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The Mandela Rhodes Foundation brings together two names that few people expected to see side by side. Nelson Mandela and the Rhodes Trust of Oxford created the foundation in the early 2000s, the first time the Rhodes name was formally linked to an initiative outside Oxford. The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is based in Cape Town and aims to develop exceptional leaders for Africa.
- Registered name
- The Mandela Rhodes Foundation
- Type
- Non-profit organisation (leadership and postgraduate scholarships)
- Fields funded
- Honours and master’s study in any field at South African universities
- Website
- mandelarhodes.org
Not the Rhodes Scholarship
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is an independently governed South African organisation, separate from the Rhodes Trust, which runs the Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship funds study at South African institutions, not at Oxford.
Leadership as much as study
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation offers young African leaders a postgraduate scholarship combined with a Leadership Development Programme of workshops, mentorship and network-building across the continent. The foundation quotes Mandela’s 2004 remark that a person cannot have an impact on society without first changing themselves, and the programme centres on personal growth as well as academic success.
Scholars describe the experience in personal terms. One South African scholar from Tshwane University of Technology said that sharing deep views with 28 strangers was a highlight and showed that diversity can help build the continent. The foundation’s website also features the Äänit Prize, whose 2026 finalists are young African leaders working on agriculture, food security and education.
What the scholarship covers
The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship funds honours or master’s study in any field at recognised South African universities. The scholarship covers tuition and registration, a study materials allowance, accommodation and meals, medical aid, a personal allowance and economy-class international travel. Applicants must be citizens of an African country, aged 19 to 29, with excellent undergraduate results and demonstrated leadership.
The 2027 intake has closed. Applications for the Class of 2028 open on 9 March 2027 and close at 23:59 on 14 April 2027, with final notifications by the end of October 2027.
How to research the foundation
Explore the Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s interactive yearbook and podcast episodes to learn how scholars think about leadership and service. Ask referees for recommendation letters in February 2027, because the application cannot be submitted without three of them.
Also consider the DSI-NRF postgraduate scholarship.
