SANZAF

About SANZAF

The South African National Zakah Fund, known as SANZAF, is a faith-based welfare and education organisation. It collects Zakah and other charitable gifts from Muslim donors and distributes them to people in need across South Africa. SANZAF was established in 1974, so it has worked for more than five decades, and it marked its 50th anniversary in 2025.

The fund is a registered non-profit organisation and a Section 18A public benefit organisation. That means donations for qualifying activities can be tax-deductible. SANZAF also publishes audited financial statements and integrated reports on its website, which is useful if you want to see how its money is spent.

How SANZAF supports students

SANZAF's education work sits under the SANZAF Education, Empowerment and Development programme, called SEED. The programme pays for access to higher education, skills training and personal development, and its bursary scheme is the best-known part. The fund works through regional offices, so you apply to the office in the area where you live.

The bursaries are funded from Zakah, so they are aimed at students who cannot pay their own fees. SANZAF supports the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and asks students to apply to NSFAS as well. You can read about the current round on our SANZAF Zakah Bursary page.

Beyond bursaries, SANZAF runs welfare projects, feeding schemes, emergency relief, women's empowerment work and a Qurbani programme. Its regional offices are in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Ladysmith, East London, Gqeberha, Gauteng, Kimberley and the Western Cape. Each office handles its own bursary applications and interviews.

What to know before applying

Each region sets its own opening and closing dates, so check the date for your area before you start. Some regions close in September or October, while others stay open until late December or January.

The fund pays your institution directly and does not pay you. Applicants must also secure their own registration fees, and SANZAF does not let students withdraw funds that it paid, even when the account has a credit balance. Applications that arrive without every requested document are disqualified, so prepare your papers early. Ask your regional office if you are unsure about anything in the process.

If you are new to SANZAF, start with the bursary page and find your region. Each region lists a contact person, an email address and a phone number, so you can ask questions before you apply. Keep copies of everything that you submit, and keep your phone and email active so that you do not miss an interview invitation.