SANS here stands for the South African National Society, a Durban-based heritage society whose letterhead describes it as founded in 1905 to preserve objects of historical interest and natural beauty. Each year the Society offers the Killie Campbell Bursary to a postgraduate history student, an award it has run for more than 40 years. The bursary carries the name of Dr Killie Campbell, the collector and historian whose Africana collection is now held by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
The 2026 award closed on 31 July 2026
SANS opened the 2026 round on 12 May 2026 with a letter posted on its website, and applications closed on 31 July 2026. The Society has not yet published a call for 2027. Going by its own posts, SANS usually advertises the bursary between May and July (11 July in 2024, 2 June in 2025, 12 May in 2026) and announces the winner in September. Watch the Killie Campbell section of the South African National Society’s website from about April 2027.
History research about South Africa, ideally KwaZulu-Natal
The bursary is for students doing a history-related postgraduate degree (honours, Master’s or doctorate) at a South African university. The research or dissertation must deal with South Africa, and SANS prefers topics on the history of KwaZulu-Natal. Recent winners show how broad “history-related” can be: the 2025 bursary went to a Master’s student in heritage and conservation at the University of Pretoria, and the 2024 award to a PhD candidate at UCT.
How much SANS pays, and the conditions attached
A committee decides the amount each year. For 2026 the Society expected it to be in the region of R25 000. SANS pays half to the winner at its September monthly meeting and the second half only after your supervisor sends the Society’s President a satisfactory written report on your progress.
Winning also brings two obligations. You give a short talk on your topic at one of the Society’s monthly meetings, and once you finish the dissertation you send SANS a soft copy so that it can publish it on its website. The Society also warns that it may decide not to make an award in a given year; it made none in 2022.
What went into a 2026 application
SANS has no form. The 2026 letter asked applicants to write to the Secretary, Killie Campbell Bursary, with:
- name, gender and contact details;
- the intended topic and an outline of the dissertation or thesis research;
- the degree being studied (honours, Master’s or doctorate);
- academic and personal background and achievements, with copies of qualifications;
- the university and faculty, with proof that fees have been paid to the institution;
- the supervisor’s name and contact details.
The 2026 letter named Memory Coutts as Secretary, at memorycoutts1@gmail.com or by post to 31 St Andrew’s Drive, Durban North, 4051. SANS did not accept late entries and said shortlisted applicants might be interviewed in person or by Zoom. Check the next year’s letter before sending anything, as contact details can change.
Other funding for humanities postgraduates
R25 000 is a top-up, not full funding. History and heritage students should also look at the NRF postgraduate bursaries, the National Arts Council’s postgraduate bursaries and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust awards for Master’s and PhD study.