South African government student financial aid scheme
‘ANC brought transformation’: Ramaphosa, Mantashe defend ANC's 32-year record amid criticism
iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-10-26-ramaphosa-mantashe-defend-ancs-32-year-record-amid-service-delivery-criticism/
Key FactsANC Leaders Defend 32-Year Governing Record
Oct 26, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: iol.co.za
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: iol.co.za
- During a Sunday door-to-door visit in Ward 29, Diepkloof, Ramaphosa cited Soweto’s development under ANC leadership.
- Ramaphosa acknowledged shortcomings but argued that the party’s achievements outweighed its failures.
- In Thabong, Free State, Mantashe cited social grants, no-fee schools, student funding and government housing as progress.
- Residents in affected communities have unreliable access to clean water, while basic service delivery remains under criticism.
“We are driven by one principle: every child has a right to be developed to their full potential, irrespective of the economic status of the home.”— Gwede Mantashe said this at a service at the United Reformed Church in Thabong, Free State, while discussing government support for education.
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Undocumented matrics face an uncertain future: As close to a million learners sit for this year’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams ...
dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-30-running-the-gauntlet-the-matrics-caught-between-xenophobia-paperwork-and-the-classroom-door/
eNCA Oct 29
Nsfas records over 1 million applications for 2027 as deadline looms: The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) has received more than one million ...
enca.com/news-top-stories/nsfas-records-over-1-million-applications-2027-deadline-looms
The Citizen Oct 24
University of Mpumalanga promises refunds for 2026 application fees: The move follows the university's decision to discontinue application fees.
citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/university-of-mpumalanga-promises-refunds-for-2026-application-fees/
Paid articlePaywall Govt clamping down on fraudulent NSFAS bursaries: National Treasury says government is clamping down on fraudulent applications to the National Student Financial ...
news24.com/business/economy/govt-clamping-down-on-fraudulent-nsfas-bursaries-20261021-0736
No extensions as NSFAS funding applications approach 870,000: Women make up more than 70% of this year’s applicants
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-10-20-no-extensions-as-nsfas-funding-applications-approach-870000/
NSFAS receives R4 billion in advance payments to ease university cash-flow pressure
iol.co.za/business/2026-10-19-nsfas-receives-r4-billion-in-advance-payments-to-ease-university-cash-flow-pressure/
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Labour Court halts Manamela’s bid to readvertise CEO post: Following a decisive Labour Court victory interdicting Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela’s ...
dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-14-labour-court-halts-manamelas-bid-to-readvertise-national-skills-fund-ceo-post/
The Citizen Oct 11
Gauteng nursing diploma 2027: How to apply for free before 30 October: Find out who qualifies, how to apply, and how to avoid scams.
citizen.co.za/lifestyle/health/gauteng-nursing-diploma-2027-how-to-apply-for-free-before-30-october/
Limpopo student’s body found partially clothed in trench next to campus fence: The body of a 22-year-old University of Limpopo female student was found partially ...
news24.com/southafrica/crime-and-courts/limpopo-students-body-found-partially-clothed-in-trench-next-to-campus-fence-20261004-0834
NSFAS acting CEO appointed as RAF CEO: Board cites improved student funding and stakeholder relations under Waseem Carrim
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-10-01-nsfas-acting-ceo-appointed-as-raf-ceo/
Nsfas applications for 2027 close on October 31: Early application and complete documentation urged to avoid delays
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-10-05-nsfas-applications-for-2027-close-on-october-31/
NSFAS receives more than 51,000 applications in first four days of 2027 cycle: NSFAS has received 51,474 applications in the first four days of the 2027 funding ...
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-09-22-nsfas-receives-more-than-51000-applications-in-first-four-days-of-2027-cycle/
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Who’s regulating SA's lucrative betting industry?: In case you couldn’t tell from the billboards and athletic sponsorships, online betting is booming ...
dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-22-south-africans-wagered-r1-trillion-last-year-but-whos-regulating-the-betting-industry/
From general worker to UKZN law graduate: Man completes decade-long journey despite financial hardship
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-09-15-from-general-worker-to-ukzn-law-graduate-man-completes-decade-long-journey-despite-financial-hardship/
The Citizen Sep 23
Nsfas sets October deadline for 2027 accommodation rules: Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela says the department and Nsfas must resolve outstanding student ...
citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/education/nsfas-sets-october-deadline-for-2027-accommodation-rules/
sabcnews.com Sep 21
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has encouraged all eligible applicants to ensure that they meet the deadline for applications for 2027 ... Show more
NSFAS opens 2027 applications as minister urges students to apply early: NSFAS introduces a streamlined process and enhanced support for applicants with ...
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-09-18-nsfas-opens-2027-applications-as-minister-urges-students-to-apply-early/
While tertiary students across South Africa demand an increase in food allowances and an accommodation cap, the upper echelon of the National Student Financial ... Show more
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The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has paid more than R222m to six universities for the Funza Lushaka bursary programme amid concerns about ... Show more
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Watch – Inside NSFAS boss Mathebula’s R110,000-plus spending: While tertiary students across South Africa demand an increase in food allowances and an ...
dailymaverick.co.za/video/2026-08-28-watch-inside-nsfas-boss-mathebula-s-r110-000-plus-spending/
Manamela warns NSFAS funding model is ‘unsustainable’ as shortfall heads towards R33 billion
iol.co.za/news/education/2026-09-09-manamela-warns-nsfas-funding-model-is-unsustainable-as-shortfall-heads-towards-r33-billion/
NSFAS accountant fights dismissal after sending private work emails to her Gmail: The Labour Court in Cape Town set aside a CCMA award that found the dismissal ...
iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-09-08-nsfas-accountant-fights-dismissal-after-sending-private-work-emails-to-her-gmail/
A senior University of Johannesburg (UJ) manager has been identified as a central figure using bogus student accommodation leases and bribing 141 students in a ... Show more
High Court suspends appointment of NSFAS administrator: The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria has suspended the appointment of Professor Hlengani Mathebula as ...
news24.com/southafrica/education/high-court-suspends-appointment-of-nsfas-administrator-20260814-0581
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Opinion-McKenna-EdPolicyTW.jpg)
OpinionNSFAS has to change to survive, but how?: A scheme built to open the door to higher education has grown into the country’s largest social grant ...
dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-08-27-nsfas-is-due-a-major-overhaul-but-consensus-ends-there/
EWN Sep 02
NSFAS-dependent CPUT students fear ongoing disruption could deepen financial woes
ewn.co.za/2026/09/02/nsfas-dependent-cput-students-fear-ongoing-disruption-could-deepen-financial-woes
Higher Education Committee seeks probe into seven years of foreign national university appointments
iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-08-27-higher-education-committee-seeks-probe-into-seven-years-of-foreign-national-university-appointments/
businesstech.co.za Aug 16
R54 billion government fund in South Africa must be shut down: South Africa's R54 billion National Student Financial Aid Scheme has come under increased scrutiny ...
businesstech.co.za/news/government/868296/r54-billion-government-fund-in-south-africa-must-be-shut-down/
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The unbelievable mess at NSFAS should cost Buti Manamela his job: Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela, with a nose for the incompetent and the immoral ...
dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-18-the-unbelievable-mess-at-nsfas-should-cost-buti-manamela-his-job/
Manamela welcomes Public Protector findings on NSFAS systemic failures: Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has welcomed the Public Protector’s findings on ...
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-18-manamela-welcomes-public-protector-findings-on-nsfas-systemic-failures/
NSFAS crisis: Manamela flags financial, governance and payment challenges: Higher Education Minister Buti Manamela has put NSFAS’s financial, governance and ...
iol.co.za/news/education/2026-08-27-nsfas-crisis-manamela-flags-financial-governance-and-payment-challenges/
Paid articlePaywall ‘Dust mites trigger my sinuses’: NSFAS administrator tells staff not to book hotel with carpets
news24.com/southafrica/education/dust-mites-trigger-my-sinuses-nsfas-administrator-tells-staff-not-to-book-hotel-with-carpets-20260813-1100
Paid articlePaywall NSFAS saddled with R49.5bn in unrecovered loans from 823 000 ex-students: A former student owes the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) R613 650 for 12 ...
news24.com/southafrica/education/nsfas-saddled-with-r495bn-in-unrecovered-loans-from-823-000-ex-students-20260810-0965
Paid articlePaywall ‘Heads should be rolling’: Universities beg NSFAS to pay outstanding R10.5bn tuition fees
news24.com/southafrica/education/heads-should-roll-universities-beg-nsfas-to-pay-outstanding-r105-bn-in-tuition-fees-20260816-1089
NSFAS funding crisis: Minister Manamela warns of R15 billion shortfall: Minister Buti Manamela reveals a staggering R15 billion funding shortfall at NSFAS ...
iol.co.za/business/2026-08-13-nsfas-funding-crisis-minister-manamela-warns-of-r15-billion-shortfall/
Why CPUT students are protesting and what happens next: Students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology are protesting against financial burdens and academic ...
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-13-why-cput-students-are-protesting-and-what-happens-next/
EWN Aug 20
Hopes high tensions will be resolved between CPUT students, management: Students have been protesting since last week over the university’s proposed financial ...
ewn.co.za/2026/08/20/hopes-high-tensions-will-be-resolved-between-cput-students-management
CPUT shuts campuses, orders students out of residences as protest turns violent: The university said the evacuation was intended to address safety concerns and ...
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-18-cput-shuts-campuses-orders-students-out-of-residences-as-protest-turns-violent/
Adriaan Basson | NSFAS, our national shame: If Cyril Ramaphosa has any sensibility left to fix the state, he will follow Enoch Godongwana’s call and shut down ...
news24.com/opinions/columnists/adriaan-basson-nsfas-our-national-shame-20260817-0940
NSFAS faces fresh uncertainty after court suspends administrator: The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) faces renewed uncertainty after the Pretoria ...
mg.co.za/news/education/2026-08-17-nsfas-faces-fresh-uncertainty-after-court-suspends-administrator/
EWN Aug 15
OUTA slams minister Manamela over NSFAS administration ruling: The watchdog says the minister ignored warnings about vacancies on the NSFAS board allowing a ...
ewn.co.za/2026/08/15/outa-slams-minister-manamela-over-nsfas-administration-ruling
NSFAS employees open theft case against former board member over 10 laptops: The National Student Financial Aid Scheme says 30 laptops were earmarked for six ...
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-08-06-nsfas-employees-open-theft-case-against-former-board-member-over-10-laptops/
Paid articlePaywall NSFAS advisors’ companies invoiced R458k in July pay bonanza: National Student Financial Aid Scheme administration’s new advisors, Dudu Hlatshwayo and ...
news24.com/southafrica/news/nsfas-advisers-companies-invoiced-r458k-in-july-pay-bonanza-20260805-0375
NSFAS gives green light for second-semester registrations at 7 universities: The administrator of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme has given the green ...
news24.com/southafrica/education/nsfas-gives-green-light-for-second-semester-registrations-at-7-universities-20260805-0905
sabcnews.com Aug 05
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) administrator says a decision has been taken to allow over 70 000 students who meet the NSFAS criteria to ... Show more
Cassim vows faster NSFAS responses after complaints from 400 students : Messages highlight delayed allowances, unresolved funding queries, accommodation ...
timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-07-16-cassim-vows-faster-nsfas-responses-after-complaints-from-400-students/
Committee chair backs NSFAS accommodation cap as student leaders call for it to be scrapped
timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-07-23-committee-chair-backs-nsfas-accommodation-cap-as-student-leaders-call-for-it-to-be-scrapped/
Paid articlePaywall Parliament demands answers over appointment of ex-Daybreak chair at NSFAS: Parliament’s higher education and training portfolio committee has called into ...
news24.com/politics/parliament-demands-answers-over-appointment-of-ex-daybreak-chair-at-nsfas-20260723-0416
No minutes kept of controversial NSFAS meeting before board dissolution, says Manamela
iol.co.za/news/crime-and-courts/2026-07-22-no-minutes-kept-of-controversial-nsfas-meeting-before-board-dissolution-says-manamela/
Paid articlePaywall NSFAS hires ex-Daybreak Farms chair who got R625k payout as chicks went unfed, staff unpaid
news24.com/politics/nsfas-hires-ex-daybreak-farms-chair-who-got-r625k-payout-as-chicks-went-unfed-staff-unpaid-20260714-1306
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OpinionNSFAS scrutiny must be rooted in facts: The new administrator has the minister’s full support and has a clear mandate to stabilise NSFAS ...
dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-07-17-nsfas-recovery-hinges-on-reform-not-selective-leaks-and-false-narratives/
Unisa refutes NSFAS claims on student payment delays amid financial aid concerns: Unisa has publicly challenged NSFAS's explanation for delays in student ...
iol.co.za/news/education/2026-07-10-unisa-refutes-nsfas-claims-on-student-payment-delays-amid-financial-aid-concerns/
Unisa refutes NSFAS claims on student payment delays amid financial aid concerns: Unisa has publicly challenged NSFAS's explanation for delays in student ...
iol.co.za/news/education/2026-07-10-unisa-refutes-nsfas-claims-on-student-payment-delays-amid-financial-aid-concerns/
EWN Jul 08
Is crowdfunding the future of paying for university?: One local organisation suggests crowdfunding could be part of the solution to South Africa's student ...
ewn.co.za/2026/07/08/is-crowdfunding-the-future-of-paying-for-university
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/busani-ngcaweni.jpg)
OpinionSA needs to re-member its dis-membered youth to the centre of national life: Young South Africans are being denied a chance at a productive life ...
dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-06-16-sa-needs-to-re-member-its-dis-membered-youth-to-the-centre-of-national-life/
OpinionTEBOGO LETSIE | We need NSFAS more than ever — fix it, don’t close it : Suggestions that the financial aid programme should be scrapped due to its perennial ...
sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/opinion-and-analysis/opinion/2026-06-06-tebogo-letsie-we-need-nsfas-more-than-ever-fix-it-dont-close-it/
UPDATE | NSFAS placed under administration: The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has been placed under administration with immediate effect ...
news24.com/southafrica/education/nsfas-placed-under-administration-20260504-0875
Key FactsNSFAS Administration Triggered by Governance Crisis
May 4, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: news24.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: news24.com
- The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) was placed under administration due to ongoing governance, financial, and operational failures.
- Professor Hlengani Mathebula has been appointed to fully manage and stabilize the institution.
- The intervention guarantees continued student funding and the processing of outstanding appeals without disruption.
- Efforts will focus on improving governance, accelerating ICT reforms, and addressing accommodation and service delivery challenges.
For many families, NSFAS is not an abstract institution; it is the difference between exclusion and opportunity and between hope and despair.— Buti Manamela, Higher Education and Training Minister, during a briefing on NSFAS administration
Former top Free State officials probed over state bursaries: Investigators have referred seven individuals, including a former premier, to the NPA for possible ...
timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-06-03-former-top-free-state-officials-probed-over-state-bursaries/
Newzroom Afrika Jun 06
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme has confirmed it's launching a major tracing initiative to return approximately R77 million in accumulated ... Show more
Paid articlePaywall Third administrator for NSFAS as woes play out in Parliament: The National Student Financial Aid Scheme cannot operate in its current form ...
news24.com/politics/third-administrator-for-nsfas-as-woes-play-out-in-parliament-20260530-0350
NSFAS allowance crisis leaves thousands of students hungry during exams: SAUS says more than 12,000 students have had their NSFAS allowances frozen under “gap ...
iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-20-nsfas-allowance-crisis-leaves-thousands-of-students-hungry-during-exams/
New funding model in development for 'missing middle' students as debt hits R23bn: Ramaphosa
iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-05-15-new-funding-model-in-development-for-missing-middle-students-as-debt-hits-r23bn-ramaphosa/
sabcnews.com May 04
JUST IN | Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela has placed the National Student Financial Aid Scheme - NSFAS - under administration ... Show more
