Applications for the national agriculture department’s 2027 bursary programme close at 16:00 on 30 September, covering selected agriculture, veterinary, food-science and related fields.
Prospective agriculture students have one week left to submit applications for the Department of Agriculture’s 2027 external bursary programme, with the official closing time set for 16:00 on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
The department’s website lists the 2027 Bursary Awards advert and the full-time undergraduate application form under its external bursaries and internships section. The programme is intended for qualifying South African applicants pursuing or planning studies in identified agricultural fields.
Official department communications describe the bursary as comprehensive, covering tuition fees, accommodation, study materials, meals and a monthly allowance for successful applicants, subject to the programme’s conditions.
Which fields are included?
The published bursary information covers a range of agricultural and related scarce-skills fields. These include agricultural engineering, veterinary science and nursing, veterinary technology, animal health, entomology, food science, plant pathology, plant science, soil science, agronomy, viticulture and oenology, as well as selected food-science and technology qualifications.
Certain advanced diploma and honours pathways are also included. Applicants should use the official 2027 advert rather than relying on old bursary lists because eligible qualifications and minimum academic requirements can change from one cycle to the next.
The Department of Agriculture says the bursaries are aimed particularly at previously disadvantaged and economically disadvantaged applicants, including people from rural and underprivileged communities. People with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Apply before the deadline
The practical message is simple: applicants should not wait until the last hour on 30 September. Bursary applications often require certified identity documents, academic results and course-specific information, and missing paperwork can delay or invalidate an application.
The department’s official social-media reminder puts the deadline at 16:00. That is more precise than some third-party bursary websites, which publish different times. Agri Online therefore treats the department’s own 16:00 deadline as authoritative.
Applicants should download the current advert and form directly from the Department of Agriculture website and check the submission instructions in those documents. Third-party bursary pages can be useful for discovery, but they are not the controlling source for eligibility or deadline details.
Why this matters to agriculture
Agriculture’s skills needs extend well beyond on-farm production. The sector depends on veterinarians, animal-health specialists, soil scientists, plant pathologists, engineers, food technologists, entomologists and researchers, as well as people trained in crop and livestock sciences.
That makes bursary programmes part of the longer-term agricultural skills pipeline. For rural learners in particular, the cost of accommodation, transport, textbooks and living expenses can be as decisive as tuition when choosing whether tertiary study is possible.
A comprehensive bursary does not guarantee admission to a university or automatic funding simply because an applicant meets broad criteria. Candidates still need to satisfy the department’s requirements and the academic entry requirements of the relevant institution.
With the closing date now only days away, the most useful step is to verify the latest official advert, complete the form carefully and submit the required documents before the deadline.
The Department of Agriculture’s website currently places the 2027 material under its vacancies page in the section for external bursaries and internships.
Editorial note: Information in this report was compiled from multiple sources considered credible and reasonably verifiable at the time of publication. Developing information may change after publication. Agri Online welcomes factual corrections or updates at admin@agrionline.co.za.
AI disclosure: AI tools were used to assist with the research and drafting of this article.
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