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Study in South Africa

Over the years South Africa has emerged as the most powerful country in the continent of Africa. Diverse in culture, rich in wildlife, economically stable and hub of sports activities, South Africa also boasts of reputed educational institutes where excellence in standard is maintained through advanced technology and the most modern facilities.

A foreign student can study in South Africa in any level (primary, secondary, higher or masters); but for that one requires a study permit. In order to get a study permit one should first get a formal offer to study in South Africa from the concerned university/ institute. Then you can apply for the study permit along with the required documents including a statement that you have sufficient funds to pay the tuition fee and the cost of living in South Africa. An under taking that the student will return to the country he is applying from after the completion of studies is also required. It takes around six weeks for the study permit to be processed and then you can proceed to South Africa for studies. The study permit is valid for one year only and has to be renewed before it expires. The procedure of renewal is simple and is handled by the Home Affairs office in South Africa. The study permit must be sought before entering South Africa; if you come to South Africa on a visit visa, you will not be given a study permit. It is mandatory for all foreign students to take out a health insurance plan for the entire period of stay. Usually it is arranged through the institute the student is attending.

One can obtain undergraduate-certificate, diploma, B-Tech, Bachelor’s degree, post graduate degrees and diploma, master’s degree and doctorate programs in a host of disciplines such as arts and architecture, journalism, media and communication, economic and financial sciences, health sciences, engineering, education etc. The tuition fee is reasonable in South Africa but the specialized or professional courses cost more than other programs.

Tuition Fee and Financial Assistance

The tuition fee in South Africa varies from institute to institute; on an average the tuition fee is almost Rand 12,000 for under graduate programs and R 22,000 per year for post graduate programs. On an average the cost of living is R 8,000 (remember 1 US$ = 7.15 Rand). This makes the cost of living in South Africa quite reasonable; however it largely depends upon the lifestyle and the city a person lives in but overall the accommodation, food and transportation charges are quite cheap in South Africa. The best option is to rent an apartment and share it with other students.

The government does not offer financial assistance to the foreign students who study in South Africa. Also South Africa does not allow the foreign students to work while studying. However those students who are there on cultural exchange programs can work. The foreign students on cultural exchange get a 12 month visa and can work in call centers, hotels, general businesses and in advertising and marketing industry. During their stay in South Africa the cultural exchange students have to attend a four week English language study course; accommodation is provided to students during this course only. Few universities provide scholarships to foreign students and if finance is a problem than it is better to check out with the university before applying for scholarship. Also the scholarship is valid for one academic year only; to earn scholarship again, the student must get high merits.

Leading Universities in South Africa

List of leading universities in South Africa is as follows:

Last modified: 2011-09-20 00:29:53