APPLY: MINDS scholarship programme for African students

The Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) has announced the opening of its 2025 Scholarship Programme for African students. Launched in 2017, the programme aims to develop young leaders with a continent-wide development perspective, encouraging greater cooperation among African nations.

The scholarship offers full or partial funding for postgraduate studies in an African country outside the recipient’s home nation, fostering both academic growth and cultural exchange to help drive Africa’s progress.

Benefits:
The MINDS Scholarship Programme offers comprehensive support for students pursuing full-time, one- or two-year Honours or Master’s degrees at select African universities. The scholarship covers tuition, accommodation, meals, a return flight for the duration of studies, and a fixed stipend. Depending on whether a partial or full scholarship is awarded, some or all of these expenses will be covered. Additionally, recipients will benefit from leadership development activities, aimed at nurturing a new generation of leaders with a Pan-African outlook.

Eligibility:
To qualify for the MINDS Scholarship, applicants must be nationals of an African country and must reside in an African country at the time of application. Candidates must have been formally accepted to one of the MINDS preferred institutions outside their country of citizenship or residency. Applicants must also have achieved at least 70% in each subject over the last two years of study and demonstrate leadership potential. Selection is based on academic merit and leadership ability, with a rigorous selection process in place.

Application process:
The application process for the MINDS Scholarship involves completing an online form and submitting the required documents. Applicants must have been accepted into a postgraduate program at one of the preferred institutions in East, Southern, North, or West Africa. These institutions include universities such as the African Leadership University (Rwanda and Mauritius), University of Cape Town, Makerere University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and several others across the continent. Apply here.

Application deadline: Ongoing.