Mandela Rhodes Scholarship to Study in South Africa, 2025-2026

Candidates are invited to apply for the 2025-2026 Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. The aim of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa through education and leadership development. The program is open for master’s degree studies at higher educational institutions in South Africa.

The scholarship is for postgraduate study (Honours and Master’s degrees) in any field, with the exception of MBAs. This is a fully funded scholarship that combines financial support with a leadership program that will challenge you, grow you, and connect you to young African changemakers just like you.

To benefit from this scholarship program, you must be curious about doing the personal and internal work of leadership. This means a commitment to developing self-awareness by engaging with difficult parts of yourself, an openness to learning from the diversity and differences in your cohort, and a willingness to explore and embrace complexity within yourself, others, and the systems around you.

Program Details

• Host institution: institution of higher education in South Africa.
• Fields of Study: Available programs at partner universities.
• Number of Awards: Not specified.
• Duration : up to 2 Years.
• Eligible countries: Open to citizens of African countries.

Mandela Rhodes Scholarship Benefits

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship offers comprehensive funding for the core costs associated with your studies. It covers tuition for a one-year Honors degree or a two-year Master’s degree in any field at a recognized South African institution of higher education. The scholarship provides:

1. Tuition and registration fees;
2. Allowances for study materials, and medical aid;
3. Accommodation and meal allowances;
4. Economy-class flights for international scholars from their home countries to their institutions at the start and end of their studies;
5. A personal allowance;
6. Research and conferencing grants can be made available on request.

Mandela Rhodes Scholarship Eligibility

To apply for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, applicants must:

1. be between the ages of 19 and 29,
2. have citizenship of any African country
3. by 1 Jan 2026, will have an undergraduate degree with excellent academic results (above 70% or upper-second class Honours),
4. be able to study at a postgraduate level in English. Take this free test if you’re not sure about your English level.

The program is looking for young Africans who have demonstrated the potential to embody the founding principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership. You must have already assumed leadership and made an impact on your campus or community.

How to Apply for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship

Interested applicants who would like to apply for this scholarship to study in Africa, must click on the apply button below and follow the instructions to submit their applications.

Documents to Prepare

1. Recommenders: Three letters of recommendation as part of your application are required. Your recommenders must submit their letters through the application platform. Without these letters, you cannot submit your application. Once you register a recommender on the platform, they will receive an email asking them to log in and upload their letter.
2. Documentation: You will be required to upload certificates of completion for your degrees, transcripts of your academic results, and scans of your ID and passport documents. Your documents and transcripts must be provided in English.
3. Essays: You will be asked to write two short essays, one on your personal journey, and one on a specific question relating to the program’s principles.
4. Application for university: You will be asked to fill in your proposed course of study in your application. The program does not require proof that you have applied, but recommends that you apply as soon as possible, and to more than one university.
5. Do your qualifications meet the requirements for your proposed course of study? In South Africa, registering and rating qualification levels are managed by the South African Qualifications Agency (SAQA). SAQA accreditation can take 4-8 weeks, which can delay your acceptance to the university and thus your study visa to South Africa.
   • To ensure that you will be accepted for your chosen program, it is highly recommended that you find out as soon as possible what the National Qualification Framework (NQF) requirements for your course are, and whether your qualifications meet these requirements.
   • Masters programs in South Africa may require several years of work or clinical experience as an admission requirement. It is your responsibility to check if you will be accepted to the course, and apply for backup options.

The deadline to apply is April 21, 2025. For more details on the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.