The South African Veterinary Foundation (SAVF) is a Pretoria-based charity that funds veterinary research, community clinics and student support. Its bursary goes to a small number of senior veterinary students each year. The SAVF has not announced a new application round: on 1 October 2026 its bursaries page still said the 2025 round had closed and that applications would reopen in March 2026, with nothing newer posted.
Only senior BVSc students at Onderstepoort qualify
The SAVF limits this bursary tightly. You must meet all three conditions:
- You study at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, at the Onderstepoort campus.
- You are registered for the BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) degree.
- You are in your fourth or fifth year of the BVSc.
You must also need financial help. Matriculants, first- to third-year vet students and veterinary nursing students cannot apply for this bursary, however strong their marks.
R12 000 that the SAVF never asks back
Each SAVF bursary is currently worth R12 000. The Foundation admits this covers only a small part of a year’s veterinary studies, but it attaches no repayment or work-back obligation. Since 1999, when the first two students received R5 000 each, the SAVF has given bursaries to more than 40 students worth over R250 000 in total.
Selection is not on marks alone. The SAVF favours students who take an active part in campus student life and who also do well academically, so mention your society, sport or outreach work when you apply.
Pet memorials and private donors behind the fund
The bursaries come from the SAVF’s Pet Memorial Fund and from yearly gifts. Veterinary wholesaler Lakato has donated every year since 2002, and the Seria family has contributed annually since 2022 in memory of their dog Da Vinci. The Professional Provident Society and Mercantile Bank have also sponsored bursaries in the past. The SAVF says it hopes to offer ad hoc and more regular awards, including for veterinary nursing students, as its bursary fund grows.
Staying ready for the next SAVF call
The SAVF has not published how the application works or a closing date for its next round. Its last notice pointed to a March opening, so third- and fourth-year BVSc students should keep an eye on the SAVF bursaries page early in the year. For questions, phone Ms Debbie Breeze at the SAVF on +27 12 346 1150, or visit the office at 47 Gemsbok Avenue, Monument Park, Pretoria.
An R12 000 award will not carry a BVSc on its own. Vet students should also look at the agriculture department bursary, which has funded veterinary degrees, and browse our medical and health bursaries for other options.