Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)

About DHET

The Department of Higher Education and Training, or DHET, is the national government department responsible for post-school education in South Africa. Its area of work covers universities, TVET colleges and wider skills development, so it affects most students who continue learning after Matric.

DHET also manages international scholarship opportunities for South African citizens. It runs a dedicated website for these awards, which lists calls offered with partner governments. This work gives students a route to study abroad that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

Partner governments usually provide most of the study funding, while the department helps to screen and nominate South African candidates. For example, DHET works with the China Scholarship Council on the Chinese Government Scholarship. Calls with other partner governments can follow a similar pattern, but each one sets its own rules.

How DHET supports students

The clearest recent example is the Chinese Government Scholarship for 2026/27. China provided full tuition, housing or a housing subsidy, a monthly stipend and medical insurance. According to a published summary of the call, the South African side then added further support through DHET.

That extra support included return airfare, a monthly living supplement, a once-off settlement allowance and visa fees. It also included pre-departure orientation and psychosocial support, which can help students prepare for life in another country.

DHET does more than fund overseas study. It is also responsible for the wider post-school system that students use at home. Our Chinese Government International Scholarship page explains how the most recent call worked and what applicants had to submit.

What to know before applying

Check the official scholarship website for each new call, because dates and rules change every year. Third-party sites often disagree on deadlines, as they did for the 2026/27 Chinese call. Treat the department's own website as the final word whenever two sources differ.

Expect a process with several stages. The Chinese call used an initial screening, an online application to the partner's system, and then a nomination before final selection. So one submission may not be enough, and you may need to send the same documents to more than one place.

Prepare your passport early, since this step often takes the longest. Some calls also require a police clearance, a medical form and a language certificate. Scholarship contracts can also carry conditions, such as a duty to return home after your studies. Read every contract with care, and never pay an agent who promises you a guaranteed place.