Foundation Study Fund for South African Students (SSF)

The Foundation Study Fund for South African Students (SSF) is part of a greater organisation, the Zuid-Afrika Huis in Amsterdam, a private institution, that aims to maintain and promote the cultural ties between the Netherlands and South Africa.

The SSF, established in 1885, is rooted in the history that firmly links South Africa with the Netherlands. It affirmed affinity with South Africa throughout its process of transformation and it now wants to contribute towards the building of a democratic society by offering young, bright South Africans the opportunity to gain access to high-quality education and research in the Netherlands.

Traditionally, the Dutch and Afrikaans languages are strong vehicles to maintain and strengthen the cultural links between the two countries, and projects in the realm of languages and literature are therefore an obvious focus of (people applying for a scholarship of) the SSF. However, there is ample evidence that the two countries have more to offer each other: academic links, exchanges and collaboration comprise all areas of the humanities.