The Scholarships for these countries are administered from a regional secretariat based in Johannesburg.
There are:
- eight Scholarships every year for applicants from South Africa-at-Large,
- one for applicants from KwaZulu-Natal,
- one for an applicant from one of: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and eSwatini.
Opening date: 1 June 2025
Closing date: 23:59, SAST, 1 August 2025
Important note regarding the School Scholarships
Kindly note that the School Scholarships have been suspended and will not be awarded for 2026 and until further notice. Please be assured that, as ever, applicants who would ordinarily be eligible to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship through their school can also apply for a Rhodes Scholarship via the regional committees of South Africa-at-Large, the KZN Regional Committee or the BLMNS Committee (subject to meeting the relevant eligibility criteria for those regions). Therefore, candidates who want to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship for 2026 should select the appropriate region from those noted above and proceed with their online application as usual.
Important information for all candidates
As the Rhodes Scholarships are place-based, the eligibility criteria, application requirements and selection process vary slightly depending on which constituency you are applying for. To ensure that you have all of the information you need to apply, please read the Information for Candidates carefully. You should also check the Conditions of Tenure to ensure that your proposed course of study is covered by the Rhodes Scholarship and share the Guidance for Referees with your referees. These documents can all be accessed below.
- CV Template – Southern Africa
- Information for Candidates – Southern Africa
- Guidance for Referees – Southern Africa
- Courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship
- Register to an information session – Southern Africa
If you have read all of the information above and are ready to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, you can use the below button to to start the application process. Make sure to check the opening and closing dates above as the form won’t be available outside of these dates!
If you need any support with your application, please use the navigation bar to reach our FAQs page.
Application Process
Navigate below to understand each stage of the application process.
- 1. The Rhodes ScholarshipFind out more about what the Rhodes Scholarship is, the costs covered, and what makes it special.
- 2. The Selection CriteriaWhat makes a Rhodes Scholar? Learn about the selection criteria which determined the first Rhodes Scholars in 1902, and still guide us today.
- 3. Check Your Eligibility and ApplyFind out if you are eligible to apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, which constituency you should apply through, and start your application!
- Frequently Asked QuestionsConsult our comprehensive list of FAQs about the Scholarship, funding, eligibility criteria, application process and more.
National Secretary for Southern Africa
Selection for the Rhodes Scholarships takes place in each constituency and is overseen by the relevant National Secretary and their team. Below you can find out who the National Secretary is and how to contact them should you need to.
Mr Ndumiso Luthuli
Email: [email protected]