This page covers what happens after an audit firm bursary is awarded — the vacation work, the training contract, the professional examinations and the obligations that run through all of them — rather than only how to apply.
That matters because a firm bursary is not a single decision. It is the first step in a five-to-seven year commitment running from Grade 12 through to the CA(SA) qualification, and understanding the whole arc before accepting is worth the effort.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
The entry criteria are consistent across the large audit firms.
- Be a South African citizen with a valid ID
- Be studying, or intending to study, a SAICA-accredited accounting degree leading to CA(SA)
- Have Mathematics, not Mathematical Literacy, at the level required
- Meet the academic minimums, which are high
- Be accepted at, or registered with, a university whose accounting programme is SAICA-accredited
- Apply within the programme’s window, which closes well before the academic year
Income and Affordability Requirements
The arc, stage by stage. The bursary funds the accredited undergraduate degree, usually three years. During it you do vacation work at the firm, which is both training and continuous assessment of whether you fit. Then comes the accredited postgraduate year, then the professional examinations, then a three-year training contract with the firm.
Vacation work is not a holiday job. Firms use it to assess bursary holders, and it shapes which department and which clients you are placed with afterwards. Treat it as the beginning of the career rather than a requirement to be endured.
Means testing varies. Some firm bursaries are purely merit-based; others include a household income assessment. Confirm which applies and prepare proof of household income either way.
Selection resembles graduate recruitment, with assessment and interview stages, because the firm is choosing people it will employ for years.
Credit and Financial Requirements
Coverage is generally comprehensive: tuition, accommodation, meals, books, a laptop and a stipend, alongside the vacation work. Confirm current coverage directly.
The training contract is the largest part of the value. CA(SA) requires a training contract with a registered training office, and securing one independently is genuinely competitive. A firm bursary resolves that in advance.
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.
For audit firm bursaries the obligation generally runs through the training contract, so what you are committing to is serving articles with the firm. Read what applies if you leave the contract early, change firms, or do not complete the qualification — those clauses matter and they have financial consequences.
Be realistic about articles. A training contract in audit involves long hours, particularly in busy season, and studying for professional examinations alongside full-time work. It is demanding, it is well documented as such, and people do leave. Knowing that in advance is better than discovering it.
Continuation of the bursary is conditional on academic performance, and progression through the professional examinations is conditional on your own work.
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 the firm’s own careers channel.
- 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 close well before the academic year and are advertised on the firms’ careers pages. Check from Grade 11.
Apply to every large firm, and to the Thuthuka Bursary Fund if you qualify, and to NSFAS and institutional bursaries. Accounting is the best-funded undergraduate field in South Africa.
- Keep Mathematics from Grade 10
- Confirm the university’s accounting programme is SAICA-accredited
- Understand the full five-to-seven year arc before accepting
- Treat vacation work as the start of the career
- Read what applies if you leave the training contract early
- Apply to every large firm and to Thuthuka in parallel
- Apply for NSFAS and institutional bursaries as well
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the commitment?
From Grade 12 to CA(SA) qualification is typically five to seven years: an accredited degree, a postgraduate year, professional examinations and a three-year training contract.
Is vacation work compulsory?
It is part of these programmes and is used to assess bursary holders. It shapes your placement after qualifying, so it is worth treating seriously.
What if I leave the training contract?
The agreement sets out the consequences, which usually include repayment. Read those clauses before accepting the bursary.
Can I apply with Mathematical Literacy?
No. The CA(SA) route requires Mathematics at university level.
Criteria, coverage, training contract terms and closing dates are set by the firm and revised annually. Confirm current requirements through its official careers channel, and accreditation with SAICA.