External Bursary Programme at South African National Parks (SANParks)

Call for 2025 intake – The South African National Parks (SANParks) is looking for aspiring youth entering their first year of undergraduate studies in the 2025 academic year to join our external bursary programme.

What SANParks does

• South African National Parks (SANParks) was established in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No 57 of 2003). The primary mandate of SANParks is to oversee the conservation of South Africa’s biodiversity, landscapes, and associated heritage assets through a system of national parks. It also must ensure that South Africans participate and get involved in biodiversity initiatives and that all its operations have a synergistic existence with neighbouring communities for their educational and socioeconomic benefit.
• One of the strategic directions of SANParks is growing community support, providing access, benefit-sharing and benefiting local communities, thus the call for applications for the bursary opportunity. This bursary scheme is intended to benefit children residing in communities neighbouring or adjacent to of the National Parks and will be implemented by the SANParks.

Bursary Application
The Field of study applied for but not limited to, includes Degree & National Diploma in the field of:

• Environmental Sciences including Nature Conservation, Environmental Management, Green Energy, Environmental Engineering, sustainable development and Game ranch management
• Tourism including Hospitality Management, Resort Management, Tour Guide, Events and Conference Management.
• Social Sciences including Community Development, Economic Development, Socio-Economic Development and related Development studies

This is a Comprehensive Bursary

• Academic merit will be considered during the selection process, as well as, the imperative to increase the participation of women, people living with disability and designated groups.

Requirements

• Recipients of the SANParks bursary Scheme must be South African citizens.
• They must be learners from communities living adjacent to National Parks as defined in their management plans.
• Proof of application and admission to an accredited institution of Higher Education eligibility for funding.
• Must be entering post-matric study in 2025.
• The bursary is open to students who are pursuing a qualification in a TVET college.
• Must be youth, aged 18 – 35.
• For students currently registered at Institutions of Higher Education, they must have a 100% pass rate to be considered (passed all the courses for which you have registered at the university for the study period already completed).

Please Note

• If you have not been contacted by 30 January 2025, consider your application as unsuccessful.