DFFE Bursary 2027: Up to R80,000 for Environmental Studies, Closes 2 October

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has opened its full-time bursary programme for the 2027 academic year. The bursary is worth up to R80,000 and is open to South Africans who are currently in Matric or have completed Matric, are unemployed, and want to study full-time in fields such as conservation, environmental science, forestry, fisheries, oceans and coasts, or environmental law. Applications must reach the department by 2 October 2026 and can only be submitted by hand, courier or post.

About the DFFE Bursary Programme

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment is the national department that manages South Africa’s natural environment. It oversees national parks and protected areas, the fishing industry, state forests, climate change and air quality policy, waste management and the country’s 3,000 kilometres of coastline. It employs scientists, conservationists, fisheries inspectors, engineers, economists and lawyers, and it needs a steady pipeline of trained South Africans to replace an ageing skills base.

The DFFE bursary exists to build that pipeline. Each year the department funds students in eight priority streams linked to its branches: Biodiversity and Conservation, Chemicals and Waste Management, Climate Change and Air Quality, Environmental Programmes, Fisheries Management, Forestry Management, Oceans and Coasts, and Regulatory Compliance. Bursary holders sign a contract with the department and, after graduating, join the DFFE internship programme, which gives them a direct route into public service employment.

For a school leaver who cares about the environment but cannot afford university, this is one of the few government bursaries that covers both undergraduate and postgraduate study and guarantees a work placement afterwards.

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What Is Covered

• Bursary funding up to a maximum value of R80,000 towards your studies
• Support for a full-time qualification at a recognised and accredited South African tertiary institution
• Undergraduate and postgraduate study, from National Diploma through to Masters and PhD in selected streams
• A guaranteed place in the DFFE internship programme after graduation
• Exposure to the department’s scientific, regulatory and conservation work

Who Can Apply

• South African citizens
• Currently in Matric, or have completed Matric
• Studying or intending to study full-time in one of the eight DFFE streams
• Studying or intending to study at a recognised and accredited tertiary institution in South Africa
• Must NOT be employed
• Must NOT be an employee of the DFFE
• Must NOT have previously taken part in a public service internship programme
• Preference is given to previously disadvantaged candidates and people living with disabilities

Qualifying qualifications include BSc Environmental Science or Management, Nature Conservation diplomas and degrees, BSc Zoology and Botany, BSc Chemistry, Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Forestry, BSc Forestry and Wood Science, Marine Biology, Oceanography, Aquaculture and Fisheries Science, Chemical and Civil Engineering, LLB and LLM in Environmental Law, GIS and Remote Sensing, and Environmental Economics. Each stream has its own reference number, for example B&C/01/2027 for Biodiversity and Conservation and FOR/01/2027 for Forestry Management.

Required Documents

• Completed official DFFE full-time bursary application form for 2027
• Certified copy of your ID document
• Latest Matric results (if currently in Matric) or Matric certificate (if completed)
• Certified copies of any qualifications or certificates completed
• Most recent academic record (if currently studying)
• Proof of registration on the institution’s letterhead (if enrolled)
• Certified copies of parents’ or guardians’ ID documents
• Proof of parents’ or guardians’ income: latest payslips, an affidavit if unemployed, proof of SASSA grant or pension, or death certificates where applicable
• A motivational letter explaining why you should be awarded the bursary

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How to Apply

1. Download the official 2027 full-time bursary application form from the DFFE website (fulltimebursaryapplication2027.pdf under Forms).
2. Complete every section and write the reference number and qualification for the stream you are applying to, for example CCAQ/01/2027 for Climate Change and Air Quality.
3. Attach certified copies of all required documents and your motivational letter.
4. Submit by hand delivery or courier to Environment House, 473 Steve Biko Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, or to Foretrust Building, 3 Hammerschlag Way, Foreshore, Cape Town.
5. Or post to: Attention Learning and Development (Bursary Section), The Director-General, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Private Bag X447, Pretoria, 0001.
6. Do not fax or email your application. Faxed and emailed applications will not be accepted.
7. Make sure your application arrives before 2 October 2026. Successful applicants will be contacted by 31 January 2027.

Apply at Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Closing Date

The closing date for the DFFE Bursary Programme 2027 is 2 October 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

Why It Matters

Environmental and marine sciences are listed among South Africa’s scarce skills, yet many talented learners never enter these fields because the degrees are expensive and the career path is unclear. The DFFE bursary solves both problems. It pays up to R80,000 towards your qualification, and it ends with an internship inside the department that regulates the sector, so you graduate with a job placement already lined up.

Because applications are paper based and must be hand delivered or posted, many eligible students simply never apply. That lowers the competition for those who do. If you are in Matric now, unemployed, and drawn to conservation, forestry, the ocean or environmental law, this bursary is worth the trip to the post office.

Frequently Asked Questions