects of food preparation. Chefs are essential to society and particularly the hospitality industry because they not only manage the kitchen, but are responsible for the planning of menus, preparing dishes, developing recipes, supervising junior cooks and kitchen workers, ordering supplies for the kitchen, and maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen. Chefs are essential for the hospitality and restaurant industry as they ensure that the guests have an exceptional experience by providing top-quality food.

General Bursaries South Africa 2025

To become a chef, it would be ideal for you to take Hospitality Studies, Consumer Science, and Physical Science as subjects in school. To become an Executive Chef, you would need at least 7 years of experience within the industry and/or a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts or Hospitality. You could also partake in apprenticeship roles and work your way up in the industry, gaining hands-on experience and thus, become a professional chef. Different career paths in the Cheffing industry are an Executive Chef, Sous Chef, Personal Chef, and Private Household Chef.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding within the Chef/ Cooking field, here are some options for you:

HOSPITALITY BURSARIES FOR 2025

The hospitality industry consists of many businesses and establishments that provide a service to their customers (guests), provide food and drink, ensure that their guests are their top priory, and make money through service and goods. Businesses included in the hospitality industry are hotels, resorts, restaurants, motels, theme parks, and more.

The hospitality industry is vital to the economy and is responsible for 9.9% of employment worldwide. Hospitality ensures that more money is poured into a country’s economy from the attraction of tourists, luxury expenses, and overall recreational facilitates being utilized. Hospitality plays a huge role in a country’s overall GDP percentage and provides a livelihood to many owing to the many roles that make this lucrative industry possible. The roles range from customer-facing jobs to behind-the-scenes (cleaners, chefs) as well as management, catering, events, and more.

To get a career in hospitality you will either need relevant work experience (depending on the role you are applying for) or you could study at a tertiary institution. With a Degree in Hospitality Management, you could be an Accommodation Manager, Chef, Catering Manager, Event Manager, Conference Manager, Hotel Manager, Fast food Restaurant Manager, or Restaurant Manager.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Hospitality sector, here are some options for you:

HUMANITIES BURSARIES FOR 2025

Humanities is the study of ancient empires, languages, poetry, liberal arts, literature, culture, human values, and more- both in modern and ancient times. It is the discipline of studying humans and society from a critical perspective, majoring in subjects such as English, History, and Philosophy. Many students of humanities study humanity and try to dissect and understand their values and beliefs.

The study of humanities is vital to society as this research allows us to gain knowledge about our world as well can experience the values of different cultures, how art is made, and how history is made. Humanities help us gain an understanding of the world we live in and give us the necessary tools to further map our future.

Humanities consist of MANY careers with all the studies falling under the Bachelors of Arts category. To study a Bachelor of Arts in humanities you would need Matric to pass with a minimum aggregate of 50% for English and Mathematics; a minimum pass rate of 60% as well as pass the relevant entry assessments.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Humanities sector, here are some options for you:

JOURNALISM BURSARIES FOR 2025

Journalism is a form of communication that allows news on current affairs, which are based on facts and evidence, to be broadcast to all members of society. Journalists are responsible for assessing, gathering, presenting, and creating information and news for the general public and some journalistic media forms are television, radio, print, and internet. Journalism is essential to society as it helps inform and keep people updated on the necessary information they need to live their lives. Journalism helps people “stay in the loop” with what is happening in the world and make informed decisions relating to their finances, safety, government, and overall decisions. Journalism is also closely linked to Communication Studies, Media Studies, and Social Science Studies.

To become a Journalist, you will need to have a minimum qualification of a Bachelors and some of the Bachelor’s qualifications you could obtain are a Bachelor’s Degree in Multimedia, Communication, Public Relations, and more. While tertiary studies are essential to become a professional in this field, it is also advisable to seek out internships at media and news stations as it will allow you to gain hands-on experience in the industry.

There are many jobs in communications and media one could have with a journalism qualification. Some of the many careers are a broadcaster, magazine feature editor, newspaper journalist, sub-editor, web content manager, copywriter, researcher, and public relations officer.

If you are interested in studying within this field and are in need of bursary funding, here are a list of Journalism bursary options for you:

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE BURSARIES FOR 2025

Language and literature, although very similar do have different forms and meanings. Language refers to the written and verbal form of communication e.g. both reading something in English and speaking the language. Literature came into existence because of language and is an expression of language- literature only refers to the written form of communication. Language is used to express ideas, opinions, and knowledge, whereas literature is imaginative. Although these terms do have different definitions, one would not exist without the other.

Language and literature are essential to our society as it aids people in developing textual analysis skills as well as communicate with each other. It also creates a world of inspiration and creativity through the means of storytelling, poetry, novels, and plays.

If you are passionate about language and literature, you could study a Bachelors of Social Science or Bachelors of Arts in a language of your choice, an Honours Degree in language, a Masters specialising in Literature, Research, Creative Writing, or even obtain a PhD in your language of choice. Careers you could embark on with a tertiary qualification in language and literature are a language teacher, journalism, copy-editor, proofreader, writer, archivist, arts administrator, public relations officer, and more.

The list of bursaries below are applicable for studies within the Language and Literature fields of study:

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS BURSARIES FOR 2025

Media and Communications refer to the influence news, social media and all platforms have on the people of society. Media and communication focus on the many outlets we have in society that allows us to gain access to news and all current affairs that directly impact our lives. Media and communication are highly essential to our society as it has a major influence on the general public opinion and acts as a mechanism for accountability. Without media and communications, important news such as weather forecasts, budgets, politics, and more would not be broadcast to the general public which would result in people, essentially, not being able to live their lives to the fullest.

To start a career in media and communications, you could get a tertiary qualification in public relations, communications, journalism, or film and television. With these qualifications, you could get a career within media studies such as a digital manager, media planner, social media manager, television production coordinator, web content creator, arts administrator, editorial assistant, marketing researcher, writer, photographer, and more.

If you are interested in studying within this field and are in need of bursary funding, here are a list of Media and Communications bursary options for you:

OPERATIONS & OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT BURSARIES FOR 2025

Operations management is an area of management that specializes in the production and managing f business operations pertaining to goods and services. This basically means that an operations manager is responsible for ensuring that businesses utilise fewer resources to reach their end goals whilst also ensuring their customers and clients are 100% satisfied. Operations managers ensure that the highest level of efficiency is obtained within the business whilst still ensuring that the organisation makes a profitable revenue. Operations management is vital to society as it is essentially responsible for all businesses’ manufacturing and production processes, and service delivery.

Many operations managers hold a Honours or Masters Degree in Business Administration or a similar field (such as Supply Chain Management), and whilst gaining a tertiary qualification is a necessity, one could also work their way up to an operational management position within a business. Some possible career paths for an operations manager is to become an Account Manager, Design Engineer, Logistics Manager, Manufacturing Supervisor, and more.

Please refer to this list of bursary and funding opportunities for studies within the Operations and Operations Management area of study:

POLITICAL BURSARIES FOR 2025

Politics refers to the activities and decisions performed by people in groups as well as the power relations between them. Politics is a branch of social science and consists of its own studies known as Political Science. Politics is essential for any country, organisation, school, or home as it ensures that a non-violent/ intimidating de scion is reached as part of a “political solution.”
Politics is essential to society as it is directly linked with negotiation, laws, local governments, states, nations, elections, trials, and more and society is depends greatly on it as it is the foundation. All Government policies affect almost every aspect of our lives and being knowledgeable about politics will help you as a voter for your country.

To establish a career in politics you could study:

  • An Undergraduate Degree (Bachelor of Arts) in Political Studies, Public Policy and Administration, or International Relations
  • A Postgraduate Degree (Honours Degree/ Bachelors of Social Science) in Political Studies, International Relations, Justice and Transformation, or Public Policy and Administration
  • A Masters Programme in International Relations, Justice and Transformation, Philosophy/ Politics and Economics, or Public Policy and Administration
  • A Doctoral programme in Political Studies or Public Administration

Careers in political science range from Entrepreneurs to Diplomats, Lawyers, Analysts, Consultants, Negotiators and more- all of these roles are essential for the upkeep and organisation of civilisation.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Political/ Politics sector, here are some options for you:

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION BURSARIES FOR 2025

Public Administration is when leaders serve various communities with the aim of making an effective change and advancing the common good. Public administrators are responsible for the implementation and organization of government policies as well as ensuring that their officials behave in conduct that benefits the public.

Public Administration professionals have numerous skills that aid them in managing at various levels of government and within non-profit organizations. Public administration is essential to our society as it ensures that public goods and services are available to all people, it helps achieve safety within society, it ensures that there is a sense of order and understanding when the government faces a change in its power or rules, it allows the government to implement various policies and ensure that those policies benefit the people, and it is the backbone that supports the government.

To become a public administrator, you could obtain a tertiary qualification (national certificate, diploma, or degree) in the field. Your qualification will provide you with the necessary administrative and managerial skills and knowledge needed to effectively contribute to service delivery within the public sector. Some career paths you could explore with a qualification in Public Administration and its related fields are a Management Analyst, Operations Research Specialist, Administrative Service Manager, Urban or Regional Planner, News Analyst, and more.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Public Administration sector, here are some options for you:

PUBLIC RELATIONS BURSARIES FOR 2025

Public Relations (also known as PR) refers to the establishment of relationships between stakeholders and businesses. Public Relations Officers are responsible for influencing, engaging, and building relationships with the general public to ensure that an organization is showcased in a positive light. PR can refer to advertising via media, doing press conferences, hosting events, social media promotions, and more, and it is important as it ensures that the correct information about an individual or organization is shared with the general public.

Many organizations hire public relations agencies to help them establish a great image within the industry by the means of effective marketing strategies. Public Relations is vital in the business world as it ensures that an organization is shown in its best and most authentic light, thus drawing in the right investors and clientele.

Although there is no set degree to become a Public Relations Officer, it is advisable that you obtain a degree in Marketing or a relevant field as this may be a request from some organizations. There are also many courses one could take in Public Relations to further hone their skills and make them a front runner within the industry. Some Public Relations related career paths are to become a writer for press releases, become a social media creator and publisher, writing emails, setting up newspapers, and more.

If you are looking for bursaries or funding for the Public Relations (PR) sector, here are some options for you:

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY BURSARIES FOR 2025

To work within the Real Estate and Property industry, one would need to become a realtor. A realtor (real estate agent) is someone who acts as a representative for buyers and sellers of real estate/ property. Realtors are essentially the middle man within the industry as they aid the owners of property by handling all administrative tasks for them whilst also seeing to the needs of the buyer.

The Real Estate sector is very important to society as it not only provides housing to people and a location to businesses but also is the largest and most lucrative form of investment within society. Realtors are also important as they ensure that all transactions between owners and buyers/tenants are done ethically, legally, and correctly.

To become a real estate agent, you do not necessarily need a Bachelors’s or Honours degree. You would, however, need to obtain a relevant real estate qualification as well as partake in an internship programme at a relevant real estate company. You would also need to register with an Estate Agency Affairs Board and complete a relevant NQF-4 qualification. Some unique career opportunities in real estate, aside from being a realtor/ agent are to become a real estate managing broker, commercial real estate agent, investor, residential or commercial appraiser, property manager, leasing manager, and more.