Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET) 2025 Bursary

Bursary Details

In 1996, Cyril Ramaphosa began supporting a small number of deserving students with bursaries, so that they can attend university.

He did this by donating the money he earned through his public speaking engagements.

This developed into the Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust (CRET) in 2000.

Some 21 years after Mr Ramaphosa sponsored his first bursary, a spectacular and growing hall of fame exists, replete with CRET‐enabled graduates, whose dreams to be highly-qualified professionals have come true.

CRET has a different approach to the management of its education programme and aims to recruit candidates that would ordinarily be overlooked by other bursary programmes, which commonly seek out the top achievers only.

What CRET does is select candidates that demonstrate the potential to blossom under the right conditions and with the proper support. To such young people, CRET will offer nurturing, financial support, mentorship and psychological and social grounding.

Since CRET is a bursary programme that considers the holistic needs of the student as well as their potential, each bursary is tailor-made to fulfil the student’s needs. 

APPLICATION CATEGORIES

• Apply for a University Bursary
• Apply for a University of Technology Bursary
• Apply for a TVET Bursary
• Apply for a CET (skills development) Bursary

Candidate Requirements

• Only South African citizens between the ages of 16 and 27 years, with a demonstrable financial need (household income below R650K per annum).
• Current matriculants and/or undergraduate students already enrolled at a recognised South African learning institution.  
• All applicants will need to provide a strong motivation for their application.
• Consideration will only be made for those who have applied or registered for study in the following undergraduate fields:
  • Sciences (excluding MBChB)
  • Technology
  • Engineering
  • Commerce and Finance
  • Education
  • Scarce/critical skills training (such as boiler making, welding, plumbing, OHS, renewable energy, waste management, green technology, entrepreneurship, etc.) 

Conditions of Bursary

All students attend intensive holiday work experience programmes twice a year, where they get additional soft skills training and networking opportunities.

Bursary Inclusion

The bursary will provide cover for tuition fees, textbooks and other study materials, accommodation, meals, a monthly living allowance, and transport, where required.