Study in one of the South African Universities: Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships for African Students 2025

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships Program combines financial support for postgraduate studies and a high-quality leadership development programme, to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.

A Mandela Rhodes Scholarship enables a Scholar to study at a South African tertiary institution registered with the South African Council on Higher Education for an accredited postgraduate degree programme.

The Scholarship is awarded for one or a maximum of two years, currently for an Honours or Masters degree.

The leadership development programme comprises the following three components.

Three residential workshops
Three regional group pods
Mentoring

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Summary of the 2025 Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships

Type: Postgraduate, Masters scholarship
Country to study: South Africa
Funding Type: Fully Funded
Sponsor: Mandela Rhodes Foundation (MRF)
Eligible Countries: All African countries
Scholarship Perks: Tuition and registration fees, Economy-class travel allowance, Accommodation and meal allowances and lots more
Deadline: April 21, 2025

Eligibility Requirements for the 2025 Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarships are open to citizens of all African countries.
The Scholarship is for postgraduate study at South African universities or tertiary institutions.
Full funding is for Honours (maximum one year) or Masters (up to a maximum of two years) or their equivalents (MBA’s excluded).
Any individual who will be between the ages of 19 and 30 years at the time of taking up the Scholarship may apply.
Applicants must possess a first degree or its equivalent or must be in the process of completing one by 31 January 2026.
Applicants should have a history of well-above average-academic results.
Individuals that reflect in their character a commitment to the four principles of Education, Reconciliation, Leadership and Entrepreneurship.
The MRF leadership development activities sometimes include weekends. It is a condition of the Scholarship that attendance is compulsory.

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Perks – 2025 Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarships

The Scholarship covers the cost of a Scholar as follows:

Tuition and registration fees as set by the 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.
Economy-class travel allowance for international Scholars only from the Scholar’s home to their institution at the beginning and back home at the end of their degree programme.
Personal allowance.

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Required Documents

Recommendation Letters
Documentation: Degree certificates, academic transcripts, ID, and passport scans
Essays: Personal journey and a specific question related to the scholarship’s principles
Application for university admission
South African Qualification Agency Certificate (for non-South African applicants)

Deadline: April 21, 2025