By Charmaine Ndlela

A proposal for a private-sector-funded bursary scheme has emerged from Deputy Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe’s engagement with private higher education institutions, just days after she called on the sector to help expand access to tertiary education.

Gondwe met with private higher education providers and industry associations on Monday as part of a sector-wide dialogue aimed at identifying practical solutions to South Africa’s growing demand for post-school education and training.

During the discussions, she urged the sector to play a greater role in widening access and assisting government to address capacity constraints in the public higher education system.

The first phase of the engagements has now concluded with a proposal to establish a bursary fund financed, administered and managed by private higher education institutions.

According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, private institutions currently enrol about 313,000 students—roughly 30% of all higher education enrolments in South Africa—while public universities accommodate about 1.1 million students.

The department said the proposed bursary scheme could provide financial support to students at private institutions and help broaden access to tertiary education at a time of increasing pressure on public resources.

The proposal gives practical effect to issues raised during Monday’s discussions, where Gondwe emphasised the need to move beyond annual conversations on access and identify tangible interventions to create more study opportunities for school-leavers.

“Given the tightening fiscal environment in the public sector, we now have to think outside the box and consider collaborating more closely with the private sector to support students and build meaningful public-private partnerships,” Gondwe said.

She said such partnerships could strengthen skills development and improve employability, while easing pressure on the public higher education system.

Beyond the bursary proposal, the engagements identified several areas for deeper collaboration between government and private providers.

These include investment in infrastructure, the establishment of specialised universities, curriculum innovation aligned to labour market demands, and creating a more enabling environment for responsible private investment in higher education.

The discussions also focused on strengthening public-private partnerships to improve skills development, infrastructure expansion and graduate employability.

Participants included ADvTECH Group, Regent Business School, STADIO, Eduvos, the Da Vinci Institute, Boston City Campus, and private higher education associations.

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