If you are reading this in October 2026, the University of Zululand is still open. The CAO’s 2027 calendar sets 31 October 2026 as the on-time closing date for every UNIZULU programme. That is a month after DUT, MUT and UKZN closed most of theirs. You still have a few weeks to choose programmes, and the official documents tell you what each one needs.
No 2027 brochure yet, so use two documents
UNIZULU has not published an undergraduate brochure for 2027 entry. The newest one on its Why Study at UNIZULU page is the 2026 Brochure for Undergraduate (PDF), which covered last year’s cycle and its 31 October 2025 deadline. It is still useful for the points method, the faculty phone numbers and the general entry rules. For 2027 programme codes, points and subject levels, use the CAO Handbook 2027 Entry (PDF). It lists every UNIZULU programme open for 2027, and UNIZULU accepts first-year applications only through the CAO.
Counting your UNIZULU admission points
The brochure’s worked example scores Life Orientation at 0, whatever the mark. It shows 90% earning 8 points, 80% earning 7, 75% and 72% earning 6, and 62% earning 5. Five subjects plus Life Orientation give the learner in the example 32 points. Because a mark of 90% or more earns an extra point, a strong Grade 12 year can lift you over a programme’s minimum.
Minimum points for 2027 in the CAO list
- B Laws (ZU-M-BL1): 30 points, a bachelor’s pass with English 4 and Mathematics 3 or Maths Literacy 4. Preference goes to applicants who rank it first to third.
- B Nursing Science (ZU-M-BNS): 30 points, with English and Life Sciences at 4 and Mathematics 4 or Maths Literacy 6. First preference goes to applicants who have never studied at another university, a note the CAO list also attaches to UNIZULU’s science and agriculture degrees.
- B Com in Accounting (ZU-M-BCN): 28 points, a bachelor’s pass with English and Mathematics at 4, over three years. The four-year B Com Accounting Science (ZU-M-BAS) has the same minimum.
- B Ed in Foundation Phase Teaching (ZU-M-FPT): 26 points, isiZulu HL 4, English 4 and Mathematics 3 or Maths Literacy 4. A CAO notice dated 1 October 2026 replaced the earlier “English FAL 4” wording. Preference goes to applicants who rank it first or second.
- B Eng Electrical and Computer Engineering (ZU-R-BOE) and B Eng Mechatronic Engineering (ZU-R-BM7): 30 points, English 4, Mathematics 5 (at least 65%) and Physical Sciences 5. Both run at the Richards Bay Campus.
- B Social Work (ZU-M-BSX): 28 points, English HL 4 or FAL 5 and five 20-credit subjects.
- B A Psychology (ZU-M-PSY): 28 points, English 4, Geography or History at 4, and four more 20-credit subjects. UNIZULU interviews the applicants it selects.
Augmented degrees: a four-year route in
UNIZULU’s augmented programmes carry ZU-A codes and add a year of support to the degree. The B Com Augmented streams ask for 26 points, English at 3, and either Mathematics 3 or Maths Literacy 4. The B Sc Augmented pairs ask for 28 points with English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences at 3, plus Life Sciences or Geography at 3 for some majors. All of them run on the main campus, and the B Sc versions do not admit anyone who has already studied at a tertiary institution. B Com Augmented applicants may pick only one stream.
Two campuses, three code letters
The third letter of each code tells you where you would study. M means the main KwaDlangezwa campus, R means the Richards Bay Campus, and A marks an augmented programme. Richards Bay focuses on vocational and industry-linked programmes such as engineering. KwaDlangezwa houses all four faculties.
Pay the R250 CAO fee before the deadline too, because the charge becomes R470 on 1 November. Our UNIZULU application guide explains the CAO steps. You can send admissions questions to admissions@unizulu.ac.za. Other universities’ guides are on the prospectus hub.