LGSETA - Local government

LGSETA bursaries and learnerships 2026

LGSETA serves municipalities across all nine provinces, including employees, ward councillors, traditional leaders and unemployed South Africans seeking local government careers.

Updated 22 July 2026 ·By GoCareers

Visit LGSETA

Sector: Local government & municipalities
Named programmes: DG Bursary, International Scholarships
National office: Bedfordview · 011 456 8579
Fraud line: 080 933 9337
Provincial offices: 8 outside Gauteng
Official domain: lgseta.org.za

Who LGSETA serves

Local government employees across all nine provinces
Unemployed South Africans seeking a local government career
Ward councillors and traditional leaders working within local government structures
Bursary qualifying criteria are set out in each advert rather than published as a standing list
Programmes are delivered with CoGTA, SALGA, IMATU and SAMWU as key stakeholders

What you'll need

Certified copy of SA ID
Certified academic records
Proof of registration or acceptance at an institution (bursary applicants)
Proof of household income
CV
Municipal employment confirmation if applying as an employee

Step by step

Check what is actually open first

Go to lgseta.org.za/learners-overview and check the document dates before you invest time. See the honesty note below - much of the published learner material is several years old.

Tip: Contact the Learning Programmes team directly rather than relying on the website's published windows.
For the DG Bursary: apply during an open window

The Discretionary Grant Bursary is LGSETA's main individual-application route. Adverts and an Individual Bursary User Manual are published when a window opens.
Consider the International Scholarships

LGSETA lists International Scholarships alongside the DG Bursary as a named learner programme - unusual among SETAs and worth asking about directly.
For learnerships: go through your municipality or employer

LGSETA funding flows through DG windows to municipalities and accredited providers, who then place learners. If you work for a municipality, start with your HR or skills development facilitator.
Contact the Learning Programmes team

LGSETA publishes named contacts for Learning Programmes, including the manager and several coordinators. Given the age of the published documents, emailing them is more reliable than the website.

An honest note on what is currently published

We would rather tell you this than waste your time.

As at July 2026, LGSETA's learner-facing pages carry no current open opportunity. The most recent DG Bursary documents are the Bursary Advert October 2023 and Bursary List of Qualifications 2023-24. Career Guides date to 2022, Scarce and Critical Skills material to 2020/2021, and Sector Skills Plans to 2022.

That does not mean LGSETA is inactive - it means its website is not where activity is announced promptly. If you are targeting local government, contact the Learning Programmes team directly and ask your municipality's skills development facilitator what is funded this cycle.

What LGSETA covers

LGSETA is one of 21 SETAs and falls under the Department of Higher Education and Training. Its scope is the local government sector, which it defines as covering local government employees, the unemployed, and "other people such as ward councillors and traditional leaders working within the structures of local government".

Its named stakeholders are CoGTA (Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs), SALGA (South African Local Government Association), IMATU and SAMWU (the two main municipal unions).

Occupational qualifications LGSETA publishes include:

Higher Occupational Certificate: Business Development Officer
Higher Occupational Certificate: Environmental Practitioner
Occupational Certificate: Environmental Monitor
Occupational Certificate: Water Reticulation Practitioner

Programmes

DG Bursary - the main individual-application route, run through discretionary grant windows.
International Scholarships - listed as a named learner programme.
Learnerships - LGSETA publishes a register of "Learnerships Registered Against Occupational Qualifications", though no learner application page.
DG Funding and DG Special Projects - employer-facing funding streams.

Internships and artisan development are not published as LGSETA programmes.

Provincial offices

National Office: Gillooly's View Office Park, 1 Osborne Lane, Bedfordview, 2007 - 011 456 8579

Western Cape: 2nd Floor, Belmont Office Park, Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 - 021 686 7081/2
KwaZulu-Natal: Delmat House, 27-29 Jan Hofmeyer Road, Westville, Durban, 4000 - 031 337 9085
Eastern Cape: Unit GF4 Ground Floor, Rio Ridge Office Park, Berea, East London, 5201 - 043 726 2404
Mpumalanga: 24 Paul Kruger Street, Absa Building, 5th Floor, Mbombela, 1201 - 013 001 2298
Limpopo: 73 Biccard Street, Maneo Building, 1st Floor, Polokwane, 0699 - 015 297 0286
Free State: 47 Keller Street, Bloemfontein, 9300 - 051 448 2481
Northern Cape: 10 Oliver Road, Block 2, Montrio Corporate Park, Kimberley, 8301 - 053 831 2748
North West: Cnr Johanna van der Merwe and OR Tambo Street, Absa Building, 5th Floor, Klerksdorp, 2571 - 018 462 1338

Contact and fraud reporting

Central mailbox: info@lgseta.org.za

PAIA / information requests: inforequest@lgseta.org.za

Fraud line: 080 933 9337

Postal: PO Box 1964, Bedfordview, 2008

Frequently asked questions

Is there an LGSETA bursary open for 2026?

Not on the published pages as at July 2026. The most recent DG Bursary documents on lgseta.org.za are from October 2023. Contact the Learning Programmes team or phone 011 456 8579 to ask about the current cycle rather than relying on the website.

Who does LGSETA serve?

Local government employees, unemployed South Africans seeking local government careers, and people working within local government structures including ward councillors and traditional leaders. Key stakeholders are CoGTA, SALGA, IMATU and SAMWU.

Can I apply to LGSETA directly for a learnership?

There is no learner application page for learnerships. Funding flows through discretionary grant windows to municipalities and accredited providers, who place learners. The DG Bursary is the main individual-application route.

What qualifications does LGSETA offer?

Published occupational qualifications include Business Development Officer, Environmental Practitioner, Environmental Monitor and Water Reticulation Practitioner, plus registers of legacy and occupational qualifications.

Does LGSETA offer international scholarships?

International Scholarships are listed as a named LGSETA learner programme alongside the DG Bursary. This is unusual among SETAs and worth enquiring about directly, since detail is not published.

How do I contact LGSETA?

National office is at Gillooly's View Office Park, 1 Osborne Lane, Bedfordview, on 011 456 8579, email info@lgseta.org.za. There are eight provincial offices. The fraud line is 080 933 9337.

What stipend do LGSETA learnerships pay?

LGSETA publishes no stipend figures. The gazetted legal minimum for registered learnerships applies, starting at R455.00 per week from 1 March 2026. See our learnership stipends guide.

I work for a municipality - how do I access LGSETA funding?

Start with your municipality's HR department or skills development facilitator. LGSETA funds municipalities through discretionary grant windows, and your employer is the one who nominates staff onto funded programmes.

Related guides

Learnership stipends 2026

The gazetted minimum allowance and what real programmes pay.

DPSA circular guide

Municipal posts differ from national government - here is how the public service circular works.

EPWP jobs

Much EPWP work is delivered at municipal level.

Government vacancies

Public sector openings we currently track.

All 21 SETAs explained

What a SETA is, why you cannot apply to one directly, and the route that works.

Last updated 22 July 2026. We review and refresh this guide regularly — if something here is out of date, let us know.