University of Venda (UNIVEN)

Written by Mohapi · Last updated 15 August 2026 · How these figures are checked

UNIVEN has a route that catches people who applied for something competitive and missed, and it is worth knowing about before you assume a decline is the end of it.

Two conditions, not one

Notice that UNIVEN states its requirement as a pair, and you need both halves.

• The pass structure: level 4 or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects. That is the national Bachelor's rule. See Bachelor's, Diploma or Higher Certificate pass?
• The points: a minimum score of 26.

They can come apart. A learner can reach 26 points on the strength of three strong subjects while having only three at level 4, and not qualify. Check both against your own results rather than only totalling.

The extended programme route

This part works differently from how most people expect.

UNIVEN runs an Extended Degree department for applicants who do not qualify for the degree programme they chose but who do meet the requirements for a bachelor's degree or hold matric exemption. Rather than being turned away, they can be considered for an extended version of a programme, the same qualification, spread over a longer first phase with additional academic support.

The important framing: this is not a lower door for weak applicants. It is a route for people who were good enough for university but did not clear the bar for a competitive programme. Someone who applied for a health sciences degree, missed it, and would otherwise have nothing.

So if UNIVEN declines your first choice, ask specifically whether an extended programme is available for you. It is a question worth putting to admissions directly.

UNIVEN publishes a point band for extended programme consideration. It is not quoted here because the figure appeared inconsistently across the material reached, and an approximate band on a page like this is worse than none. Ask admissions@univen.ac.za for the current figure.

Applying on Grade 11 results

UNIVEN accepts a Grade 11 report or a statement of Grade 12 results at application, alongside your ID or passport, uploaded as scans.

That means you can apply before your finals are out, which is the right thing to do. An early conditional application is strictly better than waiting. Your final offer is confirmed against your actual NSC results, so treat an early outcome as provisional.

Where UNIVEN is

UNIVEN is in Thohoyandou, in the far north of Limpopo, on a single campus.

It is a comprehensive university: degrees and diplomas across health sciences, agriculture, environmental sciences, management, law, education and the humanities, serving a largely rural region where it is by some distance the nearest public institution. For learners in Vhembe and the surrounding districts that proximity is often the deciding factor, and it is a legitimate one.

Who UNIVEN genuinely suits

• Learners in northern Limpopo, for whom UNIVEN is usually the closest university.
• Students who cleared a Bachelor's pass but missed a competitive programme, given the extended route.
• Applicants for agriculture and environmental sciences, which are long-standing strengths here.
• Anyone wanting a residential campus experience.

Applying

• Apply directly to UNIVEN. It is not a CAO institution.
• Check both conditions: four subjects at level 4, and 26 points excluding Life Orientation.
• Apply on Grade 11 results rather than waiting for finals.
• If your first choice is declined, ask about extended programmes before assuming it is over.
• Residence and funding are separate applications.

Per-programme requirements above the 26-point minimum, application fees and closing dates are set per cycle and are not reproduced here. Confirm in UNIVEN's current undergraduate prospectus.

What people get wrong when applying to UNIVEN