Certified Copies and Supporting Documents: A Practical Guide
Written by the SA Bursary Hub Editorial Team · Published on · 5 min read
Where to get documents certified in South Africa, how to prepare clean scans for online bursary portals, and how to avoid the upload problems that delay applications.
What certification means
A certified copy is a photocopy that an authorised person has stamped and signed to confirm it matches the original. Many South African bursary and institution applications ask for certified copies of identity documents and results. Requirements differ between funders, including how recent the certification must be, so check the funder's own instructions and take the originals with you when you go.
Where certification is commonly done
Certification is commonly available at South African Police Service stations and at Commissioners of Oaths, and some post offices, banks and municipal offices offer it. Availability differs by area. Phone ahead if you can, take the original documents and the copies, and ask how many sets you need certified so you do not have to return.
Prepare one clean digital pack
Most applications are online now. Scan or photograph each certified document once, straight, in good light, and save it as a clearly named PDF. Doing this once saves hours across a season of applications.
- Name files plainly: Surname_ID.pdf, Surname_Results.pdf
- Keep each file under the portal's size limit, often a few megabytes
- Use PDF unless the portal asks for something else
- Open every file after saving and confirm the stamp and text are readable
- Keep the folder backed up in email or cloud storage in case your phone is lost
Documents commonly requested
The exact list is set by each funder. As general guidance, applications often ask for some combination of the following. Confirm the required list on the official application page before you submit.
- Certified copy of your ID, and of your parents' or guardians' IDs
- Latest academic results, or Grade 11 and 12 results for school leavers
- Proof of household income: payslips, an affidavit, pension or grant slips
- Proof of acceptance or registration at your institution
- CV and a motivational letter
- Proof of residence and banking details where requested
Common upload problems
Files that are too large, photographs taken at an angle, dark scans where the certification stamp cannot be read, and documents uploaded into the wrong field are the usual causes of a file being set aside as incomplete. Where the portal shows an uploaded preview, look at it before submitting, and keep the submission confirmation or reference number.
SA Bursary Hub editorial team
This guide is written from the South African application process and reviewed before publication. It is general guidance, not funder policy. How we verify information.