The Transport Education Training Authority (TETA) is the SETA for the transport sector, covering road freight, rail, aviation, maritime, taxi, forwarding and clearing, and road passenger transport. It funds bursaries, learnerships and skills programmes across all of them.
Its breadth is unusual. The same authority funds an aviation qualification, a heavy vehicle driving learnership and a supply chain degree, which means it is worth checking regardless of your level of schooling.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
The criteria follow the SETA pattern within the transport sector.
- Be a South African citizen with a valid ID
- Be studying, or intending to study, a qualification within the transport sector — logistics and supply chain, transport management, aviation, maritime studies, freight handling, and transport-related technical and driving qualifications
- Be registered or accepted at a recognised public institution or an accredited training provider
- Meet the academic minimums TETA sets
- Demonstrate financial need, where the funding is means-tested
- Apply within the funding window, which is set annually and is often short
Income and Affordability Requirements
Confirm your qualification falls within the sector on TETA’s own website before applying. This is the first filter and the commonest reason applications are excluded.
Driving and operational qualifications are funded, not only degrees. Professional driving learnerships, freight handling, warehousing and forwarding and clearing qualifications are all within scope, and they lead to real employment. For applicants without degree-level results, this is the practical route.
Where professional driving is involved, a Professional Driving Permit is required to drive certain vehicles for reward, with its own medical and criminal record requirements administered through the driving licence system. Confirm those separately.
Means testing. Where funding is need-based, proof of household income is required, with affidavits where a parent is unemployed, self-employed or deceased.
Credit and Financial Requirements
Coverage varies by programme. Some awards cover tuition only; others include accommodation, materials and a stipend. Learnership funding typically includes a stipend during workplace training. Confirm what a specific award covers.
Where a work-back obligation applies, you agree to work for the funder for a defined period after qualifying, commonly one year for each year funded. Leaving early, or declining the post, usually converts the bursary into a repayable debt. Read that clause before signing.
Where funding is tied to a learnership, workplace placement is part of the arrangement and the contract binds both you and the employer.
Aviation is worth a specific note. Flight training is expensive and licence requirements are set by the South African Civil Aviation Authority rather than by any training provider. If aviation funding is the target, confirm both the SETA’s criteria and the SACAA’s licensing requirements, and do a Class 1 aviation medical before committing to anything.
Continuation of multi-year funding is conditional on academic or training performance.
Bursary applications are always free. No legitimate funder charges an application fee, a “processing” fee or a fee to release funding. Anyone asking for payment to secure funding is defrauding you. Apply only through the funder’s own official channel.
Documents and Verification Required
Applications are made through TETA’s own channels.
- Certified copy of your South African ID
- Certified copies of your parents’ or guardians’ IDs, where means testing applies
- Latest academic results — Grade 11 and Grade 12, or university transcripts
- Proof of acceptance or registration at the institution
- Proof of household income, or affidavits where a parent is unemployed, self-employed or deceased
- Death certificates where a parent is deceased
- Proof of residence
- A curriculum vitae and motivation letter, where required
How to Apply and Improve Approval Readiness
Windows are advertised on TETA’s official website and channels and are often short. Check from mid-year.
Apply in parallel to the large transport and logistics employers, which run their own bursary and learnership programmes, and to NSFAS and institutional bursaries.
- Confirm your qualification falls within the transport sector
- Consider driving and operational learnerships, not only degrees
- For professional driving, confirm PrDP requirements separately
- For aviation, confirm SACAA licensing requirements and do a Class 1 medical first
- Gather proof of household income early
- Apply to transport and logistics employers in parallel
- Never pay a fee to apply for or secure funding
Frequently Asked Questions
What does TETA cover?
The transport sector — road freight, rail, aviation, maritime, taxi, forwarding and clearing, and road passenger transport, and the qualifications serving them.
Does it fund driving qualifications?
Yes. Professional driving learnerships and operational qualifications are within scope and lead to real employment. A Professional Driving Permit has its own separate requirements.
Does it fund flight training?
Aviation qualifications fall within the sector, but licensing is governed by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. Confirm both, and do a Class 1 aviation medical before committing.
Is the funding means-tested?
Where it is need-based, yes, with proof of household income required. Confirm the criteria for the specific programme.
Funded qualifications, criteria, windows and coverage are set by TETA and revised annually. Confirm current requirements on TETA’s official website, and licensing requirements with the relevant authority.