LLM Degree Tuition Fees In South Africa

LLM Tuition Fees In South Africa LLM degree tuition fees in South Africa are structured in a way that students from Europe and North America will find familiar. Some South African law schools – but not all – charge international students a higher rate to home students, and tuition fees are often increased annually by around 10%.

The advertised rates are often an average tuition fee charged by the institution during the previous academic year, and most students will receive an estimate of their tuition fees on application to their course. In some cases, tuition fees can be paid on a semester-by-semester basis, so it is worth checking with the individual institutions if this is of interest to you.

So, what does it cost to study an LLM in South Africa?

Home and International students

Tuition fees for students in South Africa Most universities and law schools in South Africa charge discounted rates to students who are South African citizens or residents and those students who are citizens or residents of other Southern African Development Community (SADC) states. The SADC states are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Higher fees are often, but not always, charged to students who are citizens or residents from outside of the SADC area. International students are sometimes charged an additional fee of South African Rand 1,000 to R3,000 (£45–£135) on top of tuition fees and other costs. Tuition fees usually cover registration for the course, all charges associated with classes and tutorials, examinations, library access, personal accident insurance, and use of facilities like gyms and health facilities.

Variation in tuition fees

Law schools in South Africa don't have a huge variation in tuition fees charged to students, but some do charge more than others. The University of Cape Town is often ranked as one of the best law schools in South Africa, and for 2024 they are charging around R72,020 (approx £3,100) for its taught LLM degree. Meanwhile, the University of Pretoria, another well-respected law school, is charging R22,220 (approx £1,000) per annum for its LLM by Research and between R30,000 and R55,000 (approx £1,300–£2,400) per annum for its taught LLM degree.

This table has infornation about the LLM degree tuition fees at some of the different universities in South Africa.

University	LLM Degree	Tuition Fees
University of Pretoria	LLM by Research Taught LLM	R22,220 per annum R30,000-55,000 per annum
University of the Witwatersrand	LLM by Research (Full time) LLM by Research (Part time)	R36,720 per annum R24,880 per annum
University of Cape Town	Taught LLM	R72,020
Stellenbosch University	LLM by Coursework	R48,458–R75,297
University of KwaZulu-Natal	LLM	R35,120–R62,740

Full-time, part-time and research LLM tuition fees

Generally, LLM courses in South Africa charge the same total tuition fees regardless of if they are undertaken on a full-time or part-time basis. The tuition fees of Research LLM courses are often be charged at a lower rate, as the above table illustrates

Additional fees

Universities in South Africa usually charge a small application fee for LLM and other postgraduate students, and this amount can differ between home students and international students. For example, the University of KwaZulu-Nata has apostgraduate admission fee of R210 (approx £10) for South African students and R470 (approx £20) for international students. Current students at the University of KwaZulu Natal are exempt from paying LLM degree application fees.

Many South Affrican law schools also charge a deposit for many of their postgraduate courses and this can be as much as R9,000 (approx £400). This is referred to as the first fee payment or as an acceptance deposit, and is a part payment of the tuition fees. Some institutions charge first time students a non-refundable acceptance of around R250 in addition to further acceptance deposits.

Other course costs

Don't forget about extra costs you will incur whilst studying your LLM program, like course materials, textbooks and travelling to and from your classes. Many universities will also charge you fines for late returning of books and for any damage you cause while you are studying at the law school. Many institutions in South Africa will charge students interest on unpaid fees of 1% each month after the final tuition fee payment is due and a 10% charge on late payment of the first instalment of the tuition fees. Most law societies and clubs in South African law schools require the payment of fees for membership as well.

Other costs associated with studying an LLM in South Africa

There are other costs you will need to cover when studying an LLM in South Africa.

Accommodation – this will differ depending on where you are studying and where you want to live. Living on campus is a popular choice for international students and each university provides comprehensive guides to the cost of on-campus living. Depending on whether you're planning to live in catered or self-catered halls of residence or share accommodation. Annual student accommodation costs at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg for 2024 are as follows:

Shared room from R59,186 per annum.
Single room from R67390 per annum.
Double room from R80,875 per annum.
Studio apartment from R117,174 per annum

This means that student accommodation at the University of the Witwatersrand is between around £2,570 and £5,100 per year. Meanwhile, student accommodation costs at Stellenbosch University range from R48,000 for a shared room to R75,000 for a single room (£2,000 to £3,250).

Food – what you pay for food will vary depending on your diet and lifestyle as an LLM student in South Africa. Most universities advise between R3,000 and R5,000 per month if you're not living in catered halls of residence.

Transport – you're living on campus, then you'll not have much to consider for commuting costs. But if you are staying at home with your parents, or living off campus, then you'll undoubtedly have costs associated with commuting. It depends on the type of vehicle or the way you plan to travel. You might want to consider using public transport or buying a car. If you’re living close enough to the law school campus you could even buy a bicycle, which will cost around R2,000 to purchase.

Healthcare – International students will certainly want to have health and dental insurance for the duration of their courses. Depending on pre-existing conditions and the provider, you should expect to pay from around R500 per month.

Set-up costs – if you’re moving specifically to attend your new law school you would expect to incur some set up costs. Plan to spend around R15,000 to R30,000 on a computer/laptop, and set aside some more cash to make your student accommodation feel a little more like home easing that settling in period.

Returning home – when deciding where to study your LLM program, you should factor in the costs associated with travelling home. If you are coming to South Africa as an international student your flight costs could be quite high, for example a flight to London will cost from around £400 one way.

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