Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA) Bursaries 2026
ABOUT THE BURSARY PROVIDER – PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA (PSSA)
The history of the South African Pharmaceutical Association (PSSA) dates back to 1885, when a team of 7 pharmacists met in King Williamstown.
Since the meeting, branches were formed across the country and various pharmaceutical societies were developed. However, it wasn’t until the year 1946 that the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PPSA) was formed, as the result of the amalgamation of all the societies.
Today, the PSSA’s vision and mission is to be the countries leader of the pharmacy profession, as well as to provide support for the pharmacy profession by way of improving the use of medication and greater patient care.
ABOUT THE PSSA BURSARY PROGRAMMES – FIELDS COVERED
The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa invites students to apply for bursary funding, for the 2026 academic year.
Funding is made available through the Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education (FPE), and is aimed at Pharmacy-related studies (Undergraduate and Postgraduate). The bursary is administered by the PSSA.
The Undergraduate bursary will be awarded to BPharm students, in their 2nd or subsequent year of study. The bursary is awarded for 1 academic year at a time – a new application must be submitted each year for a bursary renewal. Bursaries will be awarded based on the following: students financial circumstances; academic achievements and other financial assistance received.
The Postgraduate bursary is for studies towards Pharmacy related subjects, at Masters and Doctoral level. The bursary is awarded for 1 academic year at a time – a new application must be submitted each year for a bursary renewal. Candidates are selected based on 2 criteria: project viability and academic potential (which counts for 60%) and financial need (which counts for 40%).
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PSSA BURSARIES
Applicants must satisfy the following minimum entry criteria before applying (please note that failure to satisfy all the requirements will lead to your application not being considered):
Undergraduate bursary:
You must be a South African citizen
You must have completed Matric
You must be studying full-time towards a BPharm qualification
You must be entering your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of study (1st year students will not be funded)
You must be studying at a recognised tertiary institute in South Africa
You must be a PSSA student member (membership is free, email nitsa@pssa.org.za for more info)
You must have passed all your previous subjects/ modules
You must have achieved a minimum overall average of 60% at mid-year
You must have proven financial need (with family income of less than R130 000 per annum before tax)
Postgraduate bursary:
You must be a South African citizen
You must have completed Matric
You must have completed an undergraduate qualification
You must be studying full-time towards a postgraduate (Masters or Doctoral) Pharmacy qualification
You must be studying at a recognised tertiary institute in South Africa
You must read and agree to the terms and conditions of the bursary (page 2 and 6 of the application form)
You must be a PSSA student member (find out about the membership fees and complete the membership application form)
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE PSSA BURSARIES
UNDERGRADUATE BURSARY APPLICATION:
Undergraduate applications are currently CLOSED and will open in June 2025.
POSTGRADUATE BURSARY APPLICATION
Download and complete the PSSA Bursary Application Form 2026 (.doc)
Submit clear copies of the following supporting documentation along with your completed application form (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):
ID document (certified copy)
Full tertiary academic record/ transcript (certified copy)
Motivational letter from a pharmacy lecturer
Financial declaration (proof of parents/ guardians/ household income: certified copy of payslips if employed; balance sheet if self-employed; affidavit if unemployed or working within the informal sector; proof of pension if applicable) (signed by the applicant and person responsible for your financial support) (see the application form for more info)
Completed application must be submitted in one of the following ways:
– Email: nitsa@pssa.org.za
– Fax: 0866 159 835
NOTES ABOUT THE PSSA BURSARIES
Certified copies of documents must be submitted – do NOT submit original documents.
The bursary will NOT cover any existing loans or outstanding student debts.
Applicants will receive an email confirmation once their application has been received.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted – if you do not receive any feedback, please accept that your application was not successful.
The final decision will be made by the Committee – no correspondence will be entered into regarding the decision.
Postgraduate candidates must read the Guidelines for award of the SAAHIP post-graduate bursary (.pdf) before applying
CLOSING DATES FOR THE PSSA BURSARIES
Undergraduate bursary: CLOSED.
Postgraduate (Masters/ Doctoral) bursary: 4 May 2025.
(Applications submitted after these dates will not be accepted – please apply before the closing date to ensure your application is considered.)
CONTACT THE BURSARY PROVIDER
For any queries related to this bursary programme, please contact the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa directly:
Contact Person: Ms Nitsa Manolis (FPE Administrator)
Tel 012 470 9562
Email: nitsa@pssa.org.za