Applicants are invited to apply for postgraduate bursaries with SACTA to further their studies within the grain and oilseeds breeding and technology industry.

The basic requirements for application of a bursary with SACTA are:

• Applicants must be South African citizens.
• Applicants must be admitted to study full time with the institution of their choice.
• SACTA bursaries are only awarded to Honours, Masters and Doctoral studies.
• The field of study must be relevant to the South African breeding and technology industry.
• Successful applicants may not be in receipt of alternative funding from alternate sources.
• The proposal for the dissertation/thesis must be approved by SACTA prior to the commencement of the studies.
• Upon application, SACTA requires:
  • a) A completed application form,
  • b) A certified copy of a South African identity document/passport,
  • c) Updated curriculum vitae,
  • d) The latest academic transcript/record on an official letterhead,
  • e) Proof of registration and a fee statement (if available).
• A formal bursary agreement is to be concluded with SACTA should a bursary be awarded.
• A supervisor for the study programme must be designated by the Institution where the study will be undertaken and must be approved by SACTA.
• It is the responsibility of the Student to inform the Supervisor that he/she will be required to register with the particular Bursary Scheme on our website. The URL address thereof may be provided to the supervisor either by the student or upon request.
• Applicants will be expected to work in the South African grain and oilseeds breeding and technology industry for the same period for which a bursary was awarded.
• Annual bursary amounts will be determined by SACTA each year.
• Closing date for bursary application submissions is 30 September of every year.

• This bursary will ONLY fund Applicants registered for Honours, Masters by Dissertation or Doctoral qualifications.
• Only Applicants who apply by the specified date, have completed the application form and submitted all necessary supporting documents will be considered.
• Applications will not be processed unless the Legal Undertaking (Section E), on this Application form, has been completed and signed by the applicant concerned.
• Application for a bursary does not obligate SACTA to award a student a bursary, nor does it guarantee that any bursaries will be awarded.
• Telephonic interviews with shortlisted applicants will be conducted.
• Applicants will be notified of a successful outcome within 8 weeks of the closing date.
• Should applicants not receive correspondence from SACTA within the 8 weeks from the closing date, applicants may accept that their application is unsuccessful.
• The Initial instalment of the bursary is payable in January.
• All bursary awards are conditional upon receipt of a positive report from the student’s supervisor.
• Continued receipt of the bursary is dependent on a favourable supervisor’s progress report/s and the acceptance of the bursary holder’s progress report by SACTA indicating how the recipient is progressing with his/her studies.
• Applicants will be expected to submit a hard and soft copy of the completed thesis/dissertation on completion of their studies, which will be posted on relevant industry websites.

• Masters by Dissertation:
  • Bursaries totaling R99 750,00 per annum, for two years, in respect of MSc Applicants.
  • Bursaries will only be paid out according to the submitted and approved progress reports by both the student and their supervisor.

• Doctoral Research:
  • Bursaries totaling R131 250,00 per annum, for three years, in respect of PhD Applicants.
  • Bursaries will only be paid out according to the submitted and approved progress reports by both the student and their supervisor.

Policy and Procedure Preamble

SACTA acknowledges its responsibility to the South African grain and oilseeds breeding and technology industry to make a contribution towards ensuring that sufficient graduates address the relevant functional areas affecting the industry. For this reason, the policy and procedures for the awarding of bursaries has been developed to ensure that SACTA’s Bursary Scheme will enable the Agency to play a role in increasing the availability of appropriately qualified scientists and professionals within the industry and that this process is managed equitably and in a transparent manner.

Policy and Procedure

• The policy will apply to SACTA Bursary Scheme and it will hereinafter and in general be referred to as “the bursary”.
• The evaluation and approval of applications for bursaries will be handled by the Directors of SACTA.
• Students who enrolled for a tertiary qualification, at a tertiary institution that is recognised by SACTA, will be allowed to apply for the bursary.
• Students in receipt of the bursary will have to collaborate with a supervisor who is subject to the approval of SACTA and the University.
• All recipients of the bursary must submit quarterly progress reports to SACTA, together with quarterly progress reports from the relevant supervisor until completion of the study.
• All progress results of the student shall be directed to the Administrators of SACTA in writing (email) and will be treated by SACTA as confidential.
• Failure to pass a semester or year course can result in the cancellation of the bursary.
• Failure, as referred to above, will result in the student repaying the full amount of the bursary as was awarded up to that point in time. Interest at prime overdraft rate will be calculated as from the date of failure until repayment.
• Students will be expected to submit a hard and soft copy of the completed thesis/dissertation on completion of their studies to SACTA.
• After completion of a student’s course, the student must work for a grain and oilseed breeding and technology industry related organisation or institution in the RSA for a period equivalent to the period for which the bursary was awarded.
• Failure to work for a grain and oilseed breeding and technology industry related organisation or institution, as approved by SACTA, will affect an immediate repayment by the student of such amount(s) as the student had received.
• Interest at prime overdraft rate will be calculated as from the date of non-compliance until the actual date of repayment.
• The student will be exempt from repayment of such portion of the amount(s) pro rata to the period for which the student has been employed.
• SACTA reserves the right as custodian of the bursary to change the policy, as and when it deems it necessary, and this may be done without prior notification.