This years UCT rates are about R24,000 tuition fees for the year. Average that out over 4 years, and you are looking at about R100,000 for the degree. If you stay in res, add another R25,000 per year, so another R100,000. All in all, you are looking at walking out of varsity having spent about R200,000 to sit in the classes, write the exams, eat their food, and sleep in their beds.
In addition to this, most natural sciences related careers require some sort of industry training/certification, so add to this figure at least two years worth of on the job training at minimum wage, plus expensive international certification exams. Companies dont do this training for free, so most grads are expected to sign training bonds of at least two years post qualification. So, in summary, it takes 8 - 10 years before you start earning decent money and you certifications are paid for. If you have taken a student loan to pay for this, starting varsity at 18 means that most succesful sciences grads will only be debt free and beginning to make money round about their 30th birthday. This is round about the time the whole cycle starts again because to get anywhere in engineering you need a masters of something degree (be it a MBA or MSc)...