Study Computer Science & IT

BSc Computer Science, BSc IT or BCom Informatics, 3 years (NQF 7); BSc Hons adds 1 year (NQF 8). BEng Computer Engineering is a separate 4-year route.

Pay in South AfricaR410–830ka year · typical R580k Work abroad4.5 of 5best: Ireland, Germany AI outlookTransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Getting inHighcompetition for places · 3 years

R52 050 to R105 000 first-year fees 17 bursaries list Computer Science & IT

School subjects: Maths requiredPhysical Sciences required at some universitiesMaths Literacy not accepted

Entry details and typical minimums

English (home or first additional language) at the faculty minimum; IT or CAT at school helps but is almost never required. Physical Sciences is required for UFS's BSc(IT) and at UCT (where Information Technology may replace it for the Computer Science and Business Computing majors only); NWU asks for it at level 4 in most BSc streams with Computer Science, but not for its BSc in Information Technology or the Computer Science and Economics stream; UKZN accepts Physical Sciences, Life Sciences or Agricultural Sciences at level 4.

Typical minimums: Varies by university. Research-intensive universities generally want NSC Mathematics in the 60-70%+ band for BSc entry; check each faculty's published APS/points score.

Sources: Wits Faculty of Science undergraduate programmes · SACAB (SA computing accreditation board) · NWU Natural and Agricultural Sciences 2027 admission table (BSc with Computer Science and Mathematics: Physical Science level 4; BSc in Information Technology: Mathematics level 4 only) · UCT 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus, p.69 (Science: Physical Sciences 60%; Note 3, Information Technology may replace it for Computer Science and Business Computing) · UFS Undergraduate Prospectus 2027, PDF p.16 (BSc(IT) major combinations: Physical Sciences level 4-5) · UKZN Undergraduate Prospectus 2027, p.21 (BSc streams: Agricultural Sciences, Life Sciences or Physical Sciences at level 4) · CAO Handbook 2027 Entry, p.177 (PDF p.189), 19. Science and Mathematics: UKZN B Sc Generic Degree KN-P-BG4 / KN-W-BG4, APS 28, Maths 4, Agric Sci or Life Sci or Phys Sci 4

Pay

Yearly gross pay, turned into rand at the exchange rate. The dot is the typical figure. How pay is measured

USAR1.9–3.1m
UAER1.5–2.3m^~
GermanyR1.2–1.9m
AustraliaR1.1–1.9m
NetherlandsR1.1–1.8m
UKR1.0–1.8m
CanadaR1.0–1.6m
New ZealandR940k–1.6m
IrelandR570k–1.8m^~
South AfricaR410–830k

~ limited evidence

Working abroad 4.5 of 5

Score out of 5. Tap a country for steps and visas.

AI outlook

TransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Coding is where AI tools are most advanced and most used, so the work is changing fastest here. Developers who direct these tools well are already far more productive, and demand for them may grow rather than shrink.

Hands-on In-person care Licensed & accountable

How AI changes each field

Careers

Software developer
Data engineer
Cybersecurity analyst
Systems/cloud engineer
IT business analyst
DevOps engineer

Seoul Accord (South Africa is NOT a member)

The Seoul Accord mutually recognises accredited computing degrees. Its 13 signatories include the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland and Japan, but not South Africa. SACAB/IITPSA accredits SA computing degrees locally and has sought a link, but SA is not listed as a signatory or provisional member.

Where to study 8

First-year tuition, as published. My Matric Map can check your results against each of these. Tap a university for its entry requirements and dates. Compare study costs

Country by country: steps, exams, visas and pay sources

Software work is unregulated almost everywhere, so employers hire SA graduates directly on skill. The barrier is the visa, not a licence. One of the most portable degrees a South African can take.

Where it can take you

Computer Science & IT → Ireland

Overall 5/5 · Excellent prospects

Unregulated, and ICT roles sit on Ireland's Critical Skills list, so no labour market needs test applies.

Recognition: 5/5 · Open door. Unregulated there, or the South African qualification is accepted as it is.
Demand: High demand

Sources: Critical Skills Employment Permit (Dept of Enterprise) · Critical Skills Occupations List · DETE, Current processing dates for employment permits ('As of 02 October 2026 ... Critical Skills Employment Permit Applications 25 September 2026; New General Employment Permit Applications 26 August 2026')

Qualification and licensing guide

Pay, in rand at the exchange rate

Typical gross pay in each country, turned into rand at the exchange rate. Compare salaries switches between the exchange rate, buying power and after tax, and says how each works.

United States R1.9–3.1m4.2× SA

United Arab Emirates R1.5–2.3m^*3.3× SA

Germany R1.2–1.9m2.6× SA

Australia R1.1–1.9m2.6× SA

Netherlands R1.1–1.8m^*2.5× SA

United Kingdom R1.0–1.8m2.3× SA

Canada R1.0–1.6m2.2× SA

New Zealand R940k–1.6m^*2.2× SA

Ireland R570k–1.8m^*1.8× SA

South Africa R410–830k

South Africa · line: the South African figure · pay range · starting pay · hover or tap a bar for details · gross pay a year, low to high estimate; the bar ends at the typical figure · * weaker figure

Country	Typical gross pay	Range and starting pay	Occupation and source
South Africa	ZAR 578 400 Average 2026	ZAR 411 420 to 828 228 salary survey range, 2026 · OfferZen 2026 Salary and Benefits Report · low confidence · PRIVATE. No percentiles published: band = mean of 2-4y (R34,285/mth) to 6-10y (R69,019) devs x12. Starting not official: 0-2y mean R22,181/mth = R266,172.	Software developer, 4-6 years' experience (intermediate) OfferZen 2026 Salary and Benefits Report (2,400+ SA developers) · PRIVATE-SECTOR. Mean monthly R48,200 x12 for the mid-experience band. Ladder: R22,181 (0-2y), R34,285, R48,200, R69,019, R100,232 (10+y) per month.
United Kingdom	GBP 56 914 Median 2025	GBP 42 289 to 75 794 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · SOC 2134 Programmers and software development professionals, full-time, April 2025. Starting GBP 30 000 Graduate/junior software developer, 2026 · National Careers Service job profile: software-developer ('Starter' salary) · NCS starter 30,000; experienced 75,000.	SOC2020 2134 Programmers and software development professionals ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · Median gross annual pay, full-time employees, April 2025. CV 2.7%.
Ireland	EUR 51 133 Middle of the advertised range 2026	EUR 28 000 to 90 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · low confidence · Software Engineer, lowest to highest across bands and 5 cities (same source as typical). Multinational tech employers often pay above this guide. Starting EUR 40 040 First year after an L8 computing degree, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2022 graduates, year 1): Information and Communication Technologies · EUR770/wk x52. Median, earned 2023. Broad field of study; includes part-time workers, so understates full-time pay.	Software Engineer (Software Testing & Development) Morgan McKinley Ireland Salary Guide 2026 (permanent salaries) · Midpoint of each published band (0-3/3-5/5+ yrs) averaged over bands and the 5 listed cities. Range EUR28,000-90,000. Principal/lead software engineers run EUR65,000-110,000.
Netherlands	EUR 71 760 Median 2025	EUR 55 744 to 88 816 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (p25/p75 gross hourly) · BRC 2014 0814 Software- en applicatieontwikkelaars, employees, 2025: p25 26.80/h, p75 42.70/h x2080, excl. holiday pay (as typical). Starting EUR 49 234 New wo-master graduate, 1 year after leaving university, 2024 · CBS StatLine 83815NED Uitstromers ho; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (median, cohort 2022/'23, 1 yr after leaving) · low confidence, not shown on the chart · Wo-master 'Natuur': median 23.67/h x2080, Oct 2024, employees. University computing programmes are split between the Natuur and Techniek fields (Techniek 24.30/h); no ICT-only figure.	BRC 2014 0814 Software- en applicatieontwikkelaars CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep · Median gross hourly x2080 (40h x52). Hourly excl. holiday pay, NL full-time ~36-38h; errors largely offset. ICT analysts/consultants (0813) higher at 39.30/h.
Germany	EUR 75 612 Median 2025	EUR 60 408 to 92 676 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BA Entgeltatlas (Beschaeftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025, Vollzeit, all ages, Germany · KldB 43414, monthly p25-p75 x12. Software developers, expert level. Starting EUR 49 494 IT graduate (Bachelor) in municipal service, TVoeD E10 Stufe 1, 2026 · TVoeD/VKA Entgelttabelle 2026 (valid 1 May 2026-31 Mar 2027); EGO VKA Teil A II.2 (IT with relevant degree = E10) · low confidence, not shown on the chart · Public sector only; private-sector graduate pay is usually higher and is not officially published. Excludes annual Jahressonderzahlung.	KldB 2010 43414 Berufe in der Softwareentwicklung - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten BA Entgeltatlas (Beschäftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025 · Median monthly gross full-time x12. Employees in social insurance only (no self-employed/Beamte); capped at 8,050 EUR/mo. n=202,128; specialist level 43413 is 6,729/mo.
United States	USD 135 980 Median 2025	USD 105 210 to 171 980 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 national (via BLS Public Data API) · OEWS May 2025 national annual 25th/75th percentile for SOC 15-1252; p10 $82,460, p90 $214,670; not top-coded. Starting USD 77 400 1 year after a bachelor's in computer science (CIP 11.07), 2022 · College Scorecard field-of-study data (Jun 2026 release), EARN_MDN_1YR · Grad-weighted median of program medians, earnings 1 yr after completion (2018-20 grads, CY2020-21, 2022 $; working & not enrolled, incl. part-time). NACE Winter 2026 projects $81,535 average for CS bachelor's (employer projection, mean).	15-1252 Software Developers BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national · OEWS national median annual wage, May 2025.
Canada	CAD 100 006 Median 2024	CAD 79 997 to 126 194 25th to 75th percentile, 2024 · Job Bank wage data 2025 release (LFS 2023-2024), national quartiles · Job Bank Q1/Q3 hourly C$38.46/C$60.67 x2080, NOC 21232, LFS 2023-24. Low/high (~p10/p90): C$62,400/C$159,994. Starting CAD 77 600 2 years after a bachelor's in computer and information sciences (CIP 11), 2024 · Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0281 (ELMLP), graduates two years after graduation · Median employment income 2 yrs after graduation (2022 grads, measured 2024, 2024 $); excludes full-time students, includes part-time/part-year workers.	21232 Software developers and programmers Job Bank wage data (open data), Labour Force Survey · National median hourly wage C$48.08 x 2080 h. Job Bank/LFS reference period 2023-2024, published 19 Nov 2025.
Australia	AUD 131 924 Median 2025	AUD 90 900 to 167 100 25th to 75th percentile, estimated from tax statistics (includes part-time), 2024 · ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 14A (occupation unit group x taxable income range); medians from Table 15B · low confidence · p25/p75 interpolated from 5 taxable-income bands (linear density matched to band means). Includes part-time/part-year earners and non-wage income; 2023-24 dollars, not uprated. Starting AUD 80 000 About 4 months after completing the bachelor's degree, full-time employed domestic graduates, 2025 · QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 national report tables: median full-time salary, undergraduates, by 45 study areas ('Computing and information systems') · Computing and information systems graduates, 2025 survey (2024: 75,100).	Software and Applications Programmers (ANZSCO 2613) ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (customised report), via JSA Occupation Profiles · Median $2537/wk x52; FT non-managerial adult-rate employees, before tax. Covers software engineers, testers and other applications programmers.
New Zealand	NZD 122 000 Median 2026	NZD 90 000 to 154 000 careers service range, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator job profile: Software developer ('most common' pay range) · Tahatu 'most common' band (full published range 65,000-193,000); Stats NZ IDI/Census + IR data, percentiles not defined, no vintage stated. Starting NZD 63 000 Graduate developer, year 1 after the bachelor's, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator study page 'Bachelors degrees in software engineering and computer science': median employed income 1 year after completion (Stats NZ IDI + IR) · Published in $ thousands; vintage not stated; includes part-year/part-time earners. Year-1 p25-p75 51k-73k; year 5 91k.	Software developer Tahatu Career Navigator (Ministry of Education / Tertiary Education Commission careers service) · Published range $65,000-$193,000, most common $90,000-$154,000. From Stats NZ Census/IDI + Inland Revenue data; no vintage stated (year = year observed).
United Arab Emirates	AED 390 000 Middle of the advertised range 2026	AED 300 000 to 480 000 salary survey range, 2026 · Robert Walters Middle East Salary Survey 2026 (recruiter, advertised roles) · low confidence · Same RW row as typical (software engineer), basic pay x12. Hays 2025 full-stack dev 25k-40k agrees. No junior/graduate row; no official starting figure.	Software Engineer Robert Walters Middle East Salary Survey 2026 (recruiter, from advertised roles) · Recruiter data from job ads, basic pay. Average AED 32,500/month (25,000-40,000) x12. Cooper Fitch 2025 start-up software engineer: 25,000-35,000.

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Researched 2026-10-07.