The Mandela Rhodes award allows a scholar to pursue an authorized postgraduate degree program at a South African tertiary institution certified with the South African Council on Higher Education. The award will be for an Honours or Masters degree and is given for one or two years.

The Mandela Rhodes scholarship prides itself on developing extraordinary leadership potential in Africa. The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship Program blends financial support for postgraduate studies with a top-notch leadership development program. The award allows a scholar to attend a South-African university and study there.

The program aims to promote leadership and vocational capability across African society in order to aid the continent’s growth and prosperity, as well as full and equitable participation in the global economy.

The Mandela Rhodes Foundation and Shaun Johnson Memorial scholarship

Aside from its flagship Scholarships Program, the Mandela Rhodes scholarship (MRF) sees opportunities to collaborate with like-minded organizations to expand its mission and effect. The Foundation collaborated with the Leverhulme Trust to launch a new Doctoral Scholarship program in 2016. Because this opportunity is only available to MRF Alumni, it is a particularly attractive addition to the Mandela Rhodes experience.

The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships were until March 2020, formerly known as the Leverhulme Mandela Rhodes Doctoral scholarships. It was renamed in honor of Shaun Johnson, the MRF’s Founding Executive Director, shortly after he passed away.

The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships (SJMS) is designed to boost the result and success of the Mandela Rhodes Alumni who wish to pursue their academics further with a doctoral study outside of Africa by sponsoring them with financial support in the United Kingdom. 

This relationship, we believe, is in no doubt in line to increase leadership and vocational capacity.

The ways Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships help people advance in their careers are as follows:

1. Alumni are encouraged to pursue doctoral studies to deepen their specialization in their chosen fields.
2. Alumni will have access to some of the top supervisors and research facilities in their fields, which may not be available in their home countries.

The Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarships help students develop their leadership skills by:

• Encouraging Alumni who have clearly identified and articulated the next step of their leadership path and believe that Ph.D. studies will help them achieve that goal to apply for the program.
• Improving Alumni access to international networks of academic and professional impact, Through strategic positioning of universities in the united kingdom.

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Benefits of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship

The Scholarship pays for the following expenses for a Scholar:

• Fees set by the university for tuition and registration;
• An MRF-determined study materials allowance;
• MRF-determined lodging and meal allowances;
• Medical aid allowance;
• International scholars receive an economy-class travel allowance exclusively from their home to their university at the start of their degree program and back home at the end;
• Personal allowance.

Requirements for Mandela Rhodes Scholarships

• The scholarship is for postgraduate studies at universities or higher institutions in South Africa.
• Honors (maximum one year) or Masters (maximum two years) or equivalents (MBAs excluded) receive full financing.
• Any person between the ages of 19 and 30 years old at the time of application is eligible to apply.
• By January 31, 2022, applicants must have obtained a first degree or its equivalent or be in the process of obtaining one.
• Applicants should have a track history of academic excellence.
• Individuals that demonstrate a commitment to the four ideals of education, reconciliation, leadership, and entrepreneurship via their actions.
• Weekends are occasionally used in MRF leadership development events. Attendance is required as a condition for the scholarship.

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Mandela Rhodes scholarship Application Process

• Interested and qualified candidates are expected to Go to Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s website to apply formally.
• You must submit your application online. You can access your application and upload your documents and essays by logging into the application platform. 
• The three individuals to write your recommendation letters must also be logged in and post their letters straight to the platform. Allow plenty of time for them to write their letters, sign up for the site, and post them. Your application will not be accepted if it is not accompanied by the letters.

Letter of Recommendation

As one Rhodes Selection Committee chairperson once explained, their focus is primarily aimed at seeking students who display well-rounded excellence with some special attributes that really stand out from the many other exceptional applicants. This goes to show that letters should underline what makes the candidate truly exceptional. 

Discuss one or more particular examples of the candidate’s great accomplishment, innovation, or other notable achievement based on personal experience.

Rhodes Scholars are expected to be upstanding ambassadors for the United Kingdom and afterward to represent the United Kingdom well in the United States. The award is for people who want to be leaders in their industries and help others. It should also be evident that the applicant has the capacity to succeed in his or her chosen program at Oxford, where students are unlikely to receive the same level of organization or continuous academic input as they do here.

Writers should focus on the candidate’s specific qualities and accomplishments that are relevant to these factors.

In the selection, public service in the broadest sense is crucial. It’s helpful to have concrete instances of charity, activism, and service to others. While participation in organized sports is no longer a measure used to determine the candidate’s talents or their full potential, it is necessary to have the physical vigor and emotional resiliency to carry out significant leadership obligations as a citizen and a professional.

The following are some of the things your letter should cover:

• The integrity of character, as well as a shown interest in and respect for his or her fellow beings;
• The ability to lead and the energy to use his or her gifts to their greatest potential.

The Rhodes Scholarship award given to students comes with prestige. Letters that are both glowing and authentic are sought by committees. Committees may be suspicious of overly enthusiastic or unqualified letters in their praise, so recommenders should be direct. Include a discussion of areas where the candidate has not yet realized his or her full potential and how this can be accomplished, if applicable. 

The recommender should be familiar with the candidate, believe they are actually extraordinary, and write a powerful 2-page letter that includes concrete instances of the individual’s remarkable accomplishments or performance.

Before the national deadline, the Rhodes selection committee will request a draft of your letter to assist in the internal nomination process.

Application Deadline (Closing Date)

The deadline for the scholarship application is April 20th, 2022, by which time all application documents and materials must have been uploaded.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Is the Mandela Rhodes scholarship income Taxable?

There is no mention of the personal allowance or stipend being subject to tax, but you should always check your scholarship tax options.

How many letters of recommendation do you need for the Mandela Rhodes scholarship?

At least four academic recommendations from teachers who have taught or supervised the student in research, as well as three to four letters attesting to the applicant’s shown leadership potential and dedication to serve others.