Top 15 Prestigious Scholarships for Africans: As students from African countries, there are several prestigious scholarships available waiting to be explored by eligible and qualified candidates.
These scholarships provide partial funding as well as fully funded opportunities to assist the candidate in his/her educational pursuit. These prestigious scholarships are awarded to students based on their outstanding academic and leadership qualities.
These scholarships may provide funding for successful candidate to study abroad for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program. It may also be accessed by excellent students to complete their studies in their home countries.
See Also: Top 10 Scholarships for Students from Low-Income Countries
Here are the Top 15 Prestigious Scholarships for Africans
#1 Commonwealth Scholarships
Commonwealth scholarships comes in different forms and are aimed to provide fully-funded scholarships for students from commonwealth countries. The scholarship provides funding for talented students with the potential to make a positive impact on the global stage to pursue master’s and PhD degree programs in the United Kingdom.
As part of the United Kingdom’s commitment to the Commonwealth, about 800 students each year are offered the opportunity to enroll for a postgraduate degree with UK universities. This historic and prestigious award is the UK’s basic scholarship scheme centered on supporting British international development goals.
The Commonwealth Scholarships Commission offers: The Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for least developed countries and fragile states), Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships (for low- and middle-income countries), Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (for high-income countries), Commonwealth Professional Fellowships.
#2 African Union Scholarships
These scholarships are offered by the African Union to deserving and excellent students who wish to undertake a Master’s or PhD studies in various disciplines in African Universities. The aim of the scholarship is to provide quality postgraduate education geared at achieving a prosperous, integrated and peaceful Africa.
Young, qualified, talented and enterprising applicants from African countries and the Diaspora are invited to apply to join Masters or PhD degree programmes at any of the participating universities.
#3 Mastercard Foundation Scholarships
This scholarship is also referred to as the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is the largest scholarship and leadership initiative of its kind in Africa prepares talented and diverse young people with a commitment to giving back with the skills and mindsets they need to pursue their aspirations and enrich their communities.
It aims at building a transformative network of young people and institutions driving inclusive and equitable socio-economic change in Africa. Since inception, the program has supported nearly 40,000 young people in Africa to pursue secondary or tertiary education. The Scholars Program is more than just a scholarship. It offers mentoring, leadership skills development, tutoring, internship opportunities, and career services in addition to covering tuition and basic living expenses.
#4 Mandela Rhodes Scholarship
The scholarship aims at combining financial support with a leadership programme that will inspire, challenge and connect you to young African changemakers. It is saddled with the responsibility of equipping young African leaders with the competence and courage to transform the continent into a place where everyone has equal opportunity.
The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship offers full funding for the main costs associated with your studies. It covers tuition for a one-year Honours degree or a two-year Masters degree in any field at a recognised South African institution of higher education. This includes tuition and registration fees, allowances for study materials, research, and medical aid, accommodation and meals, personal allowance and economy class travel to and from your home country to your South African university at the beginning and end of your studies.
#5 Gates Cambridge Scholarships
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was initiated and established by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through a donation of US$210m to support full-cost scholarships to outstanding candidates from countries outside the United Kingdom including Africa to pursue a postgraduate degree in any discipline at the University of Cambridge.
The mission of the scholarship is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others by selecting outstanding scholars, providing them with financial and non-financial support at one of the world’s leading universities.
#6 Chevening Scholarships
Chevening is the United Kingdom government’s international scholarships programme that provides fully-funded scholarship opportunities for a one-year master’s programme in the UK for students from diverse range of countries including African countries. Chevening awards cover: university tuition fees, monthly stipend, travel costs to and from the UK, an arrival allowance, a homeward departure allowance, the cost of one visa application, a travel grant to attend Chevening events in the UK.
There are many several other benefits apart from the ones listed above such as, access to some of the best quality education in the world, exclusive networking opportunities, and the chance to explore the UK’s diverse culture. At the completion of their studies, scholars will return home equipped with the knowledge and networks to bring their ideas to life and thrive in their career.
Equally, Check: Chevening Scholarships 2023/2024 for International Students to Study in UK [Fully Funded]
#7 DAAD Scholarships
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Scholarships are the German government’s flagship scholarship targeted primarily at graduates, doctoral and postdoc candidates purusing studies and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. The scholarship supports well over 100,000 German and international students and researchers annually.
DAAD scholarships usually consist of a monthly scholarship payment (currently, for example, € 934 for graduates and € 1,200 for doctoral/PhD students) and a flat-rate travel allowance. In many cases, DAAD also provides you with health, accident and personal liability insurance. Depending on scholarship programme, there are also additional benefits such as a one-off research allowance, family benefits or funds for language courses.
#8Â Fulbright Scholarships
Fulbright provides unique international educational and cultural exchange programs, Fulbright’s diverse and dynamic network of scholars, alumni and global partners fosters mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, shares knowledge across communities, and improves lives around the world. The Fulbright program is supervised by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
The Fulbright Program functions in more than 160 countries worldwide (including Africa) and has provided nearly 400,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach, or conduct research in each others’ countries and exchange ideas. Approximately 8,000 competitive, merit-based grants are awarded annually in most academic disciplines and fields of study.
#9 Aga Khan Foundation Scholarship
The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Programme (ISP) was established to support outstanding and gifted students from the developing world who have no other means of financing their studies, to pursue full-time postgraduate studies at reputable higher institutions of their liking.
#10 World Bank Scholarships Program
These scholarships are provided to students and young researchers to support the World Bank’s mission of forging new dynamic approaches to capacity development and knowledge sharing in the developing world. It is an important component of the World Bank’s efforts to promote economic development and shared prosperity through investing in education, capacity building, and developing human resources in the developing world. Active World Bank Scholarship program includes the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJWBGSP) and the Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program (RSMFP) all aimed to support education and human capacity development.
#11 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholarship
The Ibrahim Scholarships support aspiring African leaders at several distinguished academic institutions. The scholarship’s mission is to develop the talent of outstanding young Africans in selected disciplines. Some of the scholarships awarded include: MIF scholarship at the London Business School (full-time MBA scholarship), School of Oreintal and African Studies (SOAS), Masters study at the University of Birmingham, Chatham House fellowship.
#12 Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS)
JADS is a capacity building program by the African Development Bank and the Government of Japan. The scholarship offers high-achieving African students a two-year scholarship opportunity to pursue post-graduate studies at master’s level in energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability and engineering. The scholarship covers full tuition fee, monthly living stipend for the duration of the study, air travel to and from host country, health insurance, and research support.
The scholarship is open to applicants from regional member countries of the African Development Bank, with relevant educational and professional experience and a track record of supporting their countries’ development efforts. The scholars are expected upon the completion of their studies,  to return to their home countries and contribute to national and continental socio-economic development, making use of the newly acquired knowledge and skills.
#13 African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Masters and Phd Scholarships
The AERC scholarships are available for African students from Francophone and Anglophone countries who are interested in pursuing a masters or PhD programme at select Economics degree-awarding institutions in Africa.
#14 WAAW Foundation Scholarship
WAAW (Working to Advance Science and Technology Education for African Women) Foundation Scholarship provide the opportunity for female college students in Africa to pursue their studies in a STEM-related course. With this scholarship, candidates are free to focus on achieving their academic goal and volunteer to give back to their community and promote the engagement of women in STEM through the STEM Outreach Chapter at their various universities.
#15 Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP)
This is a fully-funded scholarship available to experts working in (urban) development from several developing countries offered by Nuffic. The scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this programme aims to contribute to a society’s sustainable and inclusive development by providing access to education and training to professionals and organizations.