Scholarships for South African Students in Europe (2026)

Below: the best scholarships in one table, what “fully funded” really means, the strongest options by destination, who qualifies, the NSFAS/DHET note every South African should know, and how we help you put together an application that competes.

Best scholarships for South African students

These are the scholarships open to South Africans for study in Europe and the UK. Award values and deadlines change every year — confirm each one on the official site before you apply.

South Africa is confirmed eligible for Stipendium Hungaricum (the 53rd partner country, with around 100 awards), DAAD, Erasmus Mundus, Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarships, plus Oxford’s Rhodes and the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann awards. South Africa is a Commonwealth member, so the Commonwealth/Chevening routes are open to you.

Not eligible: South Africa is not an eligible country for Poland’s Banach Scholarship Programme (NAWA), which is restricted to a defined list of developing countries that does not include South Africa. Don’t build a plan around Banach — use the routes in the table above instead.

We can help you build and submit any of these — see how our scholarship application service works.

Fully funded vs partial — know the difference

Not every “scholarship” pays for everything. Before you spend weeks on an application, check which type it is.

• Fully funded. Covers tuition and a monthly living stipend, and often accommodation, insurance and flights. You can realistically study with little or no family money. Stipendium Hungaricum, Chevening, Erasmus Mundus, Rhodes and Weidenfeld-Hoffmann fall here.
• Partial. Covers some costs — a tuition discount, a one-off grant, or a stipend without tuition. You still need to fund the rest yourself. Many DAAD and university awards are partial, so read the coverage line carefully.

If you need study to cost as close to nothing as possible, start with the fully funded routes above, then come back here for the South Africa-specific details.

Scholarships by destination

Hungary — Stipendium Hungaricum

Stipendium Hungaricum is one of the most accessible fully funded routes into Europe for South Africans. South Africa joined as the 53rd partner country, with around 100 awards available. The Hungarian government covers your tuition waiver, a monthly stipend, an accommodation contribution and medical insurance, across bachelor’s, master’s, one-tier master’s and PhD levels taught in English.

One South Africa-specific step: nomination runs through the DHET (Department of Higher Education and Training) as the sending authority, alongside the online application. Hungary often steers South African applicants toward engineering, agriculture, water management and natural sciences. Full eligibility and the two-step process are on our Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship page.

Germany — DAAD (and free public tuition)

Germany’s biggest draw is that public universities charge no tuition at all — even before any scholarship. On top of that, DAAD (the German Academic Exchange Service) funds South Africans through a range of programmes, mostly at master’s and PhD level, typically with a monthly stipend and often travel and insurance.

Two practical notes for South Africans: the German APS certificate is not required for South African nationals (it applies to India, China, Vietnam and a separate list — not South Africa), and most German universities ask you to obtain a VPD from uni-assist (a preliminary review of your qualifications) before applying. See the eligibility rules and programme list on our DAAD scholarships guide.

UK — Chevening, Commonwealth, Rhodes & Weidenfeld-Hoffmann

South Africa is a Commonwealth member, so the UK has the deepest set of fully funded options. Chevening funds a one-year taught master’s at any UK university — tuition, stipend, flights and visa costs — and looks for around 2,800 hours of work experience and a commitment to return home. Commonwealth Scholarships fund master’s and PhD study. Beyond those, the Rhodes Scholarship (Southern Africa constituency) funds postgraduate study at Oxford, and the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann awards add a leadership programme to a funded master’s. See our Chevening scholarship page for the full process.

Hungary, Poland, Malta & Cyprus via Erasmus Mundus

If you want a multi-country experience, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters is fully funded (tuition, travel and a monthly allowance) and runs across consortia that include German, Irish, Hungarian, Polish and Maltese universities. It is open to South Africans worldwide and is listed by the DHET. This is also the most practical EU-wide route for South Africans into Poland, since Poland’s own Banach/NAWA scholarship does not include South Africa.

Eligibility & how to win

The big scholarships look for different things, but the patterns repeat. To compete from South Africa, you’ll usually need:

1. Strong grades. Most awards expect a good degree — a 70%+ (upper second / 2:1) is a common threshold; an Honours pass is often what unlocks direct entry.
2. The right level and the Honours question. A 3-year SA Bachelor (NQF 7) maps to a Bologna first-cycle degree, but many German, Dutch and Irish master’s programmes expect the +1-year Honours (NQF 8) or a 4-year professional degree for direct entry. UK master’s generally accept a good 3-year SA bachelor. Chevening, Commonwealth and most DAAD awards are master’s-and-above; Stipendium Hungaricum also funds bachelor’s.
3. Work experience or leadership — Chevening in particular rewards around 2,800 hours of professional experience, leadership potential and a clear plan to return home.
4. English evidence. English is one of South Africa’s official languages and the medium of instruction in higher education, so many programmes accept your NSC English result or a Medium-of-Instruction (MOI) letter — some universities (e.g. Manchester) waive English for SA degrees taught in English. Waivers are per-university and discretionary, so some regulated courses still require IELTS/TOEFL. Check each one.
5. Verifiable documents. Authentic matric/NSC results (verifiable via Umalusi), genuine transcripts and clear proof of funds matter. South Africa is a relatively low fraud-risk origin, but authenticity of the NSC certificate and bank statements is still checked.

How to actually win: apply early, follow the exact format, and write essays that answer the question asked — not a generic life story. Tie your course to a specific goal back in South Africa. One well-targeted application beats five rushed ones.

NSFAS and DHET — what South Africans need to know

This is the part many South African students get wrong, so be clear on it:

• NSFAS is domestic only. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme funds eligible students at South African public universities and TVET colleges only — not private institutions, and not study abroad. If you study in Europe, NSFAS funding does not follow you. You must self-fund or win a scholarship.
• DHET is the outbound clearinghouse. The DHET International Scholarships portal coordinates and lists scholarships for South African citizens to study abroad (usually with a commitment to return). It’s the primary national reference for outbound funding, and it’s where Stipendium Hungaricum nominations are channelled. The DHET also cautions students to have foreign qualifications verified by SAQA before enrolling.

One honest note: moving money abroad for study is allowed under South Africa’s exchange-control rules — the Single Discretionary Allowance (R1 million per year per adult, per the official SARB guidelines; some 2026 advisories report a Budget increase to R2 million, so confirm the live figure before transferring) can be used for study abroad without a tax clearance, with a larger Foreign Capital Allowance available on top with a SARS tax-compliance PIN. So funding study abroad is realistic for many families — but the scholarships above are what make it free rather than self-funded.

Deadlines to watch

Scholarship deadlines are fixed and unforgiving — miss one and you wait a full year. As a rough calendar (always confirm on the official site):

• Chevening — applications open around August, close around November.
• Erasmus Mundus — most courses close December to February.
• Stipendium Hungaricum — call typically opens late in the year, closes around January; nominations via DHET.
• Rhodes / Weidenfeld-Hoffmann — annual, around mid-year and onward.
• DAAD — varies by programme; check each portal.

Start at least six to nine months ahead — references, transcripts, your uni-assist VPD (for Germany) and proof of funds all take time.

How we help

World Study helps South African students find the scholarships they actually qualify for, build a competitive application, and submit it on time — honestly, with no false promises. We don’t guarantee awards (no one credibly can), but we do improve your odds by matching you to the right scheme, advising on the Honours/credential question, sharpening your essays and checking every document before it goes in.

Our core guidance is free; our optional scholarship application service is for students who want hands-on help with essays, references and submission.

[Talk to an advisor on WhatsApp →] or take the free 2-minute eligibility check → to see which scholarships fit your grades and goals.