Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans 2027

The Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship Fund was established in 2016 in honour of Dr Enos Mabuza, and the critical role he played in the establishment of Thebe Investment Corporation together with Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Beyers Naude.  

The initiative aims to support financially needy students at higher education institutions, thereby contributing to the development of graduates who are confident and proud of their African identity and heritage, academically and socially adept, and equipped with the skills and competencies enabling them to become professionals in their fields. 

• Table of Content
• About Thebe Foundation
• Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans
• Aim and Benefits of Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans
• Requirements for Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans Qualification
• Documents Required for Application
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About Thebe Foundation

To enhance Thebe’s community programmes, the Thebe Foundation was established as an independent trust in February 2011 to drive Thebe’s corporate social investment strategy. The Foundation forges partnerships between Thebe, its subsidiaries and economically-marginalised communities, in order to reshape them and ensure a more prosperous and humane future.  The Thebe Foundation programmes, which enables the group to contribute to socio-economic transformation in our communities, focus primarily on education and enterprise and supplier development (ESD). ... continue reading

Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans

Aim and Benefits of Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans

The bursary covers the following expenses:

1. Tuition fees, textbooks, accredited accommodation costs, meals, and a transport allowance for those students living at home.
2. The Thebe Foundation provides support services at all stages of this programme, to ensure that all recipients are supported in their academic efforts and successfully graduate at the end of their studies. 
3. The bursary DOES NOT cover historical debt (ie, incurred before 2027). Discovery that an applicant has historical debt (even if it's after they are given an offer/pledge or bursary contract), can lead to a termination or cancellation of the bursary (at the Bursary provider's sole discretion). 
4. Successful Applicants will be required to terminate any other funding (NSFAS, etc) if they accept the bursary offer.

Requirements for Thebe Foundation Dr EJ Mabuza Scholarship for South Africans Qualification

1. Applicants must be under 35 years of age (at the time of applying)
2. Applicants must be South African citizens. 
3. Applicants must be UNEMPLOYED and pursuing a FULL-TIME qualification (Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Degree/Honours, or Masters) [Excluding Phd]. For master’s applicants the research topic will form part of selection criteria. 
4. Applicants must be pursuing their qualification-level for the first time (i.e., not repeating a degree-year, honours, etc)  
5. Good academic record with an average pass rate of 60% and above (for your last full-year of academic enrollment)
6. Household income below R600K per year. 
7. Defined as a Black Designated Group according to BBBEE (ie, Africans, Coloureds, Indians and Asian) 
8. Applicants must be pursuing a qualification or intending to pursue a qualification at PUBLIC tertiary institution registered with DHET and SAQA. (This includes community colleges and Technical Vocational EducationTS)  
9. The bursary will be allocated to students who have enrolled in Bachelor or Diploma programs majoring in the following fields of study at Public Tertiary institutions:  

Accounting 

Corporate Finance, 

Finance 

Mining Engineering 

Electrical Engineering 

Agriculture 

Education/BEd – specialising with Mathematics and Technology  

Renewable energy 

Water and energy  

ICT 

Media Information and Communication programs 

TVET Artisans need to be in the following skills programs: Electricians, plumbing, mechanics, Solar voltaic service technicians and Millwright

Documents Required for Application

Please prepare the following documents:

Important Note About Documents:  

[*]  Where you have multiple documents for 1 submission, please combine/scan them into 1 file that you can upload.  

All Applicants: 

• All certified documents must be less than 3 months old.  
• Documents that are screenshots are not acceptable.
• Documents from an institution must display an official logo and institutional stamp. 
• Ensure all documents are fully readable; blurry or unclear documents will be rejected.
• Password protected documents will not be accepted

Scholar in Matric

• Grade 11 and 12-Term-2 Report (stamped) - With official school stamp 
• Optional: Grade 9 final-year report 
• Optional: TVET academic reports since leaving high school (N4, N6, etc) [*] [combine all into 1 document]

Gap Year Student

• Certified copy of a valid matric certificate (Grade 12) 
• OPTIONAL- Certified copy of the latest Official academic transcript/s- (combined doc required for applicants that have enrolled at multiple institutions during their tertiary studies*)

Undergrad/Honours/ Masters

• Certified copy of valid matric certificate (Grade 12) 
• 2026 Official Proof of Registration at university (for 2026 academic year) - Must be official document from university
• Certified copy of the latest Official academic transcript/s- (combined doc required for applicants that have enrolled at multiple institutions during their tertiary studies*)

Optional Docs

• Have a Disability? Dept of Labour Employment Equity Act (EEA1) Form AND a Doctors’ Letter *
• Did you get funded by another bursary/NSFAS?; upload your bursary agreement/letter/offer*
• A copy of 2027 acceptance letter from an accredited institution. - Official letter showing you've been accepted (even provisionally) to study the qualification in 2027*

For applicants under the age of 18, to comply with POPI regulations a signed consent form completed by your parent/legal guardian along with a certified copy of their proof of identity is required.

You can download the guardian consent form by clicking HERE.

Check also:
Commonwealth Master's Scholarship to Study in UK 2027/2028
Mandela Washington Fellowship for Africans 2027 (Fully Funded to USA)

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more Information, visit Thebe Foundation Scholarship webpage