The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has a Directorate responsible for skills development called the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) Coordination Directorate which as the name implies co-ordinates the affairs of the various Sector Education  and Training Authorities. Each sector of the country’s economy has a SETA which is responsible for the skills planning and output for that particular sector e.g., MERSETA is the SETA for the manufacturing sector. There are various Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) that offer bursaries. This is in support of the government’s stated objective to increase the number of graduates in scarce and critical skills disciplines. SETA bursaries are offered on the basis of academic merit, proof of registration in a scarce skills discipline and financial need. Only South African citizens are eligible. Candidates are required to sign an obligation to work in South Africa for a specified period, sometimes in a specific sector, upon graduation. There is no specific employment contract attached to the bursary and no guaranteed work program or training opportunity provided by the SETA. The bursaries are offered to provide funding for students in financial need and to advance a specific industry

Government bursary programs are financial aid initiatives designed to help students cover the costs of their education and address specific skills development goals. These programs are typically need-based, meaning they are awarded to students who demonstrate financial hardship and academic suitability in a relevant discipline. The bursaries are generally full funding which means they cover full tuition, accommodation with meals and study materials e.g. textbooks, laptops, etc. Students who get get government funding also have the opportunity to take part in vacation or practical training during the course of their studies.  There might also be an opportunity for students to be absorbed by the department that funded them or an obligation set for the student to work in the specific industry once they have graduated.

Career Wise administers the full range of activities from recruitment to contracting, document collection and all payments on behalf of the government department or para-statal. While the administration is conducted by Career Wise it is important for applicants to be aware of the after graduation obligations that the sponsoring organization might have. 

Each bursary usually has a specific set of requirements in order to qualify such as:-

• academic performance e.g., 70% Overall Grade Point Average (GPA)
• household income threshold e.g., an annual household income of less than R350 000.
• proof of studying a discipline relevant to that industry e.g., the SETA for the mining sector (the MQA) requires one to be studying towards a mining related discipline.

Note: Please note the following about Government/SETA bursaries we administer at Career Wise:-

• They are only available to South African citizens and permanent residents, unless stated otherwise.
• They are intended for study programmes at South African public institutions (visit the Universities South Africa (USAF) website www.usaf.ac.za/ to see the full list 26 public of institutions).
• They are only provided for undergraduate studies.

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