Department of Water and Sanitation

About the Department of Water and Sanitation

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is the national government department that manages South Africa's water resources. Its head office is in Francis Baard Street, Pretoria. The department decides how water is shared, regulates its use and protects its quality. It also builds and maintains bulk water infrastructure such as dams and pipelines, and it supports municipalities that deliver water and sanitation to households.

This work needs skilled people. Engineers, hydrologists, geohydrologists and water scientists are all in demand, and the country cannot always find them. To fill the gap, the department runs a bursary programme through its Learning Academy. The aim is to grow its own pipeline of young professionals for the water sector.

South Africa is a water-scarce country, and rainfall is spread unevenly across the provinces. Dams, treatment works and pipelines must be planned carefully, and ageing systems need constant repair. Graduates who join this field therefore find work with a clear public purpose, and the department sees bursaries as one way to meet that need.

How the department supports students

In its most recent published calls, the bursary covered registration and tuition fees. It also provided a book and stationery allowance, accommodation and food as set out by the university, and a monthly stipend. This makes it a full-cost style award, which matters a great deal for students from poor households.

The department has focused on qualifications linked to its work. These include BSc or BEng degrees in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. They also include BSc degrees in hydrology, geohydrology, water project management, and environmental and water sciences. Some calls have extended to Honours study in the water and environmental fields. The bursary has mainly targeted first-year students at a list of public institutions named in each call.

What to know before applying

Applicants must be South African citizens with a strong academic record and a proven financial need. Students who already receive other funding, such as NSFAS or another bursary, cannot take this one as well. The department gives preference to previously disadvantaged students from poor and rural communities. It also encourages applications from students with disabilities.

The work-back condition is important. Bursars who complete their qualifications are expected to join the Learning Academy as graduate trainees on a fixed-term contract of up to three years. For many graduates, this is a real benefit, because it offers workplace experience in a field where first jobs can be hard to find.

Applications have been submitted by email, with a completed form and certified copies of identity, academic and income documents. The closing date for the 2025 intake was 30 September 2024, so applicants should expect a similar window around the end of each year. Dates, fields and institutions change between intakes. Check the department's official bursary page before you apply.