Applications are open for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship 2025-2026. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship is a life-changing leadership journey. The scholarship combines financial support with a leadership programme that will challenge you, grow you, and connect you to young African changemakers -just like you.
About Mandela Rhodes Scholarship
Opportunity Details
The programme is built on the founding principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership, and a belief that leadership begins with inner transformation. The Mandela Rhodes Foundation aims to keep Nelson Mandela's legacy alive by equipping young African leaders with the competence and courage to transform the continent into a place where everyone has equal opportunity to thrive. Their programme is delivered primarily through a series of week-long residential workshops which you will attend during your time in residence.
Benefits of Mandela Rhodes Scholarship
Scholarship
- Tuition and registration fees as set by your university or institution
- A study materials allowance as set by the MRF
- Accommodation and meal allowances as set by the MRF
- A medical aid allowance as set by the MRF
- A personal allowance as set by the MRF
- Research and conferencing grants can be made available on request
- Economy-class flights for international scholars from their home countries to their institutions at the start and end of their studies
Mandela Rhodes Scholarship Requirements
- You can study at a postgraduate level in English;
- You are citizen of an African country;
- You are between the ages of 19 and 29;
- You will have an undergraduate degree with excellent results (above 70% or upper-second class Honours) by January 1, 2026
- You aspire to be an ethical leader and are committed to using your talents to advance equality, freedom and human dignity in Africa;
- You admire Nelson Mandela's ability to bridge divides and bring people together around our common humanity;
- You are prepared to reflect deeply on your own leadership and undergo a process of personal change and growth.
Selection Criteria
They look for young leaders who aspire to the principles below and who have demonstrated the potential to live them out.
- Leadership: Do you aspire to be a visionary leader who has moral authority? Do you see leadership as more than just personal ambition as a way to pursue the advancement of equality and freedom, human rights and human dignity? And do you want to guide and inspire others to reach their full potential?
- Reconciliation: Do you believe that reconciliation - combined with reparation - is the key to harnessing an imperfect past to develop a more just world? And are you prepared to start the process by looking at your own internal landscape?
- Education: Do you have excellent academic results but believe that your education should not only benefit you but make a difference for others? And do you agree that intellectual excellence must be accompanied by character and a rounded personality?
- Entrepreneurship: Do you want to see Africa take its rightful place as an equal and competitive presence in the global world? Have you demonstrated individual effort, innovation and creativity to this end?
Application Date and Process
Step 1: Check the timeline
- March: Applications open on Monday, 17 March 2025. Candidates can add recommenders on the platform and begin uploading their documentation and working on their personal essays. See ‘requirements’.
- April: Applications close by the end of Monday, 21 April 2025 23:59 GMT+2. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted under any circumstances.
- June: You will be notified by the end of June whether or not you are through to Round Two.
- July: You will be notified by the end of July whether or not you are through to Round Three.
- August: You will be notified by the end of August if you are invited for an interview in the Final Round, or if you have been unsuccessful.
- October: Interviews will be conducted in South Africa in October. If you are in the final round and you are based outside South Africa, you will be flown in for an in-person interview with our selection committee. You will be notified by the end of October if you are selected as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar.
- October-December: Selected Mandela Rhodes Scholars must do their best to secure acceptance at their university of choice, and their study visa for travel to South Africa in January.
Step 2: Check programme requirements
Tip: See if you qualify for the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
Participation
The leadership development programme is delivered through a combination of in-person and online gatherings. Attendance is compulsory. Committing to full participation in the programme activities - which may take place during the week or on weekends - is a condition of the scholarship. There will be three workshops in your first year in residence, and two in your second year if you are on a two-year programme. The dates are given well in advance so that you can avoid clashes with your academic timetable.
Feedback and updates
We will periodically ask that you complete feedback forms and reflections so that we can improve our offerings. Completing these timeously is a requirement, and an important component of your own learning. After the scholarship we will periodically request updates and details so that we can report on our impact and keep in touch with you.
Respect the conditions of tenure
You must accept the scholarship for the year that it is offered - it cannot be deferred. You must have secured admission to your university of choice by January of your year in residence. You must attend and participate in all activities of the leadership development programme, and travel outside South Africa, even for research purposes, will not be accepted as a reason for absence. You must maintain high standards of work and conduct. You may not hold other scholarships and funded opportunities. You may not do paid work for more than 12 hours a week. You must uphold the values, principles and standards of the Foundation, and if you do not the MRF may cease payments to you and end your participation in the programme.
Read the full terms and conditions of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.
Step 3: Get your documents ready
Important: Applicants from outside South Africa may need to complete SAQA verification to start their studies at a South African university. Please see below.
- Recommenders: We require three letters of recommendation, in English, as part of your application. Your recommenders must submit their letters through our application platform. Without these letters, you cannot submit your application. Get in touch with three people who have relevant experience of you and insight into your character as soon as possible - even before applications open - to ask them permission and give them time to write their letters. Once you register a recommender on the platform, they will receive an email asking them to log on and upload their letter.
- 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.
- Essays: You will be asked to write two short essays, one on your personal journey, and one on a specific question relating to our principles.
- Application for university:You will be asked to fill in your proposed course of study on your application. We do not require proof that you have applied, but we recommend that you apply as soon as possible, and to more than one university.
- Do your qualifications meet the requirements for your proposed course of study? Each country has its own framework for registering and rating qualification levels. In South Africa, this is managed by the South African Qualifications Agency (SAQA). SAQA accreditation can take 4-8 weeks , which can delay your acceptance to university and thus your study visa to South Africa.
- To ensure that you will be accepted for your chosen programme, we highly recommend 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 programmes 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.
Application Deadline
21 April, 2025
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