Key Facts
- Status
- Applications Closed
- Provider
- Field of Study
- Study Level
- Application Closes
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Eligibility Requirements
- South African citizen
- Admitted to full-time study
- Registered for honours, a master's by dissertation or a doctorate
- Research related to grain and oilseed breeding and technology
- A supervisor approved by SACTA
- No other funding while you hold the bursary
Documents Needed
- A completed application form
- Certified copy of your South African ID or passport
- Your updated CV
- Your latest academic transcript on an official letterhead
- Proof of registration and a fee statement, if available
- A signed legal undertaking (Section E of the form)
About SACTA Bursary
The SACTA Bursary funds honours, master's and doctoral research in plant breeding and technology for grain and oilseed crops. The South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA) administers the breeding levies on self-pollinated crops such as wheat, barley, oats, soybeans and lupins, and it uses part of this work to develop skills for the industry. SACTA says it has awarded more than 50 bursaries over five years.
Agri Manage Solutions administers the bursary for SACTA. Applications open on 1 September and close on 30 September each year, so the call for the 2027 academic year closed on 30 September 2026. The next call should open on 1 September 2027.
Funding Details
For the most recent call, the bursary was worth:
- Master's (MSc): R99,750 a year, for two years
- Doctorate (PhD): R131,250 a year, for three years
SACTA sets the amounts each year, and honours awards follow its annual decisions. The first instalment is paid in January, and later payments depend on approved progress reports. Students and supervisors submit quarterly progress reports.
The bursary has a work-back condition. After you graduate, you must work in South Africa's grain and oilseed breeding and technology industry, for an organisation that SACTA approves, for as long as the bursary ran. If you do not, you must repay the money with interest at the prime overdraft rate, less the portion that matches the time you did work. Failing a semester or year can cancel the bursary, and you would then repay the amount received, with interest.
Where You Can Study
SACTA funds full-time study at the institution of your choice, as long as it can provide a supervisor for research in grain and oilseed breeding or technology. Universities with strong plant science and agriculture departments are the most likely fit.
About South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA)
About SACTA The South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA) is a non-profit company that administers the statutory breeding levies for self-pollinated grain and oilseed crops in South Africa. These crops include…
View full provider profile →- Phone
- +27 12 807 3958
Fields of Study & Who Can Apply
The bursary is for South African citizens who are admitted to full-time study. It funds honours, master's by dissertation and doctoral study, and your field of study must relate to South Africa's grain and oilseed breeding and technology industry. The relevant crops are wheat, barley, oats, soybeans and lupins.
SACTA must approve your dissertation or thesis proposal before you start. Your institution must designate a supervisor, and SACTA must approve that supervisor too. If you win the bursary, you may not receive funding from other sources.
This bursary suits students in fields such as plant breeding, genetics, crop science, plant pathology and agronomy, as long as the research links to these crops.
Application Procedure
Apply through the SACTA bursary page between 1 and 30 September. Applications without the signed legal undertaking are not processed. Shortlisted applicants have a telephone interview, and successful applicants hear within eight weeks of the closing date. If you hear nothing in that time, your application was unsuccessful. For questions, call 012 807 3958 or email sarie@agrimanage.co.za.
Applications for this cycle have closed. Check the provider's site for the next intake.
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Questions about this application?
Contact South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA) directly:
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does the SACTA bursary open?
Applications open on 1 September and close on 30 September each year.
Which crops does the SACTA bursary cover?
Wheat, barley, oats, soybeans and lupins.
Does the SACTA bursary have a work-back?
Yes. You must work in the grain and oilseed breeding and technology industry for as long as the bursary ran.
