MAD Leadership Foundation

The Make A Difference Leadership Foundation, founded by Francois Pienaar, funds academically strong South African students in STEM, Commerce and Chartered Accountancy, alongside leadership mentorship.

Closes

26 July 2026

About this bursary

MAD Leadership Foundation was founded in 2003 to give academically gifted students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds access to funded education plus structured leadership development and mentorship. For 2027, three tracks are open: a high school scholarship for current Grade 8 learners entering Grade 9, an undergraduate STEM/Commerce scholarship, and a Chartered Accountancy (CA(SA)) scholarship for 1st or 2nd year students.

Fields Covered

Undergraduate STEM & Commerce

ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMathematicsCommerce

Chartered Accountancy

CA(SA) — 1st or 2nd year undergraduate

High School

Grade 9 entry (current Grade 8 learners at public schools)

Requirements

✓South African citizen

✓STEM/Commerce track: Grade 12 (2026) or 1st year tertiary, minimum 65% average

✓CA(SA) track: 1st or 2nd year undergraduate, minimum 70% in Financial Accounting

✓Gross household income not exceeding R35,000 per month

✓Strong leadership qualities and community involvement preferred

What you get

★Funded tuition and study costs

★Structured mentorship and leadership development

★Access to a long-term scholar support network

Ready to apply?

You'll be taken to MAD's official application platform.

See other bursaries

Verified against uwc.ac.za official financial aid listing. Applications are processed by MAD directly. MMT does not handle submissions or selection.