University in South Africa
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
University profile
The Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography is a small private higher education institution specialising in Visual Communication. It opened in January 2003 in a historic building on Dorp Street, Stellenbosch, and soon moved to Techno Park, the Stellenbosch innovation hub, where it has remained. It is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution (No. 2004/HE07/002) under the Higher Education Act, 1997, and its qualifications are accredited. The Academy states its mission as producing industry-ready graduates who use Visual Communication for sustained impact, and its vision as being the preferred higher education platform in the field.
All teaching is in person on a single campus in Stellenbosch, in English. Four qualifications are offered: a one-year Higher Certificate in Drawing (NQF 5, 120 credits), a one-year Higher Certificate in Commercial Photography (NQF 5, 125 credits), the three-year Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication (NQF 7, 391 credits) and the one-year Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication (NQF 8, 120 credits). There are no faculties; the programmes sit in one academy, and the degree allows students to major in Applied Illustration Design, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Multimedia Design Studies or Photography after a foundation year in which all five disciplines are sampled.
The degree combines the practical major with Visual Studies, Discourse (design and socially responsible practice), Marketing and Business Leadership, and Computer Design Practice. The Honours year centres on an independent, self-directed project that ends in a thesis, a body of creative work, a publication and an exhibition, and includes a Creative Exchange trip to a Southern African city for short collaborative projects with local creatives. The Academy also runs short courses, including online Content Creation and Comprehensive Photography, and hosts SAVAC, an annual schools visual arts competition with an exhibition during the Woordfees festival.
The campus has collaborative and formal teaching spaces, a media centre with books, magazines, online academic libraries and films, an in-house cafe, an indigenous garden and a vegetable and herb garden. An Academy bus runs between the campus and Stellenbosch town centre. Student support includes an on-site Educational Psychologist and the Academic Resource Centre, which offers one-on-one sessions, tutoring and workshops on academic writing, study strategies and Adobe and Microsoft software. An elected Student Representative Council organises social events and community outreach.
The Academy has no formal residences; students find private residences and rental properties in Stellenbosch. International applicants are assessed on the same academic and portfolio criteria as local applicants, with SAQA evaluation of foreign qualifications.
The Academy has a bursary contact in its finance office ([email protected]) for bursary enquiries. Students can pay the tuition in one payment with a 5% discount or in instalments (see requirements). More information: tuition fees and applications and selections.
SAVAC Visual Arts Competition Tuition Scholarship →
Browse the scholarships listed for Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography (Pty) Ltd and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography (Pty) Ltd →A matric (NSC or IEB) with a Bachelor's pass, an Admission Point Score (APS) of at least 24 (Life Orientation excluded), and 50% or more in English. No subject prerequisites and no National Benchmark Tests. School-leavers apply with Grade 11 December and Grade 12 mid-year results. A creative portfolio is also required: a 400-500 word written motivation (AI-generated writing not permitted) and a visual storytelling task of three to six original images with a 150-200 word explanation, among other tasks set out in the application pack.
A matric pass with an APS of at least 21 and 40% or more in English, no subject prerequisites, no NBT, plus the creative portfolio set for each programme.
A certified NSC and an undergraduate degree or transcript in an appropriate field, with a minimum average of 60% in both theory and practical subjects in the final year of a BA in Visual Communication (from the Academy or another relevant undergraduate qualification), plus a portfolio that includes a sample of academic writing.
International applicants are assessed with the same criteria as local applicants: academic performance and a creative portfolio. Foreign or international-curriculum qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA before registration. Cambridge routes accepted: 4 AS-Levels (A-D) plus 1 IGCSE or O-Level (A-C) plus English Language, or 2 A-Levels (A-D) plus 3 IGCSE (A-C) plus English Language. English is the language of instruction, and applicants from non-English-speaking countries may be asked to take an English proficiency test. A place is guaranteed only once the administration fee is paid and student profile registration is complete. Foreign students must pay tuition in full on or before 8 January 2027 and receive a registration letter only after all fees are settled.
Applicants over 23 without matric exemption but with relevant work experience may apply through Recognition of Prior Learning (ID, CV showing related work, short courses and a portfolio of evidence). Credit Accumulation and Transfer requires the ID, matric certificate, transcripts, subject outcomes and a portfolio of evidence.
Applications are made online with a certified ID or passport, proof of payment of the R800 application fee, academic documents and portfolio uploads. Deadlines for the 2027 intake: extended deadline 4 December 2026 for the BA and both Higher Certificates; Honours applications 3 August to 30 October 2026. Registration day is 14 January 2027 for the BA (15 January for the other programmes).
BA in Visual Communication, first year: R179,988. Higher Certificate in Drawing: R126,280. Higher Certificate in Commercial Photography: R158,000. Honours: R152,650. Payment is by one payment (5% discount on tuition less the administration fee, if paid by 8 January 2027; the only option for foreign students), two payments, or equal monthly instalments with a 14% instalment levy. An enrolment fee of R34,000 applies to the two-payment and instalment options.
Facilities: collaborative and formal learning spaces, a media centre with books, magazines, online academic libraries and films, an in-house cafe, indigenous and vegetable gardens, the Academic Resource Centre, an on-site Educational Psychologist and a shuttle bus to Stellenbosch town centre. There are no formal residences; students use private accommodation in Stellenbosch.
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