Key Facts
- Status
- Check Provider for Dates
- Provider
- Field of Study
- Study Level
- Academic Year
-
2027
Eligibility Requirements
- South African citizen
- Currently in Grade 12
- Under 21 years old in the year of application
- At least 60% in Pure Mathematics, or 80% in Mathematical Literacy (Grade 11)
- Overall average of at least 70% across Grade 11 results, excluding Life Orientation
- Intending to study Commerce, Science, Engineering, Law, Humanities, Arts or Health Science (not Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry)
- Household income below the Foundation's stated R1 million a year threshold for full consideration
Documents Needed
- Certified copy of final Grade 11 report
- Certified copy of ID
About Allan Gray Orbis Fellowship Bursary
The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation's Fellowship Programme is a separate, later-stage initiative from the Foundation's High School Scholarship. Where the Scholarship begins in Grade 6 or 7 and funds a learner's remaining years of school, the Fellowship recruits directly from Grade 12, supporting Fellows through university while building their entrepreneurial skills.
Fellows receive needs-based funding for an undergraduate degree at one of eleven partner universities, alongside a structured entrepreneurial development programme - including a Personal Development Officer, an Entrepreneurial Leadership Officer, an annual entrepreneurship conference, seminars and workshops, and access to venture funding through E Squared, an Allan Gray Orbis Foundation sister entity.
Funding Details
Funding is full or needs-based depending on household income, up to a stated threshold of R1 million a year. Beyond financial support, Fellows are assigned a Personal Development Officer and an Entrepreneurial Leadership Officer, and gain access to an annual entrepreneurship conference, seminars and workshops, and business/venture funding through E Squared.
Where You Can Study
The Fellowship only funds study at one of the Foundation's eleven partner universities: the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Cape Town, Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, the University of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria, the University of the Free State, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and TSiBA.
About Allan Gray Orbis Foundation
The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation is a South African non-profit that identifies and develops entrepreneurial talent among high-achieving school leavers, funding their tertiary education alongside entrepreneurship developme…
View full provider profile →- Address
- 46 Hof Street, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, 8001
- Phone
- 021 481 5400
- info@allangrayorbis.org
Fields of Study & Who Can Apply
Applicants must be South African citizens currently in Grade 12, under 21 years old in the year of application, with at least 60% in Pure Mathematics (or 80% in Mathematical Literacy) and an overall average of at least 70% across their Grade 11 results, excluding Life Orientation.
Applicants must intend to study a Commerce, Science, Engineering, Law, Humanities, Arts or Health Science degree - excluding Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry - at one of the Foundation's eleven partner universities.
Application Procedure
Apply directly with the provider using the official application link below, before the closing date.
Questions about this application?
Contact Allan Gray Orbis Foundation directly:
Last verified:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation High School Scholarship?
No. The High School Scholarship is a separate programme that selects learners while they are still in Grade 6, funding their high school years. The Fellowship is a distinct programme that recruits directly from Grade 12 and funds university study alongside entrepreneurial development. A learner could in principle come through the Scholarship and later apply to the Fellowship, but the two are not the same award, and most Fellows apply directly in Grade 12 without having been Scholarship recipients.
Which universities does the Fellowship support?
Eleven partner universities: Wits, the University of Johannesburg, UCT, Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, the University of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch University, the University of Pretoria, the University of the Free State, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and TSiBA.
What would rule me out of applying?
Intending to study Medicine, Veterinary Science or Dentistry; not meeting the Grade 11 academic thresholds; or turning 21 or older in your application year.
What does the Fellowship cover financially?
Full or needs-based funding for your degree depending on household income, plus non-financial support such as a Personal Development Officer, an Entrepreneurial Leadership Officer, and access to entrepreneurship conferences and venture funding through E Squared.
When do applications close?
The most recently published closing date was 30 April 2026 at 17:00, which has already passed. The Foundation runs the Fellowship as an annual programme for Grade 12 learners - check allangrayorbis.org for the next application window.
