South African Bursaries For Law Students 2025 – 2026
Lawyers and Advocates are an essential part of society, they provide professional legal advice and represent their clients in civil and criminal litigation in the courtroom. Some lawyers even speak for the “voiceless”, with many lawyers doing pro bono cases to help people who cannot afford legal fees. Although Law requires a lot of dedication and commitment (both while you are studying and while on the job), there is no doubt that it is a very competitive, yet exciting and rewarding career choice.
Studying within the law faculty can lead the way to many different careers within the law profession – you may choose to become an attorney or advocate, or perhaps a jurist or a paralegal.
What is the difference between a Lawyer and an Advocate?
Attorneys are professionals working at law firms – their responsibilities include meeting with clients, writing up contracts
When someone is seeking legal advice or assistance, they will see an attorney who has extensive knowledge of legal issues
Advocates are professionals who go to court, wearing a robe and arguing a case in front of a judge. They are usually members of a “bar council”, and require a high level of judgment and be able to represent their client’s case. They are also able to provide legal opinions and assist with drafting legal documents within their specialisation.
How do I obtain a Law qualification?
Being fluent in English (that means proficiency in writing, reading and speaking of the language) is a key component to studying Law, after all, it is a very academic intensive course with lots of reading and interpreting of cases and technical legal books.
Before you can start practising Law, you will need to have completed either of the following qualifications:
– a 4 year LLB degree
– or a 3 year BCom or BA Law degree and then a further 2 year LLB degree
Should you choose to study for a BCom degree before your LLB, you will benefit by having a knowledge base about accounting, business and a general understanding of business and economics.
How much do Lawyers earn?
A junior lawyer/ attorney will earn an average of R180 000 per annum, while a more experienced lawyer/ attorney can expect to earn an average of R220 000 per annum. Lawyers with experience in litigation, complex litigation case management, contract negotiation and legal compliance generally earn higher salaries than their colleagues who lack these skills.
GENERAL LAW BURSARIES FOR 2025 – 2026
If you wish to study Law, here are some bursaries for the Law sector you should look at applying for:
- Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship Bursary
- Attorneys Fidelity Fund Bursary
- Bowman Gilfillan Bursary
- Bushbuckridge Local Municipality Bursary
- Cape Agulhas Municipality Bursary
- Cape Winelands District Municipality Mayoral Bursary
- City of Cape Town Bursary
- City of Johannesburg Bursary
- Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr Bursary
- Department of Environmental Affairs Bursary
- Department of Tourism Bursary
- Dept of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (EC) Bursary
- Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Bursary
- E.V. Adams Scholarship
- Fasken Martineau/ Bell Dewar Bursary
- FNB Fund Bursary
- Gauteng Dept of Roads and Transport Bursary
- Investec Bank CSI Bursary
- LegalWise Bursary
- Motsepe Foundation Bursary
- Mpumalanga Attorneys Council Bursary
- Mpumalanga Provincial Government Bursary
- North West Provincial Government Bursary
- NUMSA Bursary
- NYDA Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund
- Oasis Bursary
- Old Mutual Investment Group (OMIG) Imfundo Trust Scholarship
- PPS Bursary
- Pretune SIM Card Bursary
- Public Investment Corporation (PIC) Bursary
- Road Traffic Infringement Agency Bursary
- SIOC Community Development Trust (SIOC-CDT) Bursary
- South African Reserve Bank Bursary
- Standard Bank Bursary
- TCTA (Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority) Bursary
- The Paul Mthimunye Bursary Fund
- Tim Mills Memorial Bursary
- TOTAL Bursary
- Webber Wentzel Scholarship
bursaries
Where can I obtain my Law qualification?
The following institutions in South Africa have a faculty of law for Law degree qualifications:
– University of Johannesburg
– University of Pretoria
– University of the Witwatersrand
– Rhodes University
– University of South Africa
– University of Venda
– University of Fort Hare
– University of Cape Town
– University of the Western Cape
– University of Stellenbosch
– University of Limpopo
– University of the Free State
– University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
– University of Zululand
– Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
– North-West University
– Varsity College
– Monash South Africa
