Honours Bursaries in South Africa 2026
One-year honours degrees (postgraduate). 8 funding opportunities available — updated May 2026.
Standard Bank Bursary Programme
Standard Bank
Standard Bank bursaries support commerce, finance, actuarial science, and IT students. Recipients join Standard Bank's vacation programme and are fast-tracked into the graduate pipeline.
Discovery Bursary Programme
Discovery Limited
Discovery offers a high-value bursary for actuarial science, statistics, data science, and finance students. Merit-based with no financial need requirement.
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship is South Africa's most prestigious entrepreneurship-focused bursary, open to any field of study. No workback obligation.
NRF Postgraduate Funding (Honours, Masters & PhD)
National Research Foundation (NRF)
The NRF funds postgraduate research students (Honours through PhD) across science, engineering, humanities, and social science fields. No workback, no financial need requirement.
Nedbank Bursary Programme
Nedbank Group
Nedbank funds accounting, finance, actuarial science, and IT students. Full bursary with vacation employment and a structured graduate pipeline.
Old Mutual Bursary Programme
Old Mutual Limited
Old Mutual funds actuarial science, finance, statistics, and IT students. Financial need is not required, making this accessible to middle-income families.
Department of Agriculture Bursary (DALRRD)
Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development
The Department of Agriculture funds agriculture, environmental science, and veterinary science students with a full bursary including workback in government agriculture programmes.
Legal Practice Council (LPC) / Law Firm Bursaries
Legal Practice Council & Major Law Firms
South Africa's major law firms and the LPC offer bursaries for LLB students at select universities — with guaranteed pupillage or clerkship placements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there bursaries for honours students in South Africa?
Yes — we currently list 8 bursaries available to honours students. One-year honours degrees (postgraduate).
Can Honours students apply for NSFAS?
NSFAS is primarily for undergraduate and TVET students. Postgraduate students should explore NRF bursaries, departmental bursaries, and corporate postgraduate awards.