iNdex Bursaryby iNdex Tech Solutions Join early access
Bursary & scholarship management · Africa · Early access

Bursary management software that reaches every student, and explains every decision.

Students apply on WhatsApp, by USSD on a basic phone, on a light web portal, or in person on an offline field app. Every eligible application is scored out of 100 with the reason for each point, and people make every decision. POPIA consent comes first; every staff action is logged.

Join early access Chat on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)

Seven languages, chosen by the applicant:English Afrikaans isiXhosa isiZulu Setswana Sesotho Sepedi

01Two letters

A bursary is a promise. It should be easy to ask for, and fair to give.

To the student

You should not need data, an email address or perfect English to ask for help with your studies.

Apply from the phone you already have, in the language you think in. A basic phone with USSD works. So does WhatsApp, or a coordinator at your nearest site.

You get a reference number the moment you finish. Send status any time to see where your application stands. If it does not go through, you are told why.

  • No app to install, no email needed
  • Your documents as photos, in the same chat
  • Nothing is stored until you agree
To the funder

Every award will be questioned, by a community, a board or an auditor. Have the answer ready.

iNdex Bursary holds every application to the same written rules, whichever channel or site it came through. The score keeps its reasons. The decision keeps its owner.

Duplicates are caught by ID number and by document fingerprint. Consent is on record. The audit log only grows.

  • One programme, many sites, clear roles
  • A reason on every line of every score
  • Insert-only audit log of staff actions
02The journey

From a first message to an award letter.

Six stages, the same for every applicant. Each move is enforced by the system, not left to habit.

  1. Apply

    On WhatsApp, USSD, the portal or with a coordinator. Language first, then the privacy notice.

    Student

  2. Consent

    Nothing is saved without a yes. Under 18? A parent or guardian agrees too, with name and number recorded.

    Student & guardian

  3. Screen & score

    Eligibility rules run on submit. An eligible application gets its score and a reference number.

    Automatic

  4. Documents

    ID, latest results and proof of income, as photos or PDFs. The system asks for what is still missing.

    Student

  5. Review

    Site managers verify or reject each document with a reason, check flagged duplicates and shortlist.

    Site manager

  6. Award

    Only a shortlisted application can be awarded, and only by a programme manager. A decline carries a reason.

    Programme manager

What comes after the award is on the roadmap, not in early access: paying fees and allowances (disbursement), bank verification, mentor matching and alumni tracking. We will tell you exactly what is live when we talk.

03Four ways in

Apply for a bursary on WhatsApp, or on any phone with USSD.

The same questions in the same order on every channel: site, name, ID number, home area, studies, latest average and household income, then a summary to confirm.

WhatsApp

One question at a time. Photos and PDFs arrive in the same chat; a caption like “ID” or “matric” files each one. Send PRIVACY at any point to read the full notice.

USSD, on any basic phone

Numbered menus, every screen under 160 characters. No data and no smartphone. If the session drops, the next dial offers to continue where it stopped.

Language · consent · income · result

A web portal light on data

A six-step form that works without JavaScript and makes no third-party requests, in the same seven languages. Applicants check progress with their reference and phone number.

An offline field app

A coordinator captures applications in a school hall with no signal. They are sent when the device is back online. A site can also run an offline hub on an Android phone that syncs with the cloud.

04Explainable selection

A score with its reasons written beside it.

Pass-or-fail eligibility comes first. Then every eligible applicant is scored out of 100 on three things, each a straight line between published end points. Applications are ranked by score; people decide.

40Academic merit: 0 at a 50% average, full at 90%
40Financial need: 0 at R350,000 a year, full at no income
20Scarce skills: full for priority fields, 5 otherwise

“A computer works out a score from published rules, but people make every decision.”From the consent screen every portal applicant reads

Lerato M. · RVS-7KQ4XRElectrical Engineering · University · year 1
Eligible

Eligibility (default rules)

  • Valid South African ID
  • Age 16 to 35
  • Average 50% or more
  • Income R350,000 or less
Academic merit30 / 40

Average of 80% (0 points at 50%, full points at 90%).

Financial need34.3 / 40

Household income of R50,000 a year (0 points at R350,000 or more).

Scarce skills20 / 20

Electrical Engineering is a priority field for the sector.

Total, stored line by line with each reason84.3 / 100

Illustration. A worked example of the scoring rules, not a real applicant.

Documents · RVS-7KQ4XR3 required · 1 asked for
1 to check
  • ID copyRequired · sent on WhatsAppVerified
  • Latest resultsRequired · matric or academic recordVerified
  • Proof of household incomeRejected: “Photo is cut off, please send the whole page”Rejected
  • Proof of household incomeRequired · sent againPending
  • Parent’s or guardian’s IDAsked for when the applicant is under 18Not required
JPEG, PNG or PDF up to 10 MBPrivate storage, staff onlyEvery opening logged

Illustration of the document checklist on one application.

05Documents

Checked by people. With the reason kept.

An application needs its ID copy, latest results and proof of household income before it can be decided. The applicant is told what is still missing, in their language.

  • Verify or reject, never silently

    A site manager verifies each document or rejects it with a reason. A rejected copy does not count towards the checklist.

  • Duplicates caught twice over

    One open or awarded application per ID number across the whole programme. Every file is fingerprinted, so the same document sent with two applications is flagged.

  • Minors handled with care

    For an applicant under 18, the guardian’s consent is already on record; their ID is asked for as well.

06For funders & programme teams

Scholarship management for Africa, across every site you fund.

One programme dashboard: everyone who reached each stage, how applicants arrived, your sites on a map, and what still needs a person.

Illustration of the programme dashboard. Shapes only, not real data; site positions are invented.

Roles that match the work

Coordinators capture, site managers screen and shortlist, programme managers award. Permissions are enforced on the server.

Site coordinatorSite managerProgramme manager

Filter and find

Search applications by site and status. Open one to see its eligibility reasons, score lines, documents, consent and history.

Each programme apart

Every programme’s data is kept separate. Portal answers stay on the server, never in a URL.

Web, Android, Windows

The staff web app, plus an Android app and a Windows desktop app built around it.

07For students

Apply in the language you think in.

WhatsApp, USSD and the web portal all speak seven African languages. Choose yours on the first screen.

  • English
  • Afrikaans
  • isiXhosa
  • isiZulu
  • Setswana
  • Sesotho
  • Sepedi

Know where you stand

Send “status” or your reference number on WhatsApp or USSD, or use your reference and phone number on the portal.

Pick up where you left off

If a USSD session drops, the next dial asks whether to continue. Nothing you typed is wasted.

Privacy you can read

The privacy notice comes first. On WhatsApp, send “PRIVACY” at any point to read it again.

08POPIA & accountability

Consent on record. An audit log that only grows.

The rules live where the data is stored, so no screen or channel can skip them.

  • Consent before anything is stored

    Each application records when the applicant agreed and which version of the privacy notice they agreed to.

  • Guardian consent for under-18s

    POPIA sections 34 and 35: a parent’s or guardian’s consent is required, with their name and phone number recorded.

  • Insert-only audit log

    Captures, screenings, decisions, uploads, verifications and every opening of a document file, with who did it and before-and-after snapshots.

  • Locked down by default

    WhatsApp messages are signature-checked and status lookups are rate-limited.

Consent record · illustration
Privacy notice
popia-v1, agreed
Applicant age
Under 18
Guardian
Name and phone recorded, agreed
09Questions

What funders and students ask us

Can students apply for a bursary on WhatsApp?

Yes. The applicant sends a message, chooses one of seven languages, agrees to the privacy notice and answers one question at a time. They get a reference number straight away, then send photos or PDFs of their documents in the same chat.

Do applicants need a smartphone or data?

No. Applicants can apply by USSD on a basic phone, on WhatsApp, or on a light web portal that works without JavaScript. A site coordinator can also capture an application in person on the offline field app.

Which languages are supported?

English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Setswana, Sesotho and Sepedi on WhatsApp, USSD and the web portal. The applicant chooses a language at the start.

How is an application scored?

Pass-or-fail eligibility rules come first: a valid South African ID, the age range, a minimum academic average and a household income ceiling. Eligible applications are then scored out of 100: academic merit (40), financial need (40) and scarce skills (20). Every line of the score is stored with the reason for it, and people make every decision.

How does iNdex Bursary handle POPIA?

Nothing is stored until the applicant agrees to the privacy notice, and the version they agreed to is recorded. Applicants under 18 also need a parent's or guardian's consent, recorded with the guardian's name and phone number. Staff actions are written to an insert-only audit log.

Can field staff work without internet?

Yes. A coordinator can capture applications with no connection; they are sent when the device is back online. A site can also run an offline hub on an Android phone that keeps its own copy of the data and syncs with the cloud when it can.

How are duplicate applications prevented?

Each ID number can hold only one open or awarded application across the whole programme, whichever channel or site it arrives on. Supporting documents are fingerprinted, so the exact same file sent with two applications is flagged for review.

Does iNdex Bursary pay out bursaries?

Not yet. Early access covers applications, documents, scoring, review and award. Paying fees and allowances, bank verification, mentor matching and alumni tracking are on the roadmap.

How do I get access?

iNdex Bursary is in early access. Contact iNdex Tech Solutions through the contact page or on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab) to discuss your bursary or scholarship programme.

10Early access

Running a bursary or scholarship programme?

We are working with a small number of early programmes. Tell us about yours: how many sites, which channels your applicants use, and how you select today.

Join early access WhatsApp +27 77 265 9408 (opens in a new tab)

Or email bursary@indextech.co.za · Cape Town, South Africa