City of Johannesburg

About the City of Johannesburg

The City of Johannesburg is a metropolitan municipality in Gauteng. It governs local services for one of the busiest urban areas in Africa. Its general call centre number is 0860 562 874. The City is divided into branches and departments, and several services run through municipal entities. For example, Johannesburg Water supplies water and sanitation.

A city of this size needs many kinds of professionals at once. It needs engineers, town planners, accountants, emergency responders, lawyers and data specialists. As a result, the City funds students from its own area who study in these fields.

The City of Johannesburg Bursary

The flagship programme is the City of Johannesburg Bursary for full-time undergraduate students. The call for the 2027 academic year offered 200 bursaries of up to R40,000 each per year. That amount covers registration fees, tuition and prescribed textbooks or study material.

The list of eligible fields is wide. It includes actuarial science, the built environment, business management, commerce, community services, emergency management services, engineering, finance, GIS, health, humanities and social sciences, IT, international relations, law, logistics, marketing, municipal governance and real estate.

Applicants must be South African citizens who live permanently in Johannesburg. They must be in Matric or have completed it, and they must plan to study at a recognised South African institution. Postgraduate study is not funded. You also may not hold another bursary or grant for the same studies.

How selection works

The City selects strictly on academic merit. Each award covers one academic year, and you can renew it if your results stay satisfactory. Shortlisted candidates are contacted within about six weeks of the closing date. If you hear nothing by then, treat your application as unsuccessful.

Applications go in online with certified copies of your ID, your Matric results or certificate, your latest academic record if you are already studying, proof of Johannesburg residence and proof of your parents' or guardians' income. Missing documents can lead to disqualification.

Why the City invests in local students

A bursary for residents does more than pay fees. It builds a pool of qualified young people who know the city and understand its problems. Many graduates go on to work in local government, in the private sector or in their own businesses, and each of those paths strengthens the local economy. The City therefore ties its awards to where you live, not to where you study.

Before you apply

The 2027 call closed on 30 October 2026. The published information does not describe a work-back obligation, so ask what the bursary agreement requires before you accept an award. The City has also run smaller programmes for specific groups, such as emergency management services students, with their own rules. Check the City's official website or contact its bursary officials to confirm the next call, because dates and fields change each year.