A Mandela Rhodes Scholarship provides full funding for up to a maximum of two years of postgraduate study. The award is open to all African citizens under the age of 30 years and recipients must study towards Honours or Masters Degrees at recognised South African institutions. Although no maximum number of awards has been stipulated, the scholarships are highly competitive, with less than 30 scholarships being awarded each year since its inception in 2005. The scholarships cover tuition, accommodation, meals, book allowance, general allowance, and travel expenses. Recipients of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship are students with outstanding academic achievements who also possess leadership ability, entrepreneurial skills, and a commitment to reconciliation. In addition to receiving funding for their studies, scholars undertake a leadership development program while in residence and are afforded the opportunity of meeting with Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...

. The award is named after Nelson Mandela and Cecil Rhodes and is administered by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation which is a partnership between Nelson Mandela and the Rhodes Trust.