University in South Africa
Muizenberg, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
University profile
George Whitefield College (GWC) is a Reformed evangelical Anglican theological college at 34 Beach Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town. It trains Christian men and women for ministry in Africa and beyond, and teaches theology around four core disciplines: Doctrine, Biblical Languages, Church History and Biblical Theology. The student body comes from across South Africa and more than 15 African countries.
Its founding denomination is REACH-SA (the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa, formerly CESA), whose Presiding Bishop serves as the College's Chancellor. About 40% of students are from REACH-SA and the remaining 60% come from a variety of other denominations. The College is led by a Principal, a Vice-Principal: Academic and a Vice-Principal: Development, with a Director of Research and heads of department such as Systematic Theology. Academic matters are vested in a Faculty Board made up of all full-time faculty members.
Programmes. Undergraduate study comprises the Higher Certificate in Theology (NQF 5, on campus), the Higher Certificate in Bible and Ministry (NQF 5, online and asynchronous) and the Bachelor of Theology (NQF 7, three years full-time). Postgraduate study comprises the BTh Honours (NQF 8), the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Theological Education (NQF 8, online, launched in 2026) and the Master of Theology (NQF 9, structured or research), with Honours and Masters offered in hyflex mode so students can attend in person or online. Stand-alone modules can be audited or taken for credit. Teaching is in English.
Centres. Theological Education Development Services (TEDS) trains teachers of theology, and the Explore distance learning programme, begun in 1995, reaches more than 4,000 registered students a year across a number of African countries. The Evangelical Research Fellowship supports postgraduate and visiting scholars.
Student life. Term-time days for contact students run from 08:00 to 15:30, Monday to Friday, and include a chapel service, fellowship group, prayer meeting or Friday Forum. A Students' Representative Council, Deans of Students and a chaplaincy provide pastoral care, and a Ministry Week sends student teams to churches in South Africa and beyond. Catered residence and flats for single and married students are on campus.
Registration. GWC is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Registration Certificate No. 2007/HE08/002). Its Bachelor of Theology is accredited by the Council on Higher Education, and it is a founding member of the African Council for Accreditation and Accountability (AfCAA). It is a non-profit company (NPC, Registration No. 2003/003197/08; NPO No. 042885).
Bursaries are available to students accepted into the Higher Certificate in Theology (full-time), Bachelor of Theology, BTh Honours, Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Theology. They are awarded on a needs basis and are usually partial awards, prioritised for financially disadvantaged students, and depend on available funding, proof of need, academic performance and ministry suitability. Not every applicant can be funded.
Indicate on the online application that bursary assistance is needed; a bursary application pack is sent after acceptance into a programme. Applications are considered once a year and close in mid-September, so applicants should apply early.
Official pages: Apply and 2027 Study Fees Schedule. Funding for the College's bursaries comes from donor support through the Support GWC programmes, including the REACH Training Fund.
Browse the scholarships listed for George Whitefield College NPC and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for George Whitefield College NPC →National Senior Certificate (or equivalent) with a minimum of 30% in English Language. The Higher Certificate in Theology is NQF 5 (full-time 1 year, part-time up to 3 years); the Higher Certificate in Bible and Ministry is online and can be completed over a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 6. The Higher Certificate does not carry transferable credits towards the Bachelor of Theology.
National Senior Certificate, or equivalent, with a minimum of 60% in English Language (Home Language level) and an achievement rating of 4 or better in four subjects from the designated subjects list. Full-time 3 years, part-time up to 6 years. English proficiency can be shown with the National Benchmark Test Academic Literacy Test, or IELTS (overall 6.0, written 5.0) or an equivalent TOEFL score (213 computerised, 550 written, 79-80 internet-based).
RPL can be used for access, module credit or credit towards a qualification; admission through RPL is limited to 10% of the enrolment for any year. Credit transfer is applied for through the student portal after acceptance and before the programme starts.
Applicants with a foreign school-leaving qualification need an evaluation certificate from Universities South Africa (USAF), which takes 2-3 weeks; those with a foreign post-school qualification need a SAQA evaluation, which takes 3-6 months. Acceptance is provisional upon obtaining a South African study visa, which should be applied for no later than the end of October. Home Affairs requires proof of funds for tuition and living costs and medical insurance; international students must belong to a medical aid scheme, and the College assists with a student medical insurance plan.
Apply online through the Nexsis application portal: create an account, upload the required documents and pay the application fee. Completed applications are validated, applicants may be invited to an entrance assessment and/or interview, and the Faculty Board decides; appeals go to the Registrar in writing. Deadlines for 2027 entry: 19 October 2026 for South African students (including the online Higher Certificate in Bible and Ministry); the international deadline was 14 September 2026. A Master of Theology mid-year intake also exists.
Application fee R600 (R450 extra for credit transfer or RPL); tuition acceptance deposit R5,900 and accommodation deposit R1,500, due by 13 November 2026. Tuition is charged per credit (estimated full-time annual totals: Higher Certificate in Theology R41,984; Higher Certificate in Bible and Ministry R39,360; BTh R57,600; BTh Honours R55,200; MTh R60,300). Accommodation and meal plan is R96,500 a year. The GWC English Entrance Assessment costs R1,100 and the NBT R200.
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