Founded on 17 August 1992 the South African Development Community (SADC) is a regional organization with 14 countries under it. The headquarters of SADC is located in Gaborone, Botswana. The organization’s purpose is to bring development in South African countries and improve the quality of life. It supports the unprivileged and works in order to eradicate poverty from the country. They also work to provide better security and growth opportunities for the citizens.
The SADC was derived from the South African Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) established on April 1, 1980. The SADC was formed with newly formulated ideas and a more robust agreement.
Bursary description
*Please note that applications for the South African Development Community (SADC) Scholarships are currently closed. Be sure to check the Bursaries website for any updates regarding the application for 2025/2026.
The South African Development Community is providing an opportunity for Master’s, Doctoral and Postdoctoral candidates to get education funding. The scholarship is not open to the Secretariat staff of SADC and their immediate family members. The purpose of the scholarship is to encourage research.
The scholarship has the following benefits:
Health insurance
Cost of tuition.
12-24 months of scholarship for Masters.
36-48 months of scholarship for Ph.D. programmes.
Return airfare (economy class)
Housing allowance.
Essential expenses.
Requirements and eligibility
Requirements
All the interested candidates must check the eligibility criteria before applying for the scholarship. All the points must be fulfilled without any exceptions or the application will be rejected.
The candidate must have citizenship of a state which is a member of SADC.
The candidates applying for the Master’s programme must be at least 30 years old for males and 35 years(or younger) old for females.
The candidates applying for Doctoral programmes must be at least 35 years(or younger) old for males and 40 years(or younger) old for females.
After completing studies, the candidate must return to their country of citizenship.
The candidate must have a relevant undergraduate degree from an esteemed university.
The candidate must have a Master’s degree in a subject applicable to universities in the SADC region for doctoral or postdoctoral programmes.
The candidate must have at least a score of Band 6 in IELTS or the candidate must have the score mentioned below in TOEFL:
550 paper-based.
213 computer-based.
80 internet-based.
The above-mentioned score is mandatory for non-native English-speaking applicants. The fields of study applicable are in Social Sciences which are specifically directed towards the following:
Historical dimensions of development and peace in the SADC region since colonialism.
Regional economic and political integration.
The scholarship is applicable for the following degree level:
Taught masters
Postdoctoral
Research
Doctoral
Eligibility
All the mentioned documents must be given with the application. If any document is missing, the application will be rejected.
Certified copy of ID documents or passport
Certified copy of academic transcripts and records
Certified copy of academic certificates
A coloured passport size photograph (must be recent)
Curriculum vitae with contact details of three academic referees
Proof of registration at a university within the SADC region (admission letter, etc.)
Two letters of reference with contact details of the referees
An essay validating the candidate’s choice of field and the importance it holds for the SADC founders. The essay should not be more than 500 words
How to apply
The applications are to be submitted at the Member States Level via SADC national contact points, click here for the link.
