Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) Scholarship Program for Leadership Development 2025 for African Students

MINDS offers scholarships to Africans who wish to pursue post-graduate studies within Africa, outside of their own countries. Through tailored leadership development activities, the MINDS Scholarship Program aims to nurture leaders with a continental development mindset; leaders who will facilitate greater cohesion and cooperation between African countries. 

Application Deadline: Ongoing

Eligible Countries: African countries

To be taken at (country): Institutions in African countries (see List in Program Webpage Link below)

About the Award: MINDS is currently receiving applications from students who commence their studies in 2023/2024. Interested individuals are invited to submit applications as soon as they receive official acceptance from a MINDS preferred university where they wish to study. Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

Individuals with a Pan-African outlook demonstrated leadership ability and an excellent academic record who wish to study on the African continent, outside their home country are invited to apply for the scholarships.

Type: Postgraduate

Eligibility: MINDS scholarships are awarded to meritorious applicants following a rigorous selection process.  To be considered for a MINDS scholarship, you must:

• Be a national of an African country, residing in any African country;
• Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institution/s to pursue postgraduate studies within the following year;
• Have obtained at least 70% in each subject/ course in the last two completed years of study;
• Produce evidence of demonstrated leadership abilities or potential guided by the questions/ requirements set out in the application form;
• Submit a complete online application form (see below) with the required supporting documentation.

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: The scholarship will cover some or all of the expenses below, depending on whether a partial or full scholarship is awarded:

• Tuition,
•  Accommodation and meals,
• One return ticket per duration of studies,
• A fixed stipend.

Duration of Scholarship: MINDS scholarships apply to full-time studies of a one or two-year Honors or Master’s degree at one of the MINDS preferred institutions (listed in the link below).

How to Apply: If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you can submit your application by clicking on the link below. Please have the following documents scanned, saved and ready for uploading. All documents uploaded must be in PDF format. Each attachment should not exceed 2MB  in size.

• A copy of the data/ bio page of your passport.
• A certified academic transcript/ results slip of the last two years of study.
• A copy of the official acceptance letter from the university. The letter must:
• Be addressed to the applicant.
• State the degree to which the applicant has been accepted to study.
• State the academic year at which the degree will commence.
• State the duration of the course (e.g. one year).
• A copy of a valid study permit or visa OR proof of application.
• A detailed CV/ Resume of not more than four (4) single-sided pages.
• Two reference letters (of not more than 3 pages each) addressing the applicant’s demonstration of integrity, their competency and/or potential as a leader and their commitment to the development of the African continent.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for detailsMINDS