City of Cape Town

About the City of Cape Town

The City of Cape Town is the metropolitan municipality that governs Cape Town and its surrounding areas. It is one of the largest and busiest local governments in South Africa, serving more than four million residents. Its offices are at the Civic Centre on Hertzog Boulevard in the city centre. The City is a local authority, and it is separate from the Western Cape provincial government.

The City runs water, electricity, roads, public transport, housing, waste removal, libraries and health services. Running all of this takes engineers, planners, accountants, nurses, lawyers and many other skilled people. As a result, the City invests in training local students who can later fill these roles.

How the City supports students

The main programme for school leavers and university students is the external bursary scheme. It helps Cape Town residents who study in fields where the City needs skills. Recent calls have listed scarce-skills areas such as accounting, architecture, construction management, supply chain management, renewable energy, public health, pharmacy, nursing, medicine, law, IT, psychology and environmental management. The list is reviewed regularly, so always confirm the current fields.

Reports on the scheme say it pays for registration, tuition and examination fees. It also provides capped allowances for study materials, transport and meals. Some recipients also gain practical training and mentoring from City departments. According to City officials, earlier recipients went on to skills development placements and permanent municipal jobs. However, the City does not promise a job to every bursar.

Choose a qualification that matches the fields on the current list, because a course outside the list is unlikely to qualify. Students who live outside Cape Town should look at their own municipality or province, since many of them run similar schemes.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens who live inside the municipal boundaries of Cape Town. They need to be registered, or accepted, for full-time study at an accredited institution in South Africa. Both universities and TVET colleges are included. Published criteria have asked for a Grade 12 average of at least 65%, or tertiary results of the same level. In addition, students who already receive other funding, such as NSFAS, have not been eligible.

You will need supporting documents. These usually include a registration or acceptance letter, certified copies of your ID and results, and proof of where you live. Forms are available on the City website, at libraries and at walk-in centres.

The closing date varies, but recent rounds closed at the end of August. Details on work-back or service obligations are not clear from public sources. For that reason, read the bursary conditions in the application pack before you sign anything. Apply early and keep copies of everything you submit.