Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 Open for Young African Leaders

Applications are open for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. If you are building a business, applying technology to a local challenge, or improving public institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, this is a chance to spend six weeks learning and building professional connections in the United States—with programme costs covered. Up to 550 leaders are expected to join the 2027 cohort.

Start with one decisive check: you must be a citizen and resident of an eligible African country. Then look at your leadership record. This fellowship is designed for people who can show what they have already accomplished and explain what they will do after returning home.

What will Mandela Washington Fellows do in 2027?

Selected Fellows will attend a six-week leadership institute at a U.S. educational institution between mid-June and early August 2027. The programme combines academic sessions with professional visits, networking, community service and cultural activities. Institutes are held in different U.S. locations, and Fellows should be ready to participate fully in the placement they receive.

Applicants can also seek consideration for a further four-week Professional Development Experience with a U.S. business, nonprofit organization or government agency. This extension is competitive and limited to up to 50 Fellows. If selected for it, you must be available for approximately ten weeks in total. Applying for the extension is optional and is not required to win the main fellowship.

What does the fellowship cover?

There is no application fee, and the U.S. Government covers the stated programme costs for selected Fellows. The package includes:

• Support for the required J-1 visa;
• Round-trip travel from your home city to the United States and required domestic U.S. travel;
• The six-week institute programme;
• Housing and meals during the programme;
• A limited accident and sickness benefit plan; and
• Programme support for the optional four-week placement, if you are selected for it.

Plan separately for your salary and personal spending. The organizers do not replace income you lose while away from work or fund personal purchases. Spouses, children and other dependents cannot accompany Fellows during the programme.

Who can apply for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship?

You must meet the citizenship, residence, age, English and visa rules in the 2027 application instructions. Applicants generally must be 25–35 years old on October 13, 2026; exceptional applicants aged 21–24 may also be considered. You must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking English, be eligible for a U.S. J-1 visa, and have never participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship before.

You must be a citizen of one of these countries:

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

You must also reside in an eligible country and be permanently residing there on February 1, 2027 and when the fellowship begins in June 2027. Eligible citizenship alone is insufficient if you do not meet the residence rule. U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents cannot apply. The application instructions also exclude employees of the U.S. Government and their immediate family members, as well as specified IREX employees, consultants and immediate family members.

This is a leadership and professional exchange, not admission to a U.S. bachelor’s, master’s or PhD programme. The selection criteria focus on your achievements, ability to work with others, interest in U.S.–Africa partnerships and commitment to contribute after returning to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Which of the three (03) Tracks fits your work?

Choose the track that best matches the work you do and the results you want to achieve. The application asks you to rank all three tracks and explain your first choice:

• Business and Trade: For leaders working in entrepreneurship, the private sector, trade or workforce development.
• Emerging Technologies: For professionals using areas such as AI, biotechnology, robotics or advanced computing to solve problems across sectors.
• Governance and Security: For leaders working on public institutions, accountability, policy, stability or security.

Your job title does not have to contain the name of a track. For example, someone applying technology in agriculture or public health may find the Emerging Technologies track relevant. Placement in your first-choice track is not guaranteed, so explain your work clearly rather than relying on a broad label.

How do you apply?

Create an application in the official online system, complete every required section and submit it before the deadline. Email applications are not accepted.

1. Check your age, citizenship and residence against the eligibility rules.
2. Register at apply.mandelawashingtonfellowship.org.
3. Enter your education, professional experience, leadership record and English self-assessment.
4. Rank the three institute tracks and write why your first choice fits your work and goals.
5. Write the required personal statements using specific examples of your own actions and results.
6. If you want the optional four-week professional placement, request consideration and complete its additional questions within the main application.
7. Review every section, then click Submit Application. A saved draft is not a submitted application.

The essays ask about a recent leadership accomplishment, a challenge in your sector, a potential U.S. partnership, how you will use the experience after returning home, and a difficult professional decision. A strong application connects those answers: show what you have done, what you need to learn, and a realistic next step you can take when you return.

Write every answer in English and in your own words. The application permits responsible use of tools for tasks such as spelling, grammar or translation, but requires you to disclose technology use where asked. Your experiences, ideas and reasoning must remain your own. Submitted applications cannot be edited.

When is the last date to apply?

The last date to apply for the 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship is Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. GMT. The programme opened applications on September 22, 2026. Semifinalist interviews are scheduled between October 2026 and January 2027, applicants are expected to receive status notifications in February or March 2027, and the fellowship is due to begin in June 2027.