The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) set up the Thuthuka Bursary in 2005 to change who becomes a chartered accountant in South Africa. The fund operates under SAICA’s Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund (TEUF) and pays for disadvantaged Black African and Coloured students to complete a CA-stream accounting degree, the first step towards the CA(SA) designation.
Dates for the 2027 intake
SAICA has not published the 2027 intake’s opening and closing dates on its public web pages. The Thuthuka application portal does not display them on its public landing page either. In earlier rounds SAICA announced deadlines of 28 June 2019 (for the 2020 intake) and 31 August 2021 (for the 2022 intake), so Thuthuka has tended to close mid-year, long before matric finals. With SAICA’s end-of-August NBT cut-off already past, the window for 2027 funding has very likely shut, so check the portal directly and start preparing for the next round now.
SAICA’s seven qualifying rules
SAICA lists these requirements. You must meet all of them:
- You are a South African citizen.
- You are Black African or Coloured.
- You are in Grade 12, or you left school with a matric no more than two years ago, or you are already at university on a CA-stream BCom degree.
- You scored at least 60% for Mathematics in Grade 11. Mathematical Literacy and Technical Mathematics do not count.
- You have applied for, or are studying, a BCom Accounting (CA-stream) degree at a university that partners with Thuthuka.
- Your family’s combined income is R350 000 a year or less.
- You write the National Benchmark Tests (NBT).
Don’t let the NBT catch you out
Leave the NBT too late and you can lose your Thuthuka chance. SAICA tells applicants to register for and write the tests before the end of August, or to submit NBT results they already have. Book a session through the National Benchmark Tests website as soon as you decide to apply.
Fees, residence and a support programme
Thuthuka pays for tuition, books, meals, residence fees and accommodation. SAICA stresses that the money is only half of the model. Thuthuka students also get:
- academic enrichment programmes and tutorials
- social and emotional support, including mentoring and counselling
- work-readiness and life-skills training
- contact with experienced chartered accountants and business leaders
Only at Thuthuka partner universities
Thuthuka funds you only at a university that runs the Thuthuka programme, and only on its CA-stream accounting degree. SAICA publishes the list of partner universities as a PDF on its Apply to the Thuthuka Bursary page. Check it before you send your university applications, so that your first-choice university is on it.
Applying on the Thuthuka portal
All applications go through the Thuthuka Bursary Fund application portal. You create a profile, complete your personal, guardian, school and study details, and upload your documents. The portal warns that your application is not submitted until you press the SUBMIT button, so a saved draft does not count.
If Thuthuka is out of reach this year, the JSE bursary and the Moore bursary also support accounting students. See every option in our accounting bursaries section.
Can I apply to Thuthuka if I am already at university?
Yes, if you are already studying a CA-stream BCom degree at a Thuthuka partner university and meet the other criteria.
Which marks count for Thuthuka, Grade 11 or Grade 12?
SAICA sets the Mathematics requirement on your Grade 11 result: at least 60% in pure Mathematics.
What is the income limit for Thuthuka?
Your family’s combined income must be R350 000 a year or less.