NYDA Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund

About the NYDA Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund

The National Youth Development Agency, or NYDA, is a public entity created by the NYDA Act of 2008. It formed when the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the National Youth Commission merged. Its job is to support the social and economic progress of South Africans aged 14 to 35. The head office is at 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg. The scholarship fund is one of its flagship education programmes.

The fund carries the name of Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu. He was a young Umkhonto we Sizwe member whom the apartheid state executed in 1979 at the age of 23. His story stands for sacrifice in the struggle for opportunity and education.

How the fund supports students

Because the NYDA is a government body, it funds study to tackle youth unemployment and skills shortages, not to earn goodwill. The scholarship pays for tuition, meals, accommodation and prescribed books or equipment, within set limits. Support is aimed at young people who could not otherwise afford tertiary study. Past calls have focused on priority and scarce-skill fields at public institutions.

Meeting the minimum requirements gets your application considered, but it does not promise an award. Funding is limited and need is high, so submit complete and correctly certified documents. The NYDA also runs other programmes, such as grants, mentoring and enterprise support, so ask about those if you miss out on the scholarship.

Eligibility has differed between calls. First-year undergraduate calls asked for South African citizens under 35 with a National Senior Certificate average of about 70 percent. Applicants also needed a household income below R15 000 a month, and the fund favoured those from rural, semi-rural and township areas. Postgraduate calls asked for an undergraduate average of at least 60 percent. Some calls have also covered TVET qualifications in specific fields.

What to know before applying

Applications have been accepted online through a student funding portal, and past calls also allowed a paper form. Expect to supply certified copies of your ID and certificates, an academic record, and proof of your parents' or guardians' income. Check the NYDA's own channels for the current form and closing date. Many third-party websites repeat old deadlines, so do not rely on them.

The fund is a state scholarship, not an employer-sponsored bursary. Published information does not describe a work-back or employment bond. However, the NYDA's wider programmes include job-readiness and placement support for young people. Contact the agency to confirm what the current year's award covers.