The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is among the three official legacy organisations of Nelson Mandela, established in collaboration with the Rhodes Trust in 2003. The foundation's primary aim is to develop exceptional leadership skills in Africa. It identifies, finances, and enables young African individuals with a vision to embody the kind of leadership that Mr. Mandela exemplified: leaders who can unify historical differences and use their abilities to improve their communities and the continent.
The foundation is committed to locating, financing, and assisting talented young Africans in achieving their goals. These individuals aspire to become leaders who can make a significant difference in their respective fields and positively impact their communities. The foundation's primary objective is to promote Mandela's leadership ideals by empowering and equipping young Africans to become successful leaders in their fields of expertise.
Bursary description
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarship provides extensive financial support to cover the essential expenses related to your academic pursuits. It encompasses the following:
Tuition fees for either a one-year Honours degree or a two-year Masters degree in any discipline at a recognized South African higher education institution. This includes covering the costs of tuition and registration.
Allowances to assist with study-related expenses, such as materials and research requirements.
Medical aid coverage for health-related needs.
Accommodation and meal expenses during your study period.
A personal allowance to support your daily living expenses.
Economy class travel expenses for your journey to and from your home country to the South African university at the start and conclusion of your degree.
In addition to these provisions, you will also receive a personal allowance for your discretionary use.
have a first degree with above average academic results (70% + for South African universities and Upper Second Class Honours for other African universities),
have demonstrated the potential to embody the founding principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Access our application platform to initiate your application.
Upload required documents and essays via the platform.
Ensure the three individuals writing your recommendation letters also use the platform to submit their letters directly.
Allow enough time for them to compose, access the platform, and upload their letters.
Please note that your application cannot be finalised without these letters, and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
The supporting documents are stipulated as:
Recommenders: We require three letters of recommendation 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.
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.