University in South Africa
Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa
University profile
Walter Sisulu University (now branded iYunivesithi Walter Sisulu) is a comprehensive public university in the eastern part of the Eastern Cape, offering both academic and technological qualifications. Its own pages describe it as a technology-infused African university and a societal university, and as the most widely distributed university in the province by campus location. It was established in 2005 and is named after the anti-apartheid leader Walter Sisulu.
The university states that approximately 30,000 students and 1,800 staff study and work across four campuses: Mthatha, Butterworth, Buffalo City (East London) and Komani (Queenstown). It offers more than 170 academic programmes across seven faculties, and says it plays a role in rural and regional development by providing access to higher education, particularly for poor and working-class communities.
The seven faculties are Economic and Financial Sciences; Education; Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology; Law, Humanities and Social Sciences; Management and Public Administration Sciences; Medicine and Health Sciences; and Natural Sciences. Its 2027 undergraduate brochure states that the Bachelor of Accounting Science is accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), and that its civil, electrical and mechanical engineering programmes are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA). The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences trains doctors, nurses and other health professionals around the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha.
Research is organised around three signature themes: Food Futures, One Health, and Justice, Governance and Leadership Futures. The university also hosts the Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre and, on its earlier facts page, reported holding South Africa's only research chair in Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
Student life includes campus residences on several sites, an annual inter-residence sport league held around April and May, student counselling units and health services on the campuses, and an Office for International Education for non-South African applicants. The Student Residence Department says demand is very high and not every applicant can be placed in residence; allocation is first-come, first-served and a student must be registered for at least three courses.
The university's Financial Aid Bureau administers bursaries and loans from government departments, the private sector and international donors. Its FAQ explains that most bursaries are offered by private companies who handle applications themselves; where an applicant applies for financial aid at WSU and meets the criteria for a bursary offered through the university, they are shortlisted and either the university or the funder makes the final decision. Bursaries are based on financial need and academic merit and sometimes carry employment conditions. Students are advised to apply early because closing dates differ, and can contact the bursary officers at the Mthatha and Butterworth campuses. Campus financial aid contacts: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected].
These are external funders; amounts and deadlines are set by each funder. For example, IMESA states that its bursary covers tuition and books for civil engineering students from second year, with a 15 September 2026 closing date for 2027.
Official page: Student Finance and FAQs.
Browse the scholarships listed for Walter Sisulu University and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Walter Sisulu University →Applicants must meet the national minimum for the qualification type plus the university's own programme requirements. Higher Certificate: NSC with at least 30% in the language of learning and teaching. Diploma: NSC with 30% in the language of learning and teaching and a rating of 3 (40-49%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects, excluding Life Orientation. Bachelor's degree: NSC with 30% in the language of learning and teaching and a rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects, excluding Life Orientation. Programmes may require additional subject combinations or levels. Diploma applicants need at least a diploma endorsement and degree applicants a Bachelor's endorsement.
The university uses its own APS: the best six subjects excluding Life Orientation, made up of two language subjects (Home Language and First Additional Language) and the four highest-scoring other subjects, which must include the subjects required for the qualification. Marks convert as 90-100% = 8, 80-89% = 7, 70-79% = 6, 60-69% = 5, 50-59% = 4, 40-49% = 3, 30-39% = 2, below 30% = 1. Life Orientation counts only where it is a teaching subject, for example Foundation Phase teaching. Each qualification lists its own minimum APS and subject ratings in the 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure; for example, the Diploma in Accountancy lists an APS of 21 with a rating of 3 for English and for Mathematics.
Old Senior Certificate and NC(V) holders, and applicants with international school-leaving results, should check the faculty prospectus. Mature-age admission follows Rule 1.13 of the General Prospectus. International school-leaving results are considered under the HESA exemption guidelines and, where needed, benchmarked by SAQA.
Undergraduate applicants with non-South African Grade 12 results need a certificate of foreign exemption from the Matriculation Board and a certified passport. Postgraduate applicants need qualifications evaluated by SAQA, a certified passport, Grade 12 results, a certified academic record and the evaluated diploma or degree. After admission, a study visa and valid health insurance or medical aid are required; refugees and asylum seekers generally are not. Contact: [email protected].
The postgraduate admission page links to each faculty's postgraduate pages; requirements are set per programme by the faculties.
Applications are online only at applications.wsu.ac.za. You need an active email address, postal address, ID or passport, matric certificate or statement of symbols, and a Grade 12 report if still in Grade 12. You may choose up to three qualifications, the system greys out programmes you do not qualify for, and each application is valid for one academic year. The admission FAQ states a non-refundable application fee of R100, while the international page says online application is free; confirm with the admissions office. Status can be tracked at status.wsu.ac.za. Campus admissions contacts: Mthatha 047 502 2448, Komani 040 842 6842, Buffalo City 043 702 9369, Butterworth [email protected].
The university states that it has four campuses, with several sites each:
Student services listed by the university include counselling units, social workers, health services, ICT student support, a library catalogue (OPAC) and student residences with Wi-Fi and upgraded computer labs reported across campuses.
Study programmes offered at Walter Sisulu University.
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