This article contains an analysis of the total cost needed to run masters and a PhD program in South Africa in the year 2025.

Before making a decision on which institution to enrol as an undergraduate and graduate student, the tuition fee is a major factor to consider. Postgraduate programmes are usually on the high side in terms of fees, hence the pursuance of funding or scholarships.

South Africa is a complex and dynamic country with a mix of blacks and whites as citizens, though the black take about 75% of the population.

South Africa can boast of her education sector with over 60 public and private institutions distributed within the nine (9) provinces in the country and caters for students within and outside the country.  The University of Cape Town, oldest in the country is ranked the best institution in Africa. Since private institutions do not rely on the government to run, hence the financial obligation of each student might be higher than public institutions run by the government.

Here’s why you should consider South Africa for your graduate programme

• South Africa’s largest cities also offer globally competitive education and possess world-leading research facilities.
• Renowned economic hubs like Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban are all home to internationally accredited universities, making South Africa even more attractive to overseas graduate students
• Three of South Africa’s universities are among the world’s top 400.
• South Africa is one of the world’s most linguistically diverse nations with 11 official languages, yet English is still the language of instruction at most universities.
• Affordability – Tuition fees in South Africa are relatively low compared to some Western countries, and a favourable exchange rate will make the cost of living cheap for many international students.

MASTERS FEES AND FUNDING IN SOUTH AFRICA 

Virtually all universities in South Africa are internationally accredited and globally competitive, providing postgraduate students with excellent opportunities. The most popular fields of study for Masters students in South Africa are Engineering, Science, Law, Business, Humanities and Social Sciences.  The majority of Masters programmes are usually combined coursework and a research dissertation with a maximum of two years to finish.

The South African academic year is split into two semesters. The first runs from early February to early June, and the second from mid-July to late November.

Just as any requisite for application, applying for a Masters in South Africa required a non-refundable international application fee which is usually R300 (USD $20), though some universities especially government-run don’t charge application fees.

Many South African universities also charge international students with an annual administration fee; this will cost around R3,750 (USD $260).

Examples by University

• University of Pretoria:
  • Research Masters: R23,555 per annum (varies by faculty)
  • Coursework Masters: From R30,000 to R84,800 per annum (varies by faculty and program)
• Wits University: Fees vary widely, with some programs costing up to R70,000 per year
• University of Cape Town: Similar range to Wits, with specialized programs potentially costing more

Most South African institutions provide bursaries and scholarships, although these are particularly offered to South African nationals and students from other African countries. Although, limited scholarships are also available for international students. Hence as an international student, you are advised to apply very early in order to be considered for the next academic year. There are also international scholarships such as Fulbright scholarship to study in South Africa, Commonwealth scholarship for Masters study in specific universities in South Africa.

PHD FEES AND FUNDING IN SOUTH AFRICA 

After a Master’s degree, individuals especially academics would want to go further into research and South Africa is growing into the continent’s hub for PhDs. Considering the low cost of living compared to European countries, PhD candidates might take delight in South Africa.

Some South African PhDs require coursework to be completed in addition to a research thesis while some consist mainly of pure research by focusing on an independent doctoral thesis, which will most likely begin with a lot of reading and writing a literature review, summarising and evaluating existing research related to your topic.

South African PhDs generally take between two to three years to complete if you are in full-time study, with a minimum of 4 years for part-time students. Time of registration and funding arrangement are also factors that can determine the duration of completion. It runs an academic year from February to December.

Unlike Europe and North America, South Africa PhD programmes are relatively cheap, however, they vary by institutions and courses. PhD programme fees vary depending on the type of PhD programme (thesis only or coursework and thesis), the university and the subject area.

Examples by University

• University of Pretoria: R25,240 per annum for all research doctorates
• Wits University:
  • Engineering: Average R31,450 per year
  • Sciences: Average R23,900 per year
• University of Cape Town: Average around R23,370 per year for all subjects

Regarding funding and scholarships, international students are not eligible for support from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) – the South African student loan and bursary scheme. However, there are bursaries and scholarships offered by the individual university and external organizations available to international PhD students. National Research Foundation (NRF) is an example of a body that provides funding. There are also students loans from major banks to non- South African with valid study permits

Note that PhDs are highly competitive, hence every other requirement must be taken with utmost priority

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