Energy is one of the few fields in South Africa where the funding is arguably growing faster than the sector's reputation suggests - years of load shedding and a multi-billion-rand Just Energy Transition investment plan have turned wind farms, solar parks, and grid operators into some of the most active bursary funders in the country. This guide brings together every verified energy-sector bursary and scholarship currently tracked on this site for the 2027/2028 intake.
Why South Africa Needs Energy Graduates Right Now
The energy sector splits into two very different worlds that both need graduates urgently. The first is the traditional utility and regulatory side - Eskom, NERSA (the National Energy Regulator), and oil and gas majors like Shell - which still needs electrical and mechanical engineers, energy economists, and regulatory specialists to keep the existing grid and fuel supply running. The second, faster-growing world is renewables: South Africa's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has brought dozens of wind farms and solar parks online over the past decade, each one needing engineers during construction and a smaller permanent team of technicians and asset managers for the 20+ years it operates afterward. Add in the newer Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, which is funding grid upgrades and worker reskilling as coal plants wind down, and you get a sector actively short of electrical engineers, renewable energy engineers, energy economists, and skilled artisans for solar and wind operations and maintenance.
For graduates, this means real optionality: a NERSA or Eskom-adjacent bursary points you toward regulation, grid planning, or utility-scale engineering, while a wind or solar farm bursary usually comes with a strong regional/community angle and can lead into site-based technical or project roles once you graduate.
Before You Start Applying
Notice how many of the renewable energy bursaries below are restricted to specific host communities - the municipalities and districts where a particular wind farm or solar park is physically built. This isn't unusual: it's part of how REIPPPP projects meet their socio-economic development obligations under their government licence, so if you don't live in the named area, you likely won't qualify no matter how strong your academics are. Check the location requirement first before spending time on an application.
Utilities, Regulators, and Oil & Gas Bursaries
These come from the regulatory and traditional-energy side of the sector - more bureaucratic to apply for, but open to applicants nationwide rather than a single municipality.
NERSA Bursary - For South African citizens accepted onto a Master's or PhD programme in a field relevant to electricity, piped-gas, or petroleum pipeline regulation, with preference for previously disadvantaged applicants who show genuine financial need. Covers registration, tuition, accommodation, and books or a laptop, with the exact amount set by a means test.
Shell Bursary - For citizens who scored at least 75% overall in Matric and can show verifiable financial need, accepted at an accredited public university. May cover tuition, textbooks, accommodation, and living expenses.
SARB Bursary - Not energy-specific, but explicitly funds first-year undergraduates entering fields the Reserve Bank considers scarce skills, energy-adjacent Engineering and IT included. For citizens under 30 with at least 70% in June Grade 12 exams and demonstrated financial need. Closes 30 September 2026.
Renewable Energy Project Bursaries
Each of these is a wind farm or solar park's own community bursary, funded as part of its obligations under South Africa's Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Expect a strict host-community residency requirement on all of them.
ACWA Power Bursary - For residents of the Kgatelopele and Tsantsabane local municipalities in the Northern Cape, host communities of ACWA Power's Redstone concentrated solar power (CSP) project. Registered or admitted to a public university or university of technology. Covers full tuition, registration, books, meals, accommodation, and a stipend.
Dorper Wind Farm Bursary - Dorper Wind Farm, near Molteno in the Eastern Cape, is a REIPPPP wind project. Like most projects of this kind, its bursary programme is aimed at students from its host community as part of its socio-economic development obligations; full eligibility and benefit details aren't yet verified on this site.
Tsitsikamma Wind Farm Trust Bursary - Tsitsikamma Wind Farm sits along the Eastern Cape coastline and runs a community trust funding local students, in keeping with its REIPPPP obligations. Specific criteria haven't yet been confirmed here.
Matla a Bokone Solar Bursary - "Matla a Bokone" (roughly "power of the north") is a solar power project whose bursary programme, like others in this list, is expected to prioritise its host community. Details are still being verified.
Kangnas Wind Farm Bursary - A wind farm project in the Northern Cape running a community bursary programme as part of its REIPPPP licence conditions. Full terms aren't yet verified.
Kathu Solar Park Bursary - Kathu Solar Park, near Kathu in the Northern Cape, is one of South Africa's larger concentrated solar power plants. Its bursary is expected to follow the same host-community pattern as other REIPPPP projects; details are still being confirmed.
Roggeveld Wind Power Bursary - A wind energy project running a community bursary programme, consistent with its REIPPPP socio-economic development obligations. Specifics haven't yet been verified on this site.
Mulilo Bursary - Mulilo is a South African renewable energy developer with several wind and solar projects in its portfolio; this bursary is likely tied to one or more of its host communities. Full details are still being confirmed.
Kouga Wind Farm Bursary - Kouga Wind Farm, in the Eastern Cape's Kouga municipal area, runs a community bursary in line with its REIPPPP conditions. Eligibility and funding details aren't yet verified here.
Didn't find the right fit? Browse the full bursaries and scholarships listing for every field, including the Engineering and Mining bursaries that often overlap with energy-sector projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do so many energy bursaries only accept students from one specific area?
Most wind farms and solar parks in South Africa are built under the REIPPPP programme, which requires each project to fund local economic development - including bursaries - for the communities where it's physically located. That's why you'll see bursaries tied to a specific municipality or district rather than open nationally.
Do I need to study Engineering specifically for these bursaries?
Not necessarily. While electrical and mechanical engineering are the biggest need, the sector also funds energy economics, environmental science, project management, and regulatory-focused study - check each bursary's field requirements rather than assuming it's engineering-only.
Is the renewable energy sector actually a stable career path, or is it a temporary construction boom?
Both wind and solar projects need a large technical workforce during construction but a much smaller permanent team afterward for operations and maintenance - typically running for 20+ years per project. Combined with new projects still being added to the national grid and the broader Just Energy Transition Investment Plan, there's steady long-term demand, even if the day-to-day mix of roles shifts once a specific project is built.
What if I don't live in any of these host municipalities?
Look at the utility and regulator bursaries instead (NERSA, Shell, SARB above), which are open nationally rather than tied to one community. You can also check the full bursaries and scholarships listing for Engineering-focused funding that isn't energy-specific.