The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation picks learners in Grade 6 and pays for them to attend leading high schools across South Africa. The Foundation now calls this the Allan Gray Scholarship Programme for Entrepreneurial Development, and it looks for children who are curious, show signs of an entrepreneurial mindset, can excel academically and come from families that could not otherwise afford these schools. The 2026 round, for learners in Grade 6 this year who will start high school in 2028, closed at 17:00 on 15 September 2026.
Who the Foundation accepts in Grade 6
The Foundation’s 2026 form and website set these minimums:
- In Grade 6 in the year you apply, and aged 11 or 12 (the 2026 round took children born in 2014 or 2015)
- A South African citizen, with at least one parent who is a South African citizen
- At least 70% for both Mathematics and English in Grade 5 and Grade 6
- A combined gross household income of no more than R20 000 a month
- A real interest in one day running a business
Your application also enters a pool for partnership scholarships that the Foundation runs with other organisations, which may have extra criteria. The Foundation contacts you if you suit one of them.
School fees, boarding and an entrepreneurship programme
An Allan Gray Scholar’s package includes:
- Tuition and boarding at a placement school chosen by the Foundation
- A monthly allowance
- Uniforms, casual clothing and toiletries
- Textbooks, stationery and support for extramural activities
- A Programme Officer who mentors the learner
- Workshops, an annual entrepreneurial conference and an online learning campus
The Foundation keeps the right to place each Scholar at the school it believes suits that child best, so families do not choose the school themselves.
From the December test to an award in May
Selection takes most of a year. For the 2026 applicants, the Foundation set out these stages:
- Application form and documents, submitted by 15 September 2026
- A Foundation assessment in Grade 6 English and Mathematics in December 2026
- Interviews in February and March 2027, plus a home visit
- Interviews at the placement schools for recommended candidates
- Scholarships awarded in May 2027, followed by a Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Foundation, the school and the child’s custodian
The form warns that refusing an interview or the home visit disqualifies the child.
Paperwork that decides most applications
The Foundation disqualifies applications with missing financial documents, so gather these early. The 2026 form asked for certified copies of:
- The Grade 5 fourth-term report and the Grade 6 second-term report, showing the child’s name, grade and school
- Employed parents or guardians: latest payslips and three months of bank statements
- Self-employed parents: income tax statements and six months of business bank statements
- Unemployed parents: an original affidavit giving the reason and period of unemployment
- Pensioners: proof of pension income and three months of bank statements
- A divorce decree or proof of legal guardianship where it applies
Families could apply online through the Foundation’s Gray Matter portal or send the signed paper form by post, courier or hand delivery to its Cape Town or Johannesburg office. The Foundation does not accept faxed or emailed forms, and it never asks candidates for money.
Watching for the next Grade 6 intake
The Foundation has not yet announced its next application window. In 2026 it published the form in June. Check the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation scholarship page for the new form and online link, or phone the call centre on 021 481 5479 (Cape Town) or 011 290 4940 (Johannesburg).
The Foundation hopes its Scholars will go on to the Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship at university, which runs its own separate selection. For older learners already at a strong school, the Investec High School Bursary funds Grades 10 to 12, and the KMF High School Scholarship is another school-level option.