When you apply through the Central Applications Office (CAO) in KwaZulu-Natal, you pay one administration fee for the whole application — not a fee per university. What you owe comes from CAO's 2027 Entry FAQs, and it changes with two things: which term you are applying for, and whether your money reaches CAO before or after the late-fee date.
Here is the full picture in one place: what that single fee pays for, the on-time and late amounts for January 2027 and July 2027 entry, why South African and international applicants pay different amounts, and what happens while your payment is still clearing.
What the CAO Application Fee Is
CAO calls this an administration fee, and the name tells you what it buys: the handling of your application. It does not buy you a place. Even if you meet a programme's minimum entry requirements, admission is not guaranteed — each institution decides who it takes, and CAO's job is to process your application and pass it on.
One fee covers one application, and one application can carry up to six programme choices at participating institutions. You never pay per choice, which is a real saving compared with applying to each institution on its own — although some institutions also run their own direct applications for people who do not go through CAO. Keep the two routes apart: an institution's direct-application fee does not belong at CAO, and a CAO fee paid to an institution has not reached CAO.
Your application only becomes valid once the full fee is in. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, that means CAO must have both your completed application — programme choices plus any required signed declaration — and the full administration fee. Until both are received, nothing is processed or sent to institutions.
How Much Is the CAO Application Fee for 2027 Entry?
Two questions decide what you pay: which term are you entering, and has your fee actually reached CAO by the on-time date or only after the late date? Starting the payment is not the test — the fee reaching CAO is. Leave room for bank clearance, especially when you pay at an EasyPay outlet.
The table below sets out the fee grid from CAO's 2027 Entry FAQs. Take care to read the row for your own entry term, because January and July run on different dates.
| Entry term | Fee reaches CAO | South African citizens | International applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | On or before 31 October 2026 | R250.00 | R300.00 |
| January 2027 | On or after 1 November 2026 | R470.00 | R580.00 |
| July 2027 | On or before 31 May 2027 | R250.00 | R300.00 |
| July 2027 | On or after 1 June 2027 | R470.00 | R580.00 |
So, in brief: pay on time and the fee is R250 for South African citizens and R300 for international applicants; pay late and the whole fee becomes R470 and R580 respectively. That late figure is not the on-time fee plus a penalty — it is the full fee that applies once the late date has passed.
Who Counts as an International Applicant?
Under CAO's 2027 Entry FAQs, you count as an international applicant if you are not a citizen or permanent resident of South Africa, or if you are a refugee or asylum seeker holding a permit that allows study. Not sure which box you fall into? Check the category on your application before you pay — the wrong amount leaves a balance outstanding and holds up processing.
There is also a route to watch. CAO's FAQs say you may apply through CAO if you want to study at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) or the University of Zululand (UNIZULU), but if you are applying to the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) only, you should apply directly to that institution. A study permit sits outside the CAO fee altogether: once you hold an offer, you sort it through the South African embassy, high commission, consulate or trade office — and do not travel before it is granted.
On-Time Fee Versus Late Fee: The Distinction That Causes Confusion
Applicants often mix up two different dates, and that mix-up costs real money and time.
The first is the programme closing date. Every programme publishes its own, and if your application arrives after it, it is flagged as late for that programme. What happens next is up to each institution: your application may only be looked at after every on-time application has been considered, and only if places are still open.
The second is the late administration fee date, and it works differently. CAO's Terms and Conditions set a single date for it: 1 November for first-semester programmes and 1 June for second-semester programmes, no matter what individual programme closing dates say. So you can be flagged as late for one programme and still pay the on-time fee, as long as your fee reaches CAO before 1 November (for January entry) or 1 June (for July entry). Flip it around, and once that late date has passed, the higher fee applies even if your programme is still open.
Watch out for one exception, though. Some programme choices carry a note saying no applications will be considered if received after the programme closing date. For those, a late application is not considered at all, whatever fee you pay. Before you count on a late application, check the closing-date note for each of your six choices in the Handbook or programme list.
What the Fee Does Not Cover
Your CAO fee does not pay for tuition, registration, residence or an acceptance-of-offer deposit. If an institution offers you a place, it will tell you how and where any acceptance fee must be paid — and CAO's FAQs are clear that you must not pay an acceptance-of-offer fee to CAO.
Funding is not covered either. CAO is not the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). You can tick on your CAO application that you need funding, and CAO will pass your details to the institution — but the funding application itself goes directly to NSFAS. Plan them as two separate processes, and pay them separately too.
And lastly, the fee does not come back. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, administration fees and Change of Mind fees are not refundable — whether you change your mind about studying, are unsuccessful, or decide to try for a different entry term. There is a separate, narrow process for an amount overpaid in error, covered in the refund guide linked below, but a correctly paid administration fee is not returned.
When Your Application Is Actually Processed
Paying and clearing are two different moments. Under CAO's Terms and Conditions, your application reaches institutions the day after the administration fee clears at the bank — and for EasyPay, that means the next business day after the bank has cleared your funds. CAO's FAQs put it plainly too: a payment made today only shows on its system on the next business day, and only then is your application sent on to the institutions you chose.
Near a deadline, that gap can decide which fee you owe. Pay on the last on-time day, but if the funds only clear after the late fee date, it is the date the fee reaches CAO that counts. Pay early, hold on to your proof of payment, and check your status after the next business day instead of assuming today's payment is already processed.
Once CAO has your valid application, expect an acknowledgement letter by email within two weeks. Go through every detail and fix any errors online straight away — anything left uncorrected is treated as correct and complete one week after the letter is sent.
