Healthcare is one of the few fields where the funder and the future employer are frequently the same organisation - provincial health departments fund your degree because they need you in their hospitals afterward. That link shapes almost everything about how medical bursaries work in South Africa, and it's worth understanding before you apply. This guide brings together every verified medical and health-sciences bursary currently tracked on this site for the 2027/2028 intake.
South Africa's Healthcare Shortage Is Your Opportunity
South Africa's public healthcare system is chronically short-staffed, especially in rural provinces, which is exactly why so much of the funding below comes with a work-back or community service obligation attached - the country needs you to actually go and practise, not just qualify. Career paths span far wider than "doctor": nursing (with its own tiered qualifications from Higher Certificate through to full degree), pharmacy, physiotherapy, speech-language therapy and audiology, dietetics, and specialised lab-based fields like virology and blood science all have dedicated funding below. Every regulated health profession in South Africa also requires registration with a statutory council - the HPCSA for most allied health professions, SANC for nursing, and the SAPC for pharmacy - and several require a compulsory community service year in the public sector straight after qualifying, usually in an under-resourced or rural facility. That community service year is often your first real job and can shape where your career goes next, so factor it into your planning rather than treating it as a formality.
Before You Start Applying
Provincial bursaries (Western Cape, Free State) almost always restrict eligibility to residents of that specific province, and most carry a signed work-back contract requiring you to serve in that province's public health system after qualifying - read the contract terms before signing, since breaking it usually means repaying the bursary as a loan. The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation bursary below takes this same principle further, deliberately recruiting from rural KwaZulu-Natal communities specifically to grow the rural health workforce where it's needed most.
Government and Provincial Health Bursaries
These fund health science study in exchange for public-sector service, usually within a specific province.
Western Cape Department of Health Bursary - For unemployed Western Cape residents studying an eligible Health Science qualification full-time. Covers registration, tuition, and examination fees (not accommodation). Closes 30 September 2026.
Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Bursary - A related Western Cape intake covering specific named qualifications: Medicine, several Nursing tracks, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, and Speech Therapy degrees. Requires a signed bursary contract and post-qualification work-back commitment. Closes 30 September 2026.
Free State Office of the Premier Bursary - For unemployed Free State youth aged 18-35, including current Grade 12 learners, studying full-time at a recognised institution in any eligible field including health sciences. Exact coverage isn't itemised in the published notice, so confirm directly with the Office of the Premier.
Compensation Fund Bursary - For unemployed COID beneficiaries with a permanent workplace-injury disablement, or their dependants aged 17-35, studying an eligible field at a TVET, CET college, or higher education institution. Covers tuition, study materials, accommodation, and a monthly stipend.
Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) Bursary - Specifically for matriculants from under-resourced rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal's Umkhanyakude, Zululand, or King Cetshwayo districts, already receiving or eligible for NSFAS, entering a first Health Science degree. Tops up your NSFAS package with a monthly allowance, mentoring, and vacation work exposure.
SARB Bursary - Not health-specific, but explicitly funds Medicine and Dentistry among its scarce-skills fields for first-year undergraduates. For citizens under 30 with at least 70% in June Grade 12 exams and demonstrated financial need. Closes 30 September 2026.
Corporate and Retail Pharmacy Bursaries
From healthcare companies and pharmacy retailers building their own future workforce.
Clicks Pharmacy Bursary - For citizens accepted to a full-time BPharm degree, with preference given to disadvantaged applicants. Covers registration, tuition, textbooks, and study assistance - not previous years' costs or existing loans.
Cipla Bursary - For citizens with a 70%+ average studying a scarce-skills field relevant to Cipla's business. Recent cycles covered tuition, accommodation, meals, books, and a laptop allowance up to R8,000, plus wellness programmes and vacation work.
Ninety One Bursary - For under-21s entering first-year study in 2027 with a 70%+ average (or Level 6 in English and Maths/Science) and household income under R600,000/year. Beyond funding, includes tutoring, career guidance, resilience training, and mental-health support. Closes 31 August 2026.
Mediclinic Bursary and Mediclinic ER24 Bursary - Mediclinic is one of South Africa's largest private hospital groups, with ER24 its emergency medical services arm. Their bursary programmes support health science students, likely feeding into their own hospital and paramedic staffing needs; specific eligibility and coverage aren't yet verified on this site.
Netcare Bursary - Netcare is another of South Africa's major private hospital groups. Its bursary programme funds health science students, in keeping with building its own future clinical workforce; full terms aren't yet confirmed here.
Life Healthcare Bursary - From Life Healthcare, South Africa's third major private hospital group. Details on eligibility and coverage are still being verified.
AbbVie and SASA Scholarship - A scholarship connected to AbbVie (a global pharmaceutical company) and SASA (likely the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, given the pairing), probably supporting anaesthesiology-related study or research. Full details aren't yet verified.
Specialist Health Profession Bursaries
These fund narrower, specialist health disciplines rather than general medicine or nursing.
Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa Bursaries - Undergraduate track for 2nd-4th year BPharm students; postgraduate track for PSSA members in pharmacy-related Master's/Doctoral study, assessed on project viability and need. Closes 5 October 2026.
Poliomyelitis Research Foundation Bursaries - For BSc Honours, MSc, or PhD study in Virology specifically, with at least 60% in your most recent studies. Master's students get up to two years of support, PhD students up to three. Closes 15 September 2026.
South African National Blood Service (SANBS) Bursary - For 3rd-year Bachelor of Health Sciences students with Immunohematology as an elective. Reported R8,000 books/equipment allowance, R2,200/month accommodation, and R3,500/month living allowance, with around ten bursaries typically available per intake.
SASLHA (Myrtle L Aron) Bursary - For 3rd- or 4th-year Speech-Language Therapy and/or Audiology students who've completed their 2nd or 3rd year, and who are (or become) free SASLHA members. Awarded on academic merit and financial need; exact value isn't published, so confirm directly with SASLHA.
ADSA Bursary - For students in their first year (or just completed first year) of a dietetics degree - not open beyond 2nd year. Reported at R36,000/year for years two through four (or up to R30,000/year toward registration, textbooks and accommodation, depending on the source), plus free ADSA student membership.
Caroline Mack Foundation Bursary - For Western Cape residents studying Nursing with at least a 65% average and demonstrated financial need. Covers full tuition plus a monthly living stipend. Closes 12 September 2026.
Donald White / Mandla A. Ndwanya Memorial Fund Bursary - For students connected to the fund's Nyanga, Cape Town community focus, studying Healthcare, Medicine, or several other named fields. R10,000 per award toward registration and textbook/technology costs.
South African Veterinary Foundation Bursary - For veterinary science students, from the professional foundation supporting the veterinary field. Full current eligibility and coverage aren't yet verified on this site.
South African Medical Association (SAMA) Bursary - From South Africa's representative body for doctors, supporting medical students. Details on current eligibility and funding are still being confirmed.
DENOSA Bursary - DENOSA (the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa) is the country's largest nursing union and professional body. Its bursary would typically support nursing students; specifics aren't yet verified here.
Chiropractic Association of South Africa (CASA) Bursary - For chiropractic students, from the professional association representing chiropractors. Full details are still being confirmed.
South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP) Bursary - For physiotherapy students, from the professional body representing physiotherapists. Eligibility and funding specifics aren't yet verified.
Homoeopathic Association of SA Bursary - For homoeopathy students, from the professional association representing homoeopaths. Details are still being confirmed.
Mpumalanga Department of Health Bursary - A provincial health bursary for Mpumalanga residents, following the same general pattern as the Western Cape and Free State programmes above. Full terms haven't yet been independently verified.
Gauteng College of Nursing Bursary - Connected to nursing training in Gauteng province. Specific eligibility and funding details are still being confirmed.
Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Bursary - Connected to South Africa's first purpose-built children's hospital; likely supports paediatric-focused health science students. Details aren't yet verified.
Spes Bona Initiative for Medical Education Vesalius Scholarship - A medical education scholarship programme; the administering body and current criteria haven't yet been independently confirmed.
Dr Aadil Moerat Trust Bursary - A memorial trust bursary supporting medical or health science students. Full details are still being verified.
Surve Philanthropies Bursary - A philanthropic bursary programme; specific field focus and eligibility for health science applicants aren't yet confirmed on this site.
Morton Partners Bursary - Details on the administering organisation and eligibility criteria are still being verified.
Didn't find the right fit? Browse the full bursaries and scholarships listing for every field, or read our guide on writing a CV for a bursary application before you start sending yours out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to work for the province that funds my health science bursary?
Almost always, yes - provincial bursaries like the Western Cape and Free State programmes come with a signed work-back contract requiring service in that province's public health system after you qualify, usually matching the number of years you were funded. Breaking the contract typically converts the bursary into a repayable loan.
What is community service, and does every health profession require it?
It's a compulsory year (sometimes two) working in the public health system immediately after qualifying, required for doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and several other regulated professions - separate from any bursary work-back obligation. You'll usually be placed at a public hospital or clinic, often in an under-resourced area, and it typically forms your first real job in the profession.
Why does Umthombo only recruit from specific rural districts?
It's a deliberate strategy to address South Africa's rural health workforce shortage - the theory (backed by research) is that health professionals who grew up in rural areas are far more likely to return and stay there after qualifying than those recruited from cities. If you're not from Umkhanyakude, Zululand, or King Cetshwayo, this specific bursary won't apply to you, but the broader NSFAS system still will.
Can I apply for both a provincial bursary and a corporate one like Cipla or Ninety One at the same time?
Check each bursary's own rules - some explicitly prohibit holding multiple bursaries simultaneously, while others don't mention it either way. When in doubt, disclose any other funding you're receiving or have applied for rather than risk disqualification later.