Mandela Scholarship Fund 2026 – Study at Leiden University for South African Students

Mandela Scholarship Fund 2026: Overview

The Mandela Scholarship Fund, established in honor of Nelson Mandela’s 1999 honorary doctorate at Leiden University, supports students from four South African universities (Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Pretoria, Western Cape) to study at Leiden University, the Netherlands, for one or two semesters as part of an exchange programme.

Mandela Scholarship Fund 2026: Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled at one of the four eligible South African universities.

• Be pre-selected by their home university.

• Meet Leiden University’s admission requirements for exchange students.

❌ Cannot be combined with an Erasmus+ ICM scholarship.

Benefits

The scholarship covers:

• Living allowance:

  • €1,250/month (UCT, UP, UWC)

  • €625/month (Stellenbosch University)

• Aon Student Insurance for 5 or 10 months.

Scholarship allocation:

• UCT, UP, UWC:

  • 1 scholarship for a 2-semester exchange or 2 scholarships for a 1-semester exchange.

• Stellenbosch University:

  • 2 scholarships for a 2-semester exchange or 4 scholarships for a 1-semester exchange.

Application Process

1. Apply for the scholarship at your home university in South Africa.

2. Submit an online exchange application to Leiden University.

3. Selected candidates’ names will be forwarded to Leiden.

4. Within 2 weeks of admission, Leiden’s Scholarship Team will confirm selection.

Deadlines

• 15 October (for programmes starting February).

• 1 April (for programmes starting September).

• Home university deadlines may differ – check locally.

Selection

• Initial review and selection done by the South African universities.

• Final confirmation by Leiden University after admission.

Contact Information

• University of Pretoria – Mahlogonolo Mphahlele: Mahlogonolo.Mphahlele@up.ac.za

• University of Cape Town – Noluthi Kula: iapo-exchanges@uct.ac.za

• University of the Western Cape – Tracy Beckett / Debra Lamson: dlamson@uwc.ac.za

• Stellenbosch University – Sarah Jane van der Westhuizen: sarahvdw@sun.ac.za | Angelo McKerry: angelom@sun.ac.za

• Leiden University – exchange@sea.leidenuniv.nl

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Mandela Scholarship Fund 2026 – Study at Leiden University for South African Students