An LLB is a long, expensive degree to fund on your own - four years of full-time study before you've even started the two years of articles (or pupillage, if you're heading to the Bar) that stand between you and admission as a legal practitioner. The good news is that South Africa's legal sector funds more of this pipeline than most other professions, because law firms, corporates, and government departments all compete for the same small pool of top LLB graduates every year. This guide brings together every verified law bursary and scholarship currently tracked on this site for the 2027/2028 intake, sorted so you can quickly tell which ones are worth your time.
What You Can Actually Do With an LLB
Most people picture "attorney" or "advocate" when they think of a law degree, but an LLB opens far more doors than courtroom work. The two traditional routes still account for most graduates: candidate attorneys spend two years "doing articles" at a law firm before writing the board exam and being admitted, while a smaller number pursue pupillage at the Bar to qualify as advocates. But a large share of each year's LLB class never sets foot in a courtroom at all - they go into in-house corporate legal counsel roles at banks, mining houses, and listed companies; compliance and regulatory affairs, a field that's grown fast as banks, insurers, and telecoms firms deal with steadily thicker rulebooks; the National Prosecuting Authority as state prosecutors; the State Attorney's office or a government department's legal services division; or academia and legal research, feeding into fields like human rights and constitutional law.
The job market itself is a tale of two tiers. Articles at a large commercial firm (the "Big Law" tier - firms like Bowmans, Webber Wentzel, Fasken, and Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr) are genuinely competitive to land, and firms use their bursary and vacation-work programmes as a multi-year recruitment funnel - which is exactly why a bursary from one of these firms is worth more than just the money: it's usually a guaranteed foot in the door for articles. Public-interest and human-rights law, by contrast, pays less but has consistent demand from NGOs, Legal Aid SA, and litigation-focused trusts. Compliance and regulatory roles are currently one of the fastest-growing destinations for law graduates, driven by financial services regulation, data protection law, and B-BBEE/competition-law compliance work - which is worth keeping in mind if courtroom litigation isn't your goal.
Before You Start Applying
Law bursaries fall into two very different categories, and it matters which one you're applying to. Law firm bursaries almost always come with vacation work and an expectation - sometimes explicit, sometimes not - that you'll apply for articles at that firm once you graduate; read the fine print on any work-back obligation before you sign. Trust, government, and industry-body bursaries are typically more flexible about where you end up working, but often carry narrower academic or demographic eligibility criteria (a specific university, a minimum average in completed years, financial need, or a specific area of law like human rights or intellectual property). Most law bursaries also don't fund first-year study - many, like the Attorneys Fidelity Fund Bursary below, only start from second year once you've proven you can handle the workload, so budget for your first year separately if you're relying on one of these.
Law Firm Bursaries (Articles Track)
These come directly from commercial law firms building their future candidate-attorney pipeline. Vacation work, mentorship, and (often) a clear path to articles are the real value here, on top of the money.
Bowman Gilfillan Bursary - Open to South African citizens studying or planning to study an LLB, BCom Law, or BA Law. Covers tuition, textbooks, accommodation, and a living allowance, plus mentorship and vacation work at the firm during your studies. Closes 30 September 2026.
Fasken Martineau Bell Dewar Bursary - Runs two named scholarships: the Ricci Schwab Lyons Scholarship for LLB students in their 2nd year or later with a 65%+ average, and the Lundi Gadla Scholarship specifically for Nelson Mandela University students in any field who can show financial need. Renewable each year if you pass, with a possible route into candidate attorney work through the firm's vacation programme.
Bheki Mlangeni Memorial Scholarship - From Cheadle Thompson & Haysom, a firm known for labour and constitutional law work. For Black South African students in their final LLB year at Wits or UWC who show financial need and a commitment to labour, constitutional, or administrative law. Includes a possible invitation to the firm's vacation work programme.
DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Law Bursary - Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, DLA Piper's South African affiliate, is one of the country's largest full-service commercial law firms. Like most firms this size, its bursary programme is built to feed its own candidate-attorney intake - full eligibility and benefit details aren't yet verified on this site, so confirm directly with the firm before applying.
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) Bursary - Herbert Smith Freehills is a major international law firm with a Johannesburg office. International firms operating locally typically run a bursary or vacation-work scheme to build their own South African candidate-attorney pipeline; specifics for this one haven't been independently verified yet.
Norton Rose Fulbright Bursary - Another global firm with a strong South African commercial practice. As with the other international firms on this list, expect a bursary tied to vacation work and a possible route into articles - check the firm's own careers page for current criteria.
Webber Wentzel Scholarship - Webber Wentzel is one of South Africa's largest and most established corporate law firms. Its scholarship sits alongside the other "Big Law" options here as a route into commercial practice, though we haven't yet verified the exact eligibility and benefit terms.
Gama Attorneys Bursary - A bursary from Gama Attorneys, a South African law firm, aimed at supporting LLB students. Details on eligibility and coverage are still being verified.
Government, Regulatory and Parastatal Funding
Several government departments and state entities fund LLB students alongside other priority degrees, usually because they need lawyers for policy, regulatory, or prosecutorial work of their own.
National Treasury Bursary - For 3rd-year undergrad through Honours/Master's students studying Accounting, Economics, Finance, or Law, with a strong academic record. Covers registration, tuition, accommodation, prescribed materials, board exam costs, editing costs, and a monthly allowance. Closes 30 September 2026.
SARS Scholarship - For South African citizens with a strong record studying one of SARS's priority fields, Law included alongside Accounting, Economics, IT, and several Engineering and Science fields. Covers full tuition, a living allowance, and prescribed textbooks, with possible vacation work at SARS. Closes 30 September 2026.
South African Reserve Bank Bursary - For citizens under 30 with at least 70% in Matric, studying a field relevant to the SARB's functions (which includes Law) and showing financial need. Reported to cover up to R120,000 a year toward tuition, accommodation, and study materials. Closes 30 September 2026.
Department of Tourism Bursary - Funds full-time Diploma through Doctoral students in the Department's listed priority fields, which have previously included Law alongside Tourism Management, Accounting, Computer Science, and others. Covers the cost of study for the rest of your qualification, renewed annually if you keep passing.
Eastern Cape Department of Education (ECDoE) - For unemployed Eastern Cape residents aged 18-35 (up to 45 for the disability stream) with a Bachelor's pass, accepted into an ECDoE-eligible field. Covers registration, tuition, stationery, accommodation, and meals, paid directly to your institution.
SASSETA Bursary - Open to unemployed South Africans aged 18-35 accepted at a public tertiary institution. Reported funding is R80,000/year for full-time university study (including a R10,000 laptop allowance), R35,000 for distance learning, and R50,000 for TVET study.
Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) Bursary - For South Africans aged 15-35 studying an eligible field - including Law - at a TVET college, University of Technology, or university. Covers study-related costs; the exact scope wasn't independently confirmed on the RSR's own channels at time of writing, so verify directly with them.
Competition Tribunal South Africa Scholarship - The Competition Tribunal is the statutory body that hears and rules on competition-law (antitrust) cases in South Africa. A scholarship connected to it would typically suit students with an interest in competition law and economic regulation; full criteria aren't yet verified on this site.
Mpumalanga Attorneys Council Bursary - Connected to the attorneys' regulatory structures for the Mpumalanga region. Details on eligibility and funding are still being confirmed.
Human Rights, Social Justice and Academic Funding
If courtroom litigation or corporate practice isn't the goal, this is where the funding for human rights, constitutional law, and legal academia sits.
Canon Collins Tom Queba Scholarship - For Black or Coloured South African citizens studying Honours or Master's in a priority field including Justice, with work connected to social or environmental development for disadvantaged communities. R85,000/year for up to two years, plus leadership development access.
Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship - For citizens of South Africa or several neighbouring SADC countries studying a postgraduate qualification in Law, Economics, Politics, or Climate Justice. R20,000-R100,000/year depending on circumstances, for up to two years (Master's) or three (PhD).
South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) Bursary - For Black South African or African LLB graduates registered for an LLM with a research topic in constitutional, human rights, or justice-related law, and demonstrated financial need. A once-off top-up payment of up to R50,000, meant to supplement other funding rather than cover the full cost.
Canon Collins Trust Leigh Day Scholarship - Administered by the Canon Collins Trust in partnership with Leigh Day, a UK law firm known for international human rights and claims litigation - one of several postgraduate justice-focused scholarships the Trust runs for Southern African students.
Canon Collins Trust Joel Joffe Scholarship - Named for Joel Joffe, one of the defence lawyers in the Rivonia Trial, and administered by the Canon Collins Trust alongside its other postgraduate justice scholarships.
Industry Bodies and Corporate Legal-Adjacent Funding
Professional bodies, insurers, and corporates with an in-house legal or compliance need also fund LLB and specialist law students - these are worth checking even if you're not set on private practice.
Attorneys Fidelity Fund Bursary - For citizens or permanent residents entering at least their 2nd year of an LLB, BCom Law, or BA Law degree. Covers tuition fees only - no accommodation, textbooks, or living allowance, so budget for those separately.
SAIIPL Bursary - From the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, for citizens/permanent residents aged 18-30 studying an LLB or LLM (or recently-admitted junior advocates). Four bursaries per cycle of R70,000 each - two for Patent Law, two for Trade Mark/Copyright Law - plus a requirement to complete a WIPO Academy course.
Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship Bursary - Not law-specific, but explicitly open to Grade 12 learners planning to study Law among its eligible fields. Funding scales with household income up to a R1 million/year threshold, plus a Personal Development Officer, entrepreneurial leadership programme, and access to E Squared venture funding.
Southern Sphere Platinum Bursary - For Sekhukhune District residents entering 2nd year in an eligible field with a 60%+ first-year average. Up to R200,000 toward tuition, textbooks, accommodation, and meals - doesn't cover fees owed from prior years.
Roche Bursary - Roche's bursary spans several fields including Law for students entering 2nd year or later. Reported benefits include tuition, textbooks, accommodation, meals, a laptop, and mentorship support - some regional variants may be restricted to specific Western Cape universities, so confirm current eligibility directly.
Legalwise Bursary - Legalwise is one of South Africa's largest legal insurance providers, giving members access to legal advice and representation. Its bursary programme supports law students in keeping with its position in the legal-services industry; full terms aren't yet verified on this site.
HKA Bursary - HKA is an international expert-services and forensic consultancy working on construction, engineering, and technical disputes - work that regularly sits at the intersection of law and specialist technical evidence. Bursary specifics are still being confirmed.
Tim Mills Memorial Law Bursary - A memorial bursary for law students. The administering body and eligibility criteria haven't yet been independently verified - check back as we confirm details.
Didn't find what you need here? 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 law bursaries cover the two years of articles after I graduate?
No - a bursary funds your degree, not your articles. Articles clerks are paid a salary (often modest) by the firm they work at, separate from any bursary. Where a bursary matters for articles is indirectly: firms that fund your LLB, like Bowmans or Fasken, often use that relationship to recruit you into articles once you graduate.
Can I apply for a law firm bursary if I don't want to work at that firm afterwards?
You can, but read the terms carefully first. Most law firm bursaries don't legally bind you to return, but they're designed as a recruitment pipeline, and some carry an explicit work-back expectation. If your plan is public-interest law or the Bar rather than commercial practice, a trust or academic scholarship (like the Canon Collins or SAJHR options above) is usually a better fit.
Why do I need at least second year to qualify for some of these?
Bursaries like the Attorneys Fidelity Fund Bursary use your first-year results as proof you can handle an LLB's workload before committing multi-year funding. If you're funding first year yourself, look at NSFAS (if you qualify) or a general-field bursary in the meantime, then apply to these once you have a first-year transcript to show.
Is a BCom Law or BA Law degree treated the same as an LLB for these bursaries?
Most of the bursaries above explicitly list BCom Law and BA Law alongside the LLB, since South African universities offer several undergraduate routes into a later LLB (via a 2-year postgraduate LLB) or a combined 4-year LLB. Check each bursary's own wording, since a few are LLB-specific.
What if I want to specialise in something like human rights or IP law rather than general commercial practice?
Look first at the specialist options above: SAIIPL specifically funds Patent, Trade Mark, and Copyright Law students, while Canon Collins and the SAJHR bursary fund constitutional and human rights-focused LLM research. These are far narrower in scope than a general LLB bursary but pay well for the right research topic.