The City of Ekurhuleni is inviting eligible residents to apply for its Community Bursary Programme for the 2027 academic year.
The programme provides financial assistance to academically deserving and financially needy students who permanently reside within Ekurhuleni and intend to pursue full-time undergraduate studies at accredited South African universities, universities of technology or TVET colleges.
Applications are currently open and close on 30 November 2026.
At a glance
| Sponsor | City of Ekurhuleni |
| Opportunity type | Community bursary |
| Academic year funded | 2027 |
| Who it’s for | Academically deserving and financially needy Ekurhuleni residents |
| Age requirement | 18–35 years |
| Study level | Undergraduate and selected TVET programmes |
| Study mode | Full-time |
| Household income limit | R600,000 per year |
| Closing date | 30 November 2026 |
| Application method | Online through the City of Ekurhuleni bursary portal |
| Last verified | 31 October 2026 |
High-value notes (read this first)
- Applicants must permanently reside within the City of Ekurhuleni.
- Applicants must be South African citizens.
- Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years old.
- Applicants must have completed Grade 12.
- Applicants must already have an acceptance letter or proof of registration for the 2027 academic year.
- Combined annual household income may not exceed R600,000.
- The programme supports selected undergraduate qualifications at universities and universities of technology, as well as selected TVET programmes.
- TVET applicants applying for the listed technical programmes require an N3 entry level.
- Supporting documents must be certified, with certification generally not older than three months.
- The bursary is renewable annually, subject to satisfactory academic performance.
- Successful applicants must sign a bursary contract with the City.
- The City may withdraw funding where a bursary recipient performs poorly academically or is found guilty of misconduct.
About the sponsor
The City of Ekurhuleni is a metropolitan municipality located in Gauteng Province. It was established in 2000 through the amalgamation of several local authorities in the eastern part of Gauteng and was formally renamed the City of Ekurhuleni in 2017.
Ekurhuleni is one of Gauteng’s three metropolitan municipalities and includes major urban and industrial areas such as Alberton, Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Germiston, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Springs, Nigel and surrounding communities.
The City is an important industrial, manufacturing, logistics and transport hub within the Gauteng City Region, with economic activity closely linked to OR Tambo International Airport and major road, rail and freight infrastructure.
Through initiatives such as the Community Bursary Programme, the City aims to improve access to higher education, develop scarce and critical skills, and help qualifying residents gain the qualifications needed to participate more effectively in the local and national economy.
Main City of Ekurhuleni website:
https://www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/
About the City of Ekurhuleni:
https://www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/about-the-city/
What the bursary covers
The current 2027 bursary announcement does not publish a detailed breakdown of the exact amount or individual expenses that will be covered for each recipient.
The programme is described as financial assistance for qualifying undergraduate and TVET students.
Successful applicants should therefore confirm the final bursary value, approved expenses and payment arrangements in the bursary contract issued by the City.
Fields of study supported
The 2027 Community Bursary Programme supports selected qualifications within the following categories:
Built Environment
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Property Studies
- Building and Construction Management
- Geomatics / GIS
Information and Communication Technology
- Bachelor of Information and Communications Technology in Internet of Things
- BSc Computer Science and Informatics specialising in Artificial Intelligence
- BSc Information Technology
Finance and related studies
- BCom Accounting and Finance
- Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Environmental Health Sciences
- Environmental Health
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Water Quality
- Waste Management
TVET technical, artisan and apprenticeship programmes
- Electrical Engineering – NATED
- Civil Engineering – NATED
- Electrical Infrastructure Construction
- Building and Civil Construction
Applicants for the listed TVET technical programmes require an N3 entry level.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be South African citizens
- Permanently reside within the City of Ekurhuleni
- Be between 18 and 35 years old
- Have completed Grade 12
- Have secured an acceptance letter or proof of registration for the 2027 academic year
- Be pursuing full-time studies in one of the approved fields
- Study at an accredited South African university, university of technology or TVET college
- Have a combined annual household income not exceeding R600,000
- Provide the required certified supporting documents
Documents to prepare
Applications must include certified copies of the applicable supporting documents.
- South African identity document
- Acceptance letter or proof of registration at an accredited institution for the 2027 academic year
- Proof of residence within Ekurhuleni, not older than three months
- Proof of household income
Depending on the applicant’s household circumstances, proof of income may include:
- Salary slips
- Stamped bank statement together with an affidavit
- Proof of a social grant, where applicable
Supporting-document certification must generally be not older than three months.
Important proof of residence requirement
This is a community bursary specifically for permanent residents of Ekurhuleni.
Applicants must therefore provide valid proof that they permanently reside within the City of Ekurhuleni.
The proof of residence must be not older than three months.
Household income requirement
The applicant’s combined annual household income may not exceed:
R600,000 per year
Applicants must provide appropriate proof of household income as part of the online application.
Bursary renewal
The City states that the Community Bursary is renewable annually, subject to academic performance.
This means receiving funding for one year does not automatically guarantee funding for every remaining year of the qualification.
Successful applicants must maintain satisfactory academic performance and comply with the terms of their bursary contract.
The City reserves the right to withdraw funding in cases of poor academic performance or misconduct.
Closing date
30 November 2026
Applicants should submit before the deadline and should not wait until the final day, particularly because the application requires certified documents, proof of residence and financial information.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying if you do not permanently reside within Ekurhuleni
- Applying if you are younger than 18 or older than 35
- Applying without having completed Grade 12
- Applying for a qualification that is not included in the approved 2027 study list
- Forgetting the 2027 acceptance letter or proof of registration
- Uploading proof of residence older than three months
- Submitting documents that were certified more than three months ago
- Providing incomplete household-income information
- Using an invalid email address
- Creating the online profile but failing to activate it through the confirmation email
- Failing to keep the application reference number
- Submitting after 30 November 2026
How this opportunity was verified
This opportunity was verified directly from the official City of Ekurhuleni website.
The official 2027 announcement confirms that the Community Bursary Programme supports academically deserving and financially needy Ekurhuleni residents pursuing approved full-time undergraduate and TVET studies.
The City also confirms the 18–35 age requirement, South African citizenship, permanent Ekurhuleni residence, R600,000 household-income ceiling, required supporting documents, eligible study fields and closing date of 30 November 2026.
How to apply
- Open the official City of Ekurhuleni bursary portal.
- Select Register to create a new user profile.
- Enter a valid email address and complete the registration information.
- Check your email for the profile-activation message.
- Activate your profile.
- Log in to the bursary portal.
- Select Community Bursary.
- Select Apply.
- Complete all sections of the online application accurately.
- Upload the required certified supporting documents.
- Review all information before submitting.
- Submit before 30 November 2026.
- Keep the reference number generated after submission.
- Monitor the status of your application under My Applications.
A valid email address is important because application acknowledgement and outcome communication will be sent electronically.