The Shoprite Group, the retailer behind Shoprite and Checkers, funds university students in fields it needs for its own business and then employs them after graduation. In its 2025 financial year the Group awarded 257 bursaries and spent R18.6 million on them, according to its careers page.
Shoprite’s most recent round opened on 5 February 2026 and closed on 31 May 2026. On 1 October 2026 the Shoprite bursary portal listed no open bursaries in any category, and the Group had not announced another round. Its careers page says applications open from February to May each year, so the next call is most likely early in 2027.
Where Shoprite puts its bursary money
The 2026 round named four study areas:
- Retail business management
- Accounting, including the BAcc CA stream that leads to Shoprite’s trainee accountant programme
- Supply chain and logistics
- Biological and agricultural sciences
Shoprite says it updates its fields regularly. Its bursary portal also has categories for food science, criminology, e-commerce, information technology and pharmacy, and each category carries its own entry criteria in the advert. Check the advert for your field when the next round opens rather than assuming last year’s list still applies.
Tuition, a room and groceries
A Shoprite bursary pays for:
- Tuition fees
- Study materials
- On-campus accommodation
- A monthly grocery allowance
Bursary holders can also use the Group’s Employee Assistance Programme for wellbeing support while they study.
Two entry rules: age and a degree
- You must be a young South African under 27.
- You must be registered for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at an accredited university. Shoprite accepts students who are already studying as well as those enrolled to start.
Marks and subject requirements differ by field and appear on each bursary’s advert in the portal.
One year of work for every funded year
Every Shoprite bursary comes with a work-back agreement. For each year Shoprite funds, you work a year for the Group after graduating. Shoprite presents this as a guaranteed job: BAcc graduate Thoriso Sethosa, for example, moved straight into the Group’s chartered accountant training after her funded degree. If you would rather not be tied to an employer, compare this with SAICA’s Thuthuka Bursary Fund for CA students, or look through our other commerce bursaries.
Applying through Shoprite’s erecruit portal
Shoprite takes applications only online. When the round opens, the adverts appear on Shoprite’s bursary portal on erecruit, grouped by field. Background on the programme sits on the youth opportunities page of the Shoprite Holdings website, which also covers the Group’s Retail Readiness Programme, YES placements and graduate academies.
Does Shoprite ever run a second bursary round in the same year?
It has. In 2025 Shoprite reopened applications until 30 September 2025. The FAQ on its careers page mentions a July-to-September window, but no second round was announced in 2026 and the portal showed nothing open on 1 October 2026.
Can postgraduate students apply?
Yes. Shoprite says students registered for undergraduate or postgraduate degrees can apply, as long as they are under 27.