The Chinese Government is offering scholarships for South African students to study at participating Chinese universities in September 2022. The Department of Higher Education and Training is responsible for nominations for this scholarship. For more information about the Chinese Government scholarship, please visit the China Scholarship Council website.
Degree level
The scholarship is offered for undergraduate (Bachelor’s) studies in the identified scarce skills, postgraduate (Master’s or PhD), non-degree Chinese language studies or non-degree senior / general scholars.
Bachelor’s degree scholarships are taught in Chinese and will only be awarded to applicants who already have the required level of Chinese proficiency (HSK 3 or above).
Criteria and Eligibility
– South African citizens in good health (medical checks will be required for successful applicants);
– A strong academic record;
– Bachelor’s applicants require a minimum average of 70% in their NSC (excluding LO);
– Postgraduate applications should have performed well in their previous studies with a minimum 65% average mark achieved in their previous studies;
– Available and eligible to study from September 2022;
– Meet the entry criteria for their selected programme in China;
– Meet the minimum academic requirements for entry into a similar programme at a South African university;
– Bachelor’s applicants must have HSK 4 language certificate and be willing to study in Chinese;
– An interest in studying in Chinese universities and demonstrated commitment to the development of South Africa; and
– Preference will be given to postgraduate applicants, previously disadvantaged applicants and application in the following fields:
- Agriculture
- Biotechnology
- Chinese language studies
- Computer Science
- Environment and Climate change
- Engineering Sciences
- Food Science
- Hydrogeological Engineering
- Maritime Studies
- Natural and Physical Sciences
- Nuclear and Renewable Energy
- Space Science and Technology
- Telecommunications
Important: The scholarship does not support any medical degrees and preference will be given to applications for postgraduate studies.
Education requirements and age limits
| STUDY PROGRAMME | EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS | AGE (AS OF SEPTEMBER 2022) |
| Chinese language studies (non-degree) | National Senior Certificate (or equivalent) with a university entrance pass (a minimum of 70% average is recommended). Applicants with a post school qualification will be given priority. | Under 35 |
| Bachelor’s degree | National Senior Certificate (or equivalent) with a university entrance pass (a minimum of 70% average is recommended)
HSK 4 (or higher ) certificate |
Under 25 |
| Master’s degree | Bachelor’s degree (honours) or NQF 8 qualification (a minimum of 65% average is recommended) | Under 35 |
| Doctoral degree | Master’s degree (a minimum of 65% average is recommended) | Under 40 |
| Non-degree general or senior scholars | Bachelor’s degree (honours) or NQF 8 qualification (a minimum of 65% average is recommended) | Check requirements for specific programme |
Deadline
1 February 2022
Language of instruction
According to the regulations of the Chinese Ministry of Education, all undergraduate programmes for scholarship students are taught in the Chinese language. Bachelor’s degree applicants interested in pursuing a Bachelor’s degree must have at least an HSK Level 4 or higher.
At Master’s and PhD level, programmes taught in both English and Chinese are eligible for the scholarship. Applicants must check the language of instruction available for their identified programme, as not all courses are available in English.
Institutions and Programmes
Scholarship applicants are required to apply directly to the institution of their choice prior to applying for the scholarship. Evidence of the submitted application must be provided.
NB: Applicants are advised to submit applications for admission to at least three universities to increase their chances of admission, the scholarship will not be awarded without proof of a university application having been submitted.
It is the responsibility of each candidate to do research into available programmes, institutions, language of instruction and programme-specific entrance criteria. PhD applicants must engage with their university of choice and secure a potential supervisor in advance.
Please refer to the list of programmes and participating universities.
Approximate duration (years) of scholarships:
| STUDY PROGRAMME | DURATION OF PROGRAMME | DURATION OF PREPARATORY CHINESE LANGUAGE COURSE | DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIP |
| Chinese language studies | 1 | None | Up to 2 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 4-5 | 1-2 | 4-7 |
| Master’s degree | 2-3 | 1-2 | 2-5 |
| Doctoral degree | 3-4 | 1-2 | 3-6 |
| General / Senior scholars | 1 | 1 | 1-2 |
Studies must be completed within the duration of the scholarship, as specified in the Admission Notice.
What the scholarship offers
The Chinese Government provides the following:
| Study Programme | Tuition (RMB per year)* | Accommodation (RMB per year) | Stipend (RMB per year) | Medical Insurance (RMB per year) |
| Chinese language studies | 20000-27000 | 8400 | 30000 | 800 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 20000-27000 | 8400 | 30000 | 800 |
| Master’s degree / General scholars | 25000-34000 | 8400 | 36000 | 800 |
| Doctoral degree / senior scholars | 33000-45000 | 12000 | 42000 | 800 |
Scholarship recipients will be required to cover their own international travel AND any additional costs not listed above.
If the Chinese borders are not open for travel then recipients will be required to study remotely and will receive the tuition waiver ONLY.
Application process
– Complete both the DHET application form and start the Chinese Government online application on campuschina.org.
– On the CSC website please select Type A under Programme Category.
– Agency number is 7101.
– Submit the DHET application form with supporting documents listed below to Internationalscholarships@dhet.gov.za by 1 February 2022.
– Applicants MUST apply to a Chinese university and submit proof of university application with their scholarship application.
– All PhD applicants must identify and make contact with a supervisor at their university of choice and submit proof of this engagement with the application form.
– Applicants are not required to do a health examination at this stage of the application, but will be requested to do a medical test (at their own cost) if – they are nominated.
– Applicants must apply for a police clearance certificate (at their own cost), only nominated candidates will be requested to submit this.
Supporting Documents Checklist:
| Applications for Bachelor’s programmes | Applications for Master’s programmes | Applications for PhD programmes |
| 1. Copy of South African National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a Bachelor’s pass OR a certificate of equivalence (from the Matriculation Board) if a school leaving certificate other than the NSC was obtained.
A minimum of 70% average is required, excluding Life Orientation. Marks of pre-requisite subjects for chosen field of study (eg for Engineering applicants, NSC Maths and Physics marks OR for social sciences, NSC English marks) will be reviewed separately
|
1. Copy of degree certificate(s), which must be a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree with Honours, or a full qualification equivalent to South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 8.
SAQA verification for any degrees obtained outside South Africa or Hungary is required. A minimum of 65% average in the relevant Bachelor’s and Honours degrees is required. |
1. Copy of degree certificates, which must include a Master’s degree, or full qualification equivalent to South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 9.
SAQA verification for any degrees obtained outside South Africa or Hungary is required. A minimum of 65% average is required for the Master’s degree.
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| 2. Official transcripts of all previous university studies. | 2. Official transcripts of all previous university studies. | |
| 3. A maximum 1 page motivation for the scholarship AND choice of field of study AND your intended research topic. | 3. A maximum 1 page motivation for the scholarship AND choice of field of study. | |
| 4. Two reference letters, signed and on an official letterhead, with a contact number and email address.
At least one reference must be from a lecturer or professor. The second letter can be from either a lecturer or work supervisor. The letters must attest to the following: reliability, integrity, academic excellence and suitability for an international scholarship. |
4. Research proposal including the following headings:
Title |
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| 2. A maximum 1 page motivation for the scholarship AND their choice of field of study. | ||
| 3. Two reference letters, signed and on an official letterhead, with a contact number and email address.
At least one reference must be from a school teacher. The second letter can be from either a teacher or work supervisor. The letters must attest to the following: reliability, integrity, academic excellence and suitability for an international scholarship. |
5. Two reference letters, signed and on an official letterhead, with a contact number and email address.
At least one reference must be from a lecturer or professor. The second letter can be from either a lecturer or work supervisor. The letters must attest to the following: reliability, integrity, academic excellence and suitability for an international scholarship. |
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| All documents uploaded must be clear and in PDF format (no photographs of documents will be accepted). | ||
Use the subject line: Chinese Scholarship Application, [Your surname]
All applications received by the DHET will be acknowledged by email within 5 working days except for applications received between 15 December 2021 and 3 January 2022. Please follow up if you do not receive an email acknowledgement after this time. Applications received on or after 15 December will be acknowledged after 10 January 2022 due closure of the Department. The DHET is unable to consider any applications that are not received by 1 February 2022 or are incomplete.
Review process
Applications will be assessed by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training as follows:
Stage one: All applications will be screened based on meeting the minimum requirements for eligibility for the scholarship.
Stage two: Applications will be ranked according to academic performance and a limited number of applications will move forward to Stage three.
Stage three: Applicants who pass the second stage will be invited to attend an interview between 7 – 10 February 2022. This is likely to be conducted online, and candidates are required to make the necessary arrangements to access the interview. No interviews will be done telephonically. Candidates who cannot be contacted on the phone number provided in the application or who do not respond to emails will be disqualified. Interviews will take place online.
Stage four: A limited number of PhD / Senior scholar applicants will be reviewed by two academics.
Stage five: (i) Bachelor’s, Master’s and general scholar applicants will be nominated based on the outcome of the interview and reference check
(ii) PhD applicants will be nominated based on the combined outcome of the interview, questionnaire, reference check and the academic review.
Stage six: Nominated candidates will be informed that they have been nominated for the scholarship and requested to finalise their Chinese online application as well as undertake a medical test and submit their police clearance by 18 February 2022. Their documents will then be reviewed in China, where the final decision will be made regarding the award of the scholarship.
Please note that nominations are based on competitive process due to the limited number of available scholarships.
Nominated candidates may be given a limited amount of time to submit further documents. These documents include medical tests, and/or academic assessments or a police clearance. Institutions in the host country may also require online or telephone interviews. You will be advised accordingly.
Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email. Unfortunately individual explanations cannot be provided to unsuccessful applicants.
Successful candidates will be informed by 31 July 2022 and all students who accept the scholarship will be required to attend an orientation in Pretoria before departure. Orientation is meant to assist successful candidates with preparation for departure and provide necessary information. Studies normally begin at the end of August or in September, depending on the specific institution or programme’s timetable
Contact
All queries should be forwarded to internationalscholarships@dhet.gov.za alternatively refer to Frequently Asked Questions.