Study Abroad In South Africa

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Admission Requirements for Study in South Africa
Cost of Studying in South Africa
Student Visa Requirements for Study in South Africa
Study Abroad Programs in South Africa
Study in South Africa Scholarships
Top Universities in South Africa
Why study in South Africa?

Glorifying Studies In South Africa By The High Rate Of Preference For Higher Education

A country which is located in Africa would be so much developed and become a centre for higher studies is not only a thing of pride but also an achievement in itself. Coming out of the shadows of apartheid, South Africa has gone on to become a place where foreign students are seeking admission in many of the universities in the country.

Why study in South Africa

The country of South Africa has come up in recent years as one of the favorite destinations for the international students, comprising of students of all castes, races and color. Advancements in technology, infrastructure development, modern but traditional society, make the place exciting for the international students.

Universities of repute have come up in the country which offer courses in a variety of subjects in science, arts, business, languages and education, where the mode of communication is mostly English, thereby being another reason for the thousands of students from all over, putting in their applications. Weekends can be fun in the country where leisure activities include sports, weekend getaways, wildlife adventures and travel. Due to the lower exchange rates, living in the country and studying are also quite affordable for the international students, which would have been quite costly in other countries. Research activities being stressed upon in most of the universities these days, opportunities in different fields are in plenty here.

Infrastructure to study

Present day scenario of education in South Africa boasts of world class universities and schools, with research in various fields. There are presently 23 higher education institutions under the public sponsorship, which provide the study and research options for international students.

  • The higher education system in South Africa was restructured in 2003 so that the tertiary level education was reset and the apartheid based system got altered.
  • Under the restructuring program, small universities, colleges and polytechnic institutes were assembled into larger organizations to form comprehensive universities.
  • There are presently 6 comprehensive universities in the country where diploma and degree courses are offered in various disciplines. There are also 11 traditional universities where theoretical education degrees were granted.
  • The South African universities are under the higher education Act of the state, which gives them autonomous power with directly reporting to a council, instead of the government.

How to obtain study permit for studying in South Africa

Students interested for studying in South Africa need to enquire about the study permits in the South African embassy in their own countries or at the Home Affairs Regional Service Centre near the institution that they are intending to study.

  • Study permit is necessary for the international students who are aiming to study in South Africa at all tertiary, secondary and primary educational institutions. It is against the rule by South African institutions to enroll or register a student without a study permit. Even if someone in the family is about to take up a job in the country, still there would be requirement of this permit to study in some school.
  • It is advisable to apply for the study permit before going into the country, because one cannot be assured of getting the permit if one goes on visitor’s visa, or putting in the application doesn’t guarantee a visa.
  • Once the educational institution to which application is sent, accepts the admission, people need to put in their visa application or study permit application with the required documents at the embassy or Home Affairs regional service centre.
  • It usually takes about 6 weeks for the visa or permit to get processed, keeping in mind which, people should have some time in hand to apply for their visa or student permit. If the permit is to expire, then renewal should be applied for, 30 days prior to the date of expiry.
  • Those who have a valid study permit can engage themselves in work for not more than 20 hours in a week. Research activities and other such works are to be done with the permission of the home affairs department. In case of temporary visit outside during the study permit period, there is no need to have another visa. For students who are coming to South Africa on exchange program will need exchange permit and not the student permit, as per the organization which is providing for the exchange program.

Cost of living and study in South Africa

  • For the students, the tuition fees is usually about 12,000 R if undergraduate study is pursued while for the post graduate studies, R 22,000 is common, in a single year.
  • Cost of living is reasonable and comparatively lower than many other countries, with the students incurring a total expenditure of about R 8000 per month, which includes food and accommodation along with travel and other minor expenses, although variations can be seen from student to student.

Scholarships available in South Africa

Mode of scholarships in South Africa can be of the four given types;

  1. University financial aid – This kind of aid is available from the University in which a student is admitted. Further information can be retrieved from the respective financial aid office of the university, which can be availed if people have excelled in their previous studies or have a sports background.
  2. External bursaries – These bursaries are offered to the excelling students by the private companies in the country. Bursaries can be contract bursaries, wherein people will be required to pay back the money to the company, by working in that organization for a specified period of time, which is seen mostly with engineering and mining companies. Information on such system of scholarships can be found with the financial aid cell in the respective universities.
  3. Bank loans, although are not actual scholarships, have provided many students to pursue higher education in the country for the non-south African students, and even for studying in private institutions.

Career prospects

Students pursuing higher education in South Africa can pass out from the universities and get into jobs in various companies in the country itself. Due to the nation on a path of rapid development, it is common for the students to find plenty of job opportunities with organization providing good pay packets to students, especially who have technical degrees.

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