City of Cape Town Bursary South Africa 2027

WHAT FIELDS OF STUDY DOES THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY COVER?

The City of Cape Town is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2027 academic year.

Bursaries will be awarded to students who reside in Cape Town (Western Cape), for studies within these scarce skills fields (at Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Honours, Masters or Doctorate level):

• Accounting / Auditing / Internal Auditing
• Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry / Chemical Science
• Contract Management
• Data Science / Statistics
• Economics
• Engineering (Civil, Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial)
• Environmental Management / Water Sciences / Ecology
• Geographic Information Systems
• Geohydrology
• Information Technology / Systems / Management
• Law
• Library Sciences
• Logistics Management
• Marine Biology
• Microbiology / Atmospheric Science
• Regional / Urban / Town Planning
• Project Management
• Psychology (Industrial / Organisational Psychology)
• Water and Waste Management
• Water Quality
• Urban Design, Landscape, Planning, Surveying and Architecture

Scarce skills are fields in which there are not enough qualified individuals to do a specific job. The above scarce skills have been identified by the City of Cape Town as these are the qualifications in demand at the City.

** RELATED BURSARIES **

• View our other Government Bursaries and Scholarships here.
• View our other Science Bursaries and Scholarships here.
• View our other Bursaries OPEN for application here.

WHAT EXPENSES DOES THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY COVER?

The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses: registration fees, examinations and tuition fees.

www.zabursaries.co.za is committed to keeping you up to date with the latest bursary opportunities, and this article covers all details about the City of Cape Town Bursary.

WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY?

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by no later than 15 January 2027. If you do not receive any feedback by this date, please consider your application unsuccessful.

After graduation, students will complete a year-for-a-year service commitment at the City, which will allow students to gain hands-on work experience.

WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY?

Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):

• You must be a South African citizen
• You must reside in Cape Town, in the Western Cape province
• You must be currently in Matric or have completed Matric
• You must have achieved a minimum overall average result of 65% in Matric
• You must be studying or intend on studying full-time, towards a qualification within one of the scarce skills areas listed above (part-time studies may be considered if the qualifications is not offered full time, subject to a written confirmation from the academic institution)
• You must be studying or registered to study at a recognised and accredited tertiary institution in South Africa (University, University of Technology or TVET College)
• You must NOT be receiving any other bursary awards or financial assistance (including NSFAS)

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY?

Download and complete the City of Cape Town Bursary Application Form 2027 (.pdf)

Alternatively, you may collect a copy of the application form at one of the City libraries or Walk-in Centres listed below.

Enter “www.zabursaries.co.za” in the field asking how you heard about the City of Cape Town bursary.

Applications can be submitted in either of the following ways:

OR

WHAT DOCUMENTS MUST I SUBMIT FOR THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY?

Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):

• ID document (certified copy – not older than 3 months)
• Matric mid-year results, if currently in Matric
• Matric certificate, if completed Matric
• Full academic record/ transcripts, if currently studying (on institutions letterhead)
• Proof of registration or provisional acceptance at a tertiary institution, if not studying yet (on institutions letterhead)
• Statement of account from tertiary institution, if registered and studying
• Awards or certificates won, if applicable
• Recommendation letter from a teacher/ mentor/ peer, if applicable
• 2 contactable references (with their contact details)
• Proof of residence
• Proof of work completed in your chosen field of study, if applicable

WHEN IS THE CLOSING DATE FOR THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN BURSARY?

17 August 2026.

(Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)

HOW CAN I CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER?

For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the City of Cape Town directly:
HR Service Desk
Tel: 0860 103 089  / 021 400 3434 (option 6)
Email: external.bursaries@capetown.gov.za

Please do NOT contact the City of Cape Town if this bursary has already closed. View our other bursaries open for application here: https://www.zabursaries.co.za/bursary-news/

WHAT DOES THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN DO?

Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape and the oldest continuously established city in South Africa. Often referred to as the Mother City, it is internationally recognised for its spectacular natural scenery, including the famous Table Mountain, one of the New7Wonders of Nature. The city is also known for its rich cultural heritage, thriving tourism industry and role as South Africa’s legislative capital.

The City of Cape Town is a metropolitan municipality responsible for delivering a wide range of essential local government services to residents and businesses. These include water and sanitation, electricity distribution, waste collection, road and stormwater maintenance, traffic management, public transport, environmental management, spatial planning, building development approvals, municipal law enforcement, fire and rescue services, libraries, parks, recreation facilities and other community services.

The municipality covers the entire Cape Peninsula and surrounding metropolitan area, incorporating diverse communities from the city centre to the northern and southern suburbs, the West Coast, Helderberg, Cape Flats and the far South Peninsula. For planning and service delivery purposes, the City is divided into eight planning districts, enabling it to coordinate infrastructure, development and municipal services across one of South Africa’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.

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This bursary listing was last updated in July 2026.

SA Bursaries wishes you the best of luck with your application! Please remember to SHARE this page with anyone you know who may be in need of bursary funding.