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All guidesCollege · Bellville · South Africa
Studying in South Africa, from the official sources in our guide
Studying in South Africa
These apply to every international student in South Africa, including at Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice. Each figure shows where it came from and when we last checked it.
Money you must show
Some missions set their own minimum. The High Commission in Canberra asks for at least ZAR 3,000 a month shown on three months of certified bank statements.
DIRCO: South African High Commission, Canberra, source re-checked 26 Oct 2026
Visa fee
VFS fee effective from 22 June 2026. Abroad, missions charge in local currency, for example AUD 37 in Canberra.
University of Cape Town, Visas and immigration, source re-checked 25 Oct 2026
Work while you study
You need a job offer and a letter from your institution. Practical training that is part of your qualification is allowed separately.
DIRCO: South African High Commission, Canberra, source re-checked 26 Oct 2026
Stay after you graduate
You must qualify for a work visa, such as the critical skills work visa, which now requires a signed employment contract.
Department of Home Affairs, critical skills work visa requirements, checked 24 Sep 2026
The same rules for every institution in South Africa; Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice's own programme pages govern the exact dates and scores. Guide checked 24 Sep 2026.
Deadlines and intakes
The South African academic year runs February to December, not September to June. That shifts everything:
Plan on nine to twelve months from first application to arrival.
Language you need
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.
Student reviews: none yet for Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice. If you study or studied here, yours would be the first.
Every reviewer confirms their email address with a one-time link, and a person at Studies Multiverse reads each review before it appears. We publish good and bad reviews on the same terms, never edit them, never pay for them, and an institution cannot remove a review by paying us. Reviews sent from the institution’s own email domain are not accepted. Institutions can reply below a review. See our terms.
For staff of Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice
Staff can manage this page at no cost: correct the details, add your logo and a description, see how many students look at it, add photographs and courses, and answer the questions they send. All of it is free.
Students: this is not an application. To apply or ask about courses, visit Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice’s website.
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