Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture Bursary for 2026
The Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture is inviting students to apply for their bursary programme, for the 2026 academic year.
Bursaries will be awarded for Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies within heritage-related programmes, specifically these fields:
- Archaeology (Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Archaeology)
- Archives and Records management
- Library and Information Sciences
- Conservation of the built environment including preventive conservation (Postgrads specialising in Conservation)
- Digitisation of heritage resources
- Geography and Geomatic sciences and preferably Postgraduates specialising in Cartography and GIS
- Heritage and Museum studies: Management, Curatorship and Preservation
- History
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) or Courses that contribute to the preservation and promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems
- Palaeontology
- Physical and Biological Anthropology
The bursary will also fund International Studies in the following fields:
- Digital Archaeology
- Heritage Conservation and Preservation
- Maritime Archaeology and Underwater cultural heritage
Table of Contents
What the Bursary Covers
The bursary will be awarded to the maximum value of R110 000 per student and will be paid directly to the higher institution of learning. The bursary will provide cover for the following expenses:
- Full cover for tuition fees
- Full cover for prescribed books
- Electronic devices, to the maximum value of R10 000 (students must provide 3 receipt/ invoices)
- Accommodation, to the maximum value of R50 000 (where applicable)
- Meals, to the maximum value of R18 500 (where applicable)
- Transport, to the maximum value of R10 000 (where applicable)
Successful applicants will be required to sign a contract with the Department.
Successful candidates will be contacted by no later than 31 March 2026 – if you do not receive any feedback by this date, please consider your application unsuccessful.
Who Qualifies to Apply for this 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 Africa citizen
- You must be 40 years old or younger
- You must be currently in Matric or have completed Matric
- You must be studying or intend on studying towards an Undergraduate or Postgraduate qualification, in one of the heritage related programmes listed above
- You must be studying or have been accepted/ provisional accepted to study at an institution that is accredited and registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training
- You must have a strong academic record
- You must NOT be currently full-time employed within the private sector, government or state agencies with a salary of more than R130 000
- You must NOT be receiving any other bursary funding
Application Process for DSAC Bursary for 2026
Applications must be submitted online at: DSAC Bursary Application 2026
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)
- Matric latest results/ certificate (certified copy)
- Most recent academic record, if currently studying (certified copy)
- Proof of provisional acceptance/ admission at university
- Postgraduate students: progress report from supervisor, if writing a dissertation or thesis (on university letterhead)
Closing Date for Applications
This bursary closes on 31 January 2026 for 2026 academic year
How to Contact the Bursary Provider
For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture directly:
Contact page: https://www.dsac.gov.za/contactus
