Scholarship details
Are you a young African leader who wants to further your education in South Africa? Do you aspire to the principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership that Nelson Mandela embodied? Do you want to join a community of changemakers working to transform the continent into a place where everyone has equal opportunity to thrive?
If you answered yes to these questions, then you might be interested in applying for the Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships for Africans. These scholarships are much more than financial support for your studies. They are a unique opportunity for you to embark on a life-changing leadership journey and learn from some of Africa’s best minds and hearts.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Rhodes Trust, established in 2003 to honor the legacy of the late Nelson Mandela. The foundation aims to find, fund, and empower young Africans who share Mandela’s vision of a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Africa.
The foundation offers scholarships for postgraduate study in any field at recognized South African institutions of higher education. The scholarships cover the core costs associated with your studies, such as tuition and registration fees, allowances for study materials, research and medical aid, accommodation and meals, personal allowance, and economy class travel to and from your home country to your South African university.
However, the scholarships are not only about academic excellence. They also include a compulsory leadership development program that will challenge, grow, and connect you to other Mandela Rhodes Scholars and Alumni. The program is built on the foundation’s founding principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and a belief that leadership begins with inner transformation. The program is delivered primarily through a series of week-long residential workshops that you will attend during your residence.
The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships are open to citizens of all African countries who are under the age of 30 years and have an undergraduate degree with excellent academic results (above 70% or upper-second class Honors). You must also be able to study at a postgraduate level in English. The scholarships are for Honors (maximum one year) or Masters (up to a maximum of two years) degrees or their equivalents (MBAs excluded).
If you think you have what it takes to be a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, you should apply soon. The application timeline runs from March to November of each year for the following year’s intake. Applications for the 2024 cohort open on 14 March 2024 and close on 21 April 2024. You can apply online through the foundation’s website.
The selection process is rigorous and competitive, and involves several screening stages, shortlisting, and interviewing. The foundation looks for young leaders who demonstrate the potential to live out the principles of leadership, reconciliation, education, and entrepreneurship. You must provide a personal statement, a resume, academic transcripts, and letters of recommendation as part of your application. You must also answer some essay questions reflecting your leadership journey, your vision for Africa, and your alignment with the foundation’s values.
The final selection of the Mandela Rhodes Scholars is made by a panel of eminent African leaders, who will assess your academic merit, leadership potential, and commitment to the advancement of Africa. The panel will also consider the diversity of the cohort in terms of gender, ethnicity, nationality, discipline, and background. The successful candidates will be notified by November 2024 and will be expected to start their studies in January 2025.
The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young African leaders who want to make a difference in their communities, countries, and continents. By applying for these scholarships, you will gain access to quality education and professional development and a network of peers and mentors who will support you, inspire you, and challenge you to be the best version of yourself.
If you are ready to take the next step in your leadership journey, do not hesitate to apply for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarships for Africans. You might be one of the lucky few who will join the prestigious family of Mandela Rhodes Scholars and Alumni and carry on the legacy of Nelson Mandela.
