National Bursary for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs 2026 in South Africa

The National Bursary for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs 2026 is offered by One Young World to support young South African entrepreneurs whose businesses can create significant employment opportunities. The opportunity is linked to the One Young World Summit 2026, hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3–6 November 2026. The current application cycle opened on 11 August 2026, with applications closing on 1 September 2026. South African entrepreneurs aged 18–30 who lead a job-generating business and have decision-making responsibility may benefit. Selected recipients receive fully funded Summit participation, travel, accommodation, mentorship, networking, and lifelong Ambassador Community membership.

Based on the official One Young World information I could verify, I would not use “Africa / Multiple countries” as the host country. The opportunity is associated with the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Scholarship Overview

• Host country: South Africa – One Young World Summit 2026 will be held in Cape Town from 3-6 November 2026. 

• Study level / opportunity type: Entrepreneurship / Fully Funded Summit Opportunity – not an academic degree or study programme.

• Funding classification: Fully Funded – scholarship opportunities for the Summit can include travel, accommodation and other participation costs, depending on the specific scholarship. 

• Application deadline: 1 September 2026 – this should be retained if it is displayed on the official National Bursary page you accessed, but I could not retrieve that specific page directly to independently confirm it.

• Current status: Applications appear to be part of the 2026 scholarship cycle, but the specific National Bursary page needs to be accessible to confirm whether applications are currently open.

Important: I found official One Young World 2026 scholarship pages confirming the Cape Town Summit and the general fully funded scholarship structure, but the exact National Bursary for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs page was not returned by the official site’s current search results. So I recommend marking the 1 September 2026 deadline as “to be confirmed” until the page becomes accessible.

Benefits

• Tuition fees: Not applicable — this is a Summit opportunity, not an academic study programme.

• Monthly stipend / living allowance: Not listed.

• Travel / airfare: Covered.

• Health insurance: Not listed.

• Accommodation: Covered during the Summit.

• Visa costs: Not confirmed for this specific bursary.

• Books / research allowance: Not listed.

• Settling-in allowance: Not listed.

• Meals / catering: Covered during the Summit.

• Summit access: Included for selected recipients.

• One Young World Ambassador Community: Selected recipients gain access to the global Ambassador Community and its networking opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

According to the official One Young World page, applicants must meet the following requirements: 

• Nationality: Must be a South African national.

• Residency: Must currently reside in South Africa.

• Age: Applicants should generally be 18–30 years old. Candidates over 30 may be considered if they demonstrate strong personal impact, initiative, and willingness to engage.

• Academic qualifications: No specific academic qualification is required or listed.

• Work experience: No specific employment or years-of-experience requirement is stated. However, applicants must be leading a business or enterprise with significant job-creation potential.

• Entrepreneurial requirement: Must lead a business or enterprise that has the potential to generate significant employment.

• Leadership / decision-making: Applicants must have direct decision-making authority within their organisation or company.

• Language requirement: No specific English-language qualification or test requirement is stated.

• Availability: Applicants must be available to attend the One Young World Summit in Cape Town from 3-6 November 2026.

• Nomination route: No separate nomination requirement is listed. The opportunity provides an application route through One Young World.

Important age note: Applicants who will be under 18 at the time of the Summit cannot apply. Candidates over 30 may still be considered at One Young World’s discretion. 

Available Fields or Programmes

Not applicable. This opportunity is not an academic scholarship or university programme. The National Bursary for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs 2026 is a fully funded entrepreneurship and leadership opportunity to attend the One Young World Summit 2026.

Therefore, there are no specific study fields, degree programmes, or participating universities to list. One Young World scholarships are designed around leadership, entrepreneurship, and social impact rather than academic study programmes. 

For your FullyFunded.info page, you can use:

• Available fields/programmes: Entrepreneurship, Business Leadership, Job Creation and Social Impact

• Participating universities: Not applicable

• Degree programmes: Not applicable

How to Apply

1. Visit the official One Young World application page.

2. Check that you meet all eligibility requirements.

3. Complete the online application form with your personal and business details.

4. Explain your business, leadership experience, and job-creation impact.

5. Submit your application before 1 September 2026.

6. Wait for the selection results from One Young World.

Application route: Applicants apply directly to One Young World. No embassy, university, or separate nominating agency is required.

Required Documents

The official call does not specify a separate list of supporting documents such as:

• Academic transcripts

• Degree certificates

• CV/resume

• Reference letters

• Research proposal

• English-language test results

• Passport copy

Applicants should therefore complete the online application form and provide the information requested by One Young World. Avoid listing the above documents as mandatory unless the application form specifically requests them. 

Important Dates

• Application opening date: Not stated on the official call.

• Application deadline: 1 September 2026. The official page does not specify a deadline time or timezone. 

• Nomination deadline: Not applicable; no separate nomination route is stated.

• Interview period: Not stated on the official call.

• Selection/result date: Not stated on the official call.

• One Young World Summit: 3–6 November 2026, Cape Town, South Africa.   

For your website, avoid adding an opening date, interview dates, or result date unless One Young World publishes them officially.