Studying in South Africa

What a year costs

Tuition depends heavily on where you come from. South African universities split international students into three groups: SADC nationals, nationals of other African countries, and everyone else.

At the University of Cape Town, 2026 undergraduate tuition for South African citizens is published by faculty: roughly R62,340-R110,580 for Commerce, R79,000 for a Humanities BA, R87,000 for a Science BSc and R113,510 for the MBChB. Non-SADC international undergraduates then add an International Term Fee of:

• R60,300 a year for students from African countries outside SADC
• R80,400 a year for students from the rest of the world

Every international student also pays a non-refundable International Administrative Fee of R5,600 a year. UCT expects a large payment upfront: R121,700 by 6 February 2026 for most full-time non-SADC students, against R40,100 for SADC students. Miss that date and a one-off 5% late fee applies to the unpaid amount.

At Wits, SADC students pay local tuition plus an International Registration Fee of R6,970 a year. Non-SADC undergraduates pay double the local tuition instead, with no registration fee. Non-SADC postgraduates are treated like SADC students: local tuition plus R6,970.

Living costs. Wits publishes the most useful guide. It suggests budgeting R8,000-R15,000 a month in Johannesburg, and breaks it down as:

• Shared off-campus flat: R3,000-R6,500 a month; a private one-bedroom flat: R6,000-R9,000
• Groceries: R2,000-R3,000
• Public transport: R500-R1,000
• Study materials: R500-R1,000; phone and data: R200-R500

Wits does not date these figures. Cape Town rents are generally higher than Johannesburg's, but UCT does not publish an equivalent budget on its international pages. UCT residence places require an initial payment of R44,500 (catered) or R29,500 (self-catering) in 2026.

Medical aid is compulsory for the visa and is on top of all of this. Neither UCT nor Wits publishes a premium on the pages we checked; get a quote from a scheme your university accepts before you budget.

The visa

You need a study visa under section 13 of the Immigration Act. It is issued for the length of your course.

Where you apply. From abroad, you apply at the South African mission or its VFS centre in your country. Inside South Africa (to renew or change), you apply through VFS on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs. UCT lists the Home Affairs fee as R425, the VFS service fee as R1,750 (effective from 22 June 2026) and police clearance through VFS as an extra R185. Abroad, missions charge their own fee in local currency: the High Commission in Canberra charges AUD 37; the Embassy in Washington charges USD 36.

The money. The Home Affairs checklist asks for "proof of sufficient financial means available to the learner" and does not set an amount. Individual missions may. The High Commission in Canberra, for example, asks for three months of certified bank statements showing at least ZAR 3,000 a month, or a bursary letter, or a parent's support letter with their statements. Check your own mission's list, not another country's.

Other documents you should expect:

• An acceptance or provisional acceptance letter stating the length of the course
• Proof of medical cover with a scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act, renewed annually for the length of your studies
• A police clearance certificate from every country where you lived for more than 12 months in the last five years, no older than six months

Processing time. The missions we checked quote three to four weeks (Washington) or 21 working days for a complete application (Canberra). UCT warns that applications can take 8-12 weeks or longer at busy times. Plan on the longer figure.

Renewals. UCT tells students to apply to renew at least 60 days before the visa expires.

Working while you study

You may work part-time up to 20 hours a week. The regulation wording reproduced by the Canberra mission is "part-time employment not exceeding 20 hours per week, which shall not apply during academic vacation". To rely on it, you need an employment offer and a letter from your institution; the permission is noted on your visa.

Practical training that forms part of your diploma or degree is permitted separately, again with a training offer and your institution's consent.

Twenty hours at typical student wages will not cover fees. Budget as if you will not work.

After you graduate

South Africa has no dedicated post-study work visa. To stay, you need to qualify for a work visa in your own right.

The most relevant is the critical skills work visa. Home Affairs' current requirements (October 2024) include an employment contract signed by both parties, proof that your occupation is on the Critical Skills List, confirmation from the relevant professional body and, for foreign qualifications, a SAQA evaluation. It can be issued for up to five years.

Home Affairs has also been moving critical skills and general work visas to a points-based system, in which a South African qualification earns points. We could not load the current Home Affairs notice setting out the points, so we do not quote them here: check dha.gov.za before you plan around them.

Language

Teaching at the major research universities is in English. Stellenbosch and some others historically taught partly in Afrikaans; check the language of instruction for your specific programme.

Universities set their own English requirements. If your previous schooling was not in English, expect to show a test score; the admissions page for your programme is the authority.

Day to day, English works in all the university cities. Knowing some isiZulu, isiXhosa or Afrikaans helps in clinical placements and community work, but it is not required for the visa.

When to apply

The South African academic year runs February to December, not September to June. That shifts everything:

• Application deadlines fall in the year before you start, and each university and faculty sets its own. Competitive programmes, especially health sciences, tend to close earliest. The programme page governs.
• Once you have an offer, apply for the visa immediately. With an 8-12 week processing risk and the 6 February 2026 payment deadline at UCT, an offer in November leaves little room.

Plan on nine to twelve months from first application to arrival.

What to watch out for

Get medical aid right before you apply. The visa needs proof of cover from a scheme registered under the Medical Schemes Act, not a travel insurance policy. Universities usually name the schemes they accept. A policy that does not qualify is a common reason for a rejected application.

Police certificates take time. You need one from every country where you lived for more than 12 months in the past five years, and each must be less than six months old when you submit. Order them early, but not so early that they expire.

Your category decides your fee. SADC, other African and rest-of-world students pay very different amounts. Confirm which category your university puts you in before you accept an offer, and read the fees handbook for the year you will actually start.

Upfront payments are large. UCT wants over R120,000 from most non-SADC students before registration. Have it available in time, with a way to pay internationally.

Renew early. An expired study visa leaves you out of status. Apply at least 60 days before expiry, as UCT advises, and keep proof of your application.

No work visa is automatic. If your plan depends on working in South Africa after graduating, check today whether your intended occupation is on the Critical Skills List. If it is not, the route is much harder.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and note that Home Affairs does not publish a single proof-of-funds amount: your mission's own checklist governs.