Opportunities for founders in South Africa

Africa Climate Collaborative, University of Cape Town

Africa Climate Collaborative Postdoctoral Research Fellowships 2027, Ten Fully Funded Three Year Climate Research Places For African PhD Graduates

The Africa Climate Collaborative at the University of Cape Town is filling ten fully funded postdoctoral places in climate and development research. Each three year fellowship pairs a recent African PhD graduate with an experienced UCT mentor and pays a tax free stipend of R380,000 a year, with applications closing on 29 October 2026.

Eligibility: You hold a completed PhD in a discipline relevant to climate and development in Africa, and matching the discipline listed for your chosen research topic

Deadline

October 29, 2026

Location

South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana

Funding or benefit

A tax free stipend of R380,000 per year across the three year fellowship, plus up to R130,000 over three years, with suitable motivation, for relocation costs, medical insurance, research costs and conference attendance.

CoalitionWILD, a program of the WILD Foundation

CoalitionWILD EXCELerator Program 2027

A free, six month virtual programme that helps young conservation leaders in Nigeria and across Africa build, launch or scale an environmental project while growing their leadership skills.

Eligibility: Be 35 years old or younger when the programme starts on 7 January 2027.

Deadline

October 29, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Participation is completely free for all selected participants, supported by the program partners and donors.

University of Pretoria, Department of Research and Innovation

University of Pretoria Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme 2027

The University of Pretoria has opened its 2027 postdoctoral call with three funded pathways built around an award value of R250,000, and the African Tax Institute is recruiting tax policy researchers in the same round. South African and international candidates with a recent doctorate can apply up to 30 October 2026.

Eligibility: A doctoral degree awarded within five years before the application call date, or an official institutional letter confirming that all requirements are complete if graduation is still pending

Deadline

October 30, 2026

Location

South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana

Funding or benefit

UP Co-Funding and UP-Postdoc each carry R250,000 per year, the first matched at least R125,000 by the host faculty for up to two renewable years and the second funded entirely by the Department of Research and Innovation for up to two years. The UP PhD Fellowship pays R250,000 in total for a single non-extendable year.

Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for the African Region (BCCC-Africa)

AfricaPlastics Research Grant for Female Postgraduate Researchers 2026

Female postgraduate students in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe can apply for research grants of up to USD 2,000 for work on plastics and hazardous chemicals. The closing date is 31 October 2026.

Eligibility: Female postgraduate student enrolled in a Master or PhD programme

Deadline

October 31, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa

Funding or benefit

Research grants of up to USD 2,000 per recipient

University of Cape Town with the Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program postgraduate intake at the University of Cape Town

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Cape Town keeps its postgraduate round open to citizens of an African country applying for an eligible taught postgraduate programme, with undergraduate applications already closed. Postgraduate applications close 31 October 2026, and the programme pairs the scholarship with mentoring and leadership development.

Eligibility: Be a citizen of an African country, including South Africa

Deadline

October 31, 2026

Location

South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana

Funding or benefit

A Mastercard Foundation scholarship with comprehensive support for study at the University of Cape Town, covering the programme of study plus mentoring and leadership development. The provider does not publish a cash amount on the programme page.

Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS)

STIAS Individual Fellowship 2028 First Semester in Stellenbosch for Established Researchers Worldwide

STIAS has opened the 2028 first semester call for its Individual Fellowship, a self directed research residency at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa for established researchers across all disciplines. Applications close on 31 October 2026 at 23:59 UTC, and the residency must fall between 15 January 2028 and 15 July 2028.

Eligibility: Established researchers, since the fellowship is aimed at senior scholars and is not a postdoctoral programme

Deadline

October 31, 2026

Location

South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya

Funding or benefit

STIAS publishes the residency window and the application requirements for the 2028 first semester call, but the call pages do not state a stipend amount, travel allowance or accommodation arrangement. Applicants who need to confirm what the Institute covers should write to applicant-support@stias.ac.za before submitting.

United Nations University

UNU Junior Fellows Internship Programme Spring 2027 in Tokyo for Graduate Students Aged 32 or Under

A six month United Nations University internship with the Office of the Rector in Tokyo, running from 1 March 2027 to 27 August 2027, with a monthly stipend for interns who receive no other financial support. Applications close on 1 November 2026 at 23:59 Japan Standard Time.

Eligibility: Currently pursuing postgraduate studies at master's or doctoral level, or having completed them within two years of application, preferably in a field related to the work of the University

Deadline

November 1, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa

Funding or benefit

Interns who are not in receipt of financial support from other sources such as universities or other institutions receive a monthly stipend from UNU to partially subsidise basic living costs for the duration of the internship. The monthly amount is set for each duty station from the stipend rates in effect and is prorated for part time arrangements. Scholarships for academic studies do not count as other financial support for this purpose.

South Africa Sweden University Forum, SASUF, with the National Research Foundation of South Africa

SASUF-NRF Seed Grants for Intra-African Collaborative Research Projects 2026: SEK 100,000 plus ZAR 160,000 per Consortium Linking Sweden, South Africa and an SGCI African University

The SASUF Beyond Borders initiative is funding new three way research consortia between Swedish, South African and SGCI African universities, with a budget ceiling of SEK 100,000 from SASUF and ZAR 160,000 from the NRF per project and submissions closing on 3 November 2026.

Eligibility: All Swedish and South African applicants must be based at one of the SASUF partner universities, drawn from the 37 member institutions

Deadline

November 3, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Angola, Botswana

Funding or benefit

The ceiling is set per consortium project at SEK 100,000 from the SASUF contribution and ZAR 160,000 from the NRF contribution, so the two currencies are managed separately by each funder, and a maximum of 20 consortium projects will be funded.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

FAO World Food Forum Internship Programme 2026

FAO is recruiting World Food Forum interns in Rome for 3 to 11 months. Open to nationals of FAO Member countries aged 21 to 30. Apply on the FAO portal by 3 November 2026.

Eligibility: National of an FAO Member country, FAO welcomes candidates from Member Nations in all regions

Deadline

November 3, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Unpaid internship of 3 to 11 months at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy

Global Leadership Challenge, University of Oxford and St. Gallen Symposium

St Gallen Symposium Global Leadership Challenge 2026

The Global Leadership Challenge 2026 is open to 100 young leaders for a five day programme from 10 to 14 December 2026, run as a joint initiative of the University of Oxford and the St. Gallen Symposium. The application window closes on 5 November 2026 and review is on a rolling basis.

Eligibility: Currently enrolled in a Masters or PhD programme, or a young professional aged between 21 and 30

Deadline

November 5, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

No stipend or award money is published for this programme. The in kind value sits in the training and mentorship, and the three winning teams receive fully covered travel and accommodation to the 56th St. Gallen Symposium in April 2027.

Fortis Society

Fortis Society Fellowship 2027 for Emerging Leaders from Humble Beginnings, Fully Funded through the Summit in Medellín

The Fortis Society Fellowship is the route into the Society for the 2027 cohort, a five month, fully funded programme of mentorship and workshops that ends with cohort days and the Fortis Summit in Medellín in June 2027. Applications close on 8 November 2026, there is no fee, no degree requirement and no nomination needed.

Eligibility: Anyone from humble beginnings with the ambition to have a significant, positive impact can apply

Deadline

November 8, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa

Funding or benefit

No application fee and no participation fee. The Society funds the cohort days in Medellín and the Fortis Summit for accepted fellows, and provides a mentor plus monthly virtual sessions and professional learning workshops from January to June 2027. Fortis states that the fellowship is open on a cost free basis rather than publishing a cash award amount.

African Leadership College of Higher Education with the Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the African Leadership College of Higher Education, Mauritius

ALCHE, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, offers full ride scholarships covering tuition and additional financial support to deserving and talented students across the African continent who demonstrate financial need, academic excellence and leadership potential. International students apply by 14 November 2026 for the February 2027 intake, with Mauritian citizens running to 23 January 2027.

Eligibility: Meet the ALCHE Admissions requirements first, because scholarship eligibility follows admission eligibility

Deadline

November 14, 2026

Location

Mauritius, Nigeria, Kenya

Funding or benefit

A full ride scholarship covering full tuition and additional financial support throughout the scholar's journey at ALCHE. The provider notes that very limited scholarships are available per intake and publishes no fixed cash amount.

EPFL

EPFL Summer Research Program 2027, School of Life Sciences

EPFL's School of Life Sciences is taking applications for its two month Summer Research Program 2027 in Switzerland, carrying a CHF 3,600 stipend plus housing and travel cover.

Eligibility: Currently enrolled in a university in biology, bio physics, chemistry, bio engineering, bio informatics, quantitative biology, genetics, medicine or another life sciences related programme

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

CHF 3,600 for the two month period covering housing and living costs, with about CHF 1,700 left to live on, plus travel reimbursement of up to CHF 1,000 for overseas flights and CHF 500 for shorter distances.

UNESCO Science for Crisis Response and Solutions Programme

UNESCO Research Continuity Grants for African Scientists Whose Work Was Interrupted by Crisis

UNESCO is offering six institutional research continuity grants of up to USD 2,000 each to African nationals working at recognised universities and research institutes whose natural science research was interrupted by armed conflict or a natural or biological hazard. Applications close on 15 November 2026 at 23:59 Paris time.

Eligibility: African nationals based at a recognised university or research institute in an African country

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Algeria, Angola, Benin

Funding or benefit

Six institutional grants of up to USD 2,000 each under this first pilot call, for activities that can be completed within six months.

Forward Fooding

FoodTech 500 2026 Global AgriFoodTech Ranking

The FoodTech 500 is the world's first global ranking of agri-foodtech startups and scaleups, now in its eighth edition. Applications for the 2026 list close on 15 November 2026 at 23:59 Central European Time, the run is free for every company, and the 2025 winners came from more than 95 countries, so a founder in Nigeria or anywhere in Africa competes on the same open field as everyone else.

Eligibility: Food tech or agri-foodtech startups and scaleups, from early stage to more established businesses, operating anywhere across the food supply chain

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

There is no cash prize. The FoodTech 500 awards global visibility, a place on the ranked list and in the official White Paper, access to a 22,000 plus contact industry network, and event opportunities. Applying is free of charge.

timbuktoo, United Nations Development Programme

timbuktoo Africa UniPods Mentor Network 2026

timbuktoo, the UNDP pan-African innovation initiative, is recruiting mentors for its university UniPod network across more than 20 African countries. Volunteer role, apply by 15 November 2026.

Eligibility: Experienced professionals able to offer guidance in artificial intelligence, technology, business or a related field

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda

Funding or benefit

Volunteer pro bono mentorship role, no stipend or fee

Carnegie Mellon University Africa

Carnegie Mellon University Africa Free AI Certificate 2026

A cost free, six course online certificate in artificial intelligence from Carnegie Mellon University Africa, built for African learners who want practical skills in machine learning, Python and applied generative AI. Applications and recommendations run from 15 October to 15 November 2026.

Eligibility: Interest in building AI applications relevant to African contexts

Deadline

November 15, 2026

Location

Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana

Funding or benefit

Cost free certificate for qualified applicants.

Gender and Justice Editorial Board, Bristol University Press

Gender and Justice Mentorship Programme 2026

A free four month mentorship pairing Global South writers with the editorial board of the journal Gender and Justice to develop a research article for submission. No fee, no funding, and applications for the current round close 18 November 2026.

Eligibility: Currently based in the Global South

Deadline

November 18, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Free mentorship programme. It provides no financial support, and all mentoring and resources are provided free of charge.

Eni

Eni Award 2027 Young Talents From Africa Prize, €25,000 For African PhD Researchers In Energy And Environment

Eni is running the Young Talents from Africa section of its 2027 Eni Award, which gives two African PhD researchers €25,000 each to strengthen the doctoral work they are already doing. Candidates must hold African citizenship and be enrolled in the first or second year of a PhD at a university or research institute in Africa, working on energy or the environment. Applications close on 20 November 2026 at 5pm Central European Time.

Eligibility: You hold the citizenship of one of the African countries listed in the United Nations World Population Prospects, The 2024 Revision, which includes Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa

Deadline

November 20, 2026

Location

Algeria, Angola, Benin

Funding or benefit

Two awards of €25,000 each, paid in two instalments against a budget proposal the candidate prepares, which may not exceed the €25,000 prize amount. Winners also receive a customised plaque, and Eni directly provides return travel, transfers and up to two nights of board and lodging for the winner and a maximum of one accompanying person for the prize giving ceremony in Italy.

RIDE, Research on Infrastructure in Developing Economies

RIDE Research Grants on Women's Economic Empowerment in Transport 2026

RIDE is funding at least two research projects of GBP 150,000 to GBP 200,000 on how transport systems fail women economically. Research must focus on a RIDE partner country, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa among them.

Eligibility: Research teams or consortia based at universities and research institutes, anywhere in the world

Deadline

November 20, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya

Funding or benefit

At least two projects funded at GBP 150,000 to GBP 200,000 each

Association of Commonwealth Universities

ACU Writing For The Media Training 2027, Free Online Research Communication Course With The Conversation For Early Career Academics

The Association of Commonwealth Universities is offering twenty free places on an online media writing course designed and delivered with Universal Impact and The Conversation. It is aimed at early career researchers and academics at ACU member universities, and applications close on 24 November 2026 at 15:00 UTC.

Eligibility: You are a PhD candidate or already hold a PhD

Deadline

November 24, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

No cash grant. The training is free for the twenty selected participants, covering the group sessions, the one-to-one feedback sessions and the written pitch review.

My Little Big Thing (MK-Africa with Cambridge ISL)

My Little Big Thing Sustainability Challenge 2026/2027, 10th Anniversary Edition

A free three-month sustainability innovation challenge for young African innovators, closing with a Demo Day at Strathmore University in front of investors.

Eligibility: Anyone aged 18 to 35 living anywhere in Africa

Deadline

November 30, 2026

Location

Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana

Funding or benefit

Entry is free and no cash prize amount is published. Support includes 12 months of one to one mentorship for the Top 15 and a sponsored Cambridge ISL sustainability course for the Top 3. An optional verified certificate costs $20.

African Leadership University with the Mastercard Foundation

Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at African Leadership University, January 2027 intake

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at African Leadership University funds full scholarships for promising young leaders from across Africa who face financial adversity or economic hardship, with particular emphasis on young women, refugees and differently-abled young Africans. Applications for the January 2027 intake, including the ALU Rwanda campus, close 30 November 2026.

Eligibility: Open to the most promising young leaders from across Africa seeking an ALU education despite financial adversity or economic hardship

Deadline

November 30, 2026

Location

Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya

Funding or benefit

A full scholarship under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at ALU. The provider describes the program as implementing a full scholarship programme for scholars facing financial adversity or economic hardship, and does not publish a cash amount on the programme page.

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships (Manaaki New Zealand)

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Africa Programmes 2027: Trade Policy and Geothermal Energy Project Management

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships has opened two fully supported Africa programmes for 2027: a Trade Policy short course delivered online from 25 January to 26 February 2027, and a Geothermal Energy Project Management short course delivered in New Zealand from 26 April to 24 May 2027. Nigerian citizens appear on both country lists, alongside nineteen other African countries. Applications for Trade Policy close 25 October 2026 and applications for Geothermal close 6 December 2026.

Eligibility: Citizen of one of the eligible countries for the selected programme (Nigeria appears on both the Trade Policy list and the Geothermal list)

Deadline

December 6, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Africa programmes cover the short course in the selected delivery mode. Specific coverage amounts, allowances and inclusions are not published on the programme page and applicants should confirm them directly on the official Manaaki application page before submitting.

Commonwealth Secretariat

Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator Round II, Grants Of £20,000 To £50,000 For Government Led Ocean Projects

Round II of the Commonwealth Blue Charter Incubator is open to national or sub national government bodies in all 56 Commonwealth member countries, including Nigeria, and funds country led ocean projects with grants of £20,000 to £50,000. Between 10 and 15 projects are selected by the second quarter of 2027, and applications close on 11 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT.

Eligibility: The lead applicant must be a legally established national or sub national government entity, such as a ministry, department, agency or other public body with formal government status

Deadline

December 11, 2026

Location

Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon

Funding or benefit

Grants of £20,000 to £50,000 per project, with a minimum project duration of six months and a maximum of eighteen months. Technical assistance and capacity building support comes through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation.

EMMIR Erasmus Mundus consortium

EMMIR Edition 14, Erasmus Mundus Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations

EMMIR Edition 14 is a two year Erasmus Mundus master's degree in Migration and Intercultural Relations run by eight partner institutions across Europe, Africa and Asia, with Erasmus Mundus scholarships open to applicants of any nationality and applications closing on 20 December 2026.

Deadline

December 20, 2026

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Applicants for Edition 14 can apply for an Erasmus Mundus scholarship, which provides funding to selected students. The programme page prints no cash figure, so no amount is claimed here.

FLOODrisk Erasmus Mundus consortium

FLOODrisk Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Flood Risk Management and Sciences

FLOODrisk is an Erasmus Mundus joint master in flood risk management and sciences, with successful students graduating with MSc degrees from IHE Delft, TU Dresden, UPC Barcelona and the University of Ljubljana, and scholarship applications from non-European applicants closing on 3 January 2027.

Deadline

January 3, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

An Erasmus Mundus Joint Master, so the scholarship places named on the programme page carry Erasmus Mundus funding. The page read here prints no cash figure, so no amount is claimed.

Durham University, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Durham University PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities 2027

Durham University is offering up to eleven fully funded PhD studentships for research that works across its Transformative Humanities framework, starting in October 2027. Two of the awards are open to overseas students at overseas tuition level, so applicants writing from Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa can compete. Applications close at noon UK time on 15 January 2027.

Eligibility: Accepted onto a Durham University PhD programme with a supervisory team led by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities or the Faculty of Social Sciences

Deadline

January 15, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Each award covers tuition fees at home or overseas level and pays a stipend for 3.5 years full time or seven years part time at the rate set by UK Research and Innovation, with additional funding opportunities and access to training and placement resources. Durham publishes no fixed stipend figure for this scheme.

beVisioneers by The DO School, funded by Mercedes-Benz

beVisioneers The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship 2027 Cohort

A fully funded, hybrid fellowship for eco-innovators aged 18 to 28, with scholarship opportunities of up to EUR 15,000 to grow a planet positive project, plus mentoring, a global community and funded travel to key events.

Eligibility: Eco-innovators aged 18 to 28 on the application closing date of 31 January 2027

Deadline

January 31, 2027

Location

Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa

Funding or benefit

Scholarship opportunities of up to €15,000 to grow your project, within a fully funded fellowship that covers travel, accommodation and expenses for key programme events, plus additional financial support for accessibility.

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund

Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund Grants

The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund grants to field-based projects on threatened animal, plant and fungi species worldwide, with no discrimination by region, and applications submitted by 31 January 2027 receive a response in late April 2027.

Deadline

January 31, 2027

Location

Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya

Funding or benefit

Field-based species conservation grants on a global, rolling round schedule. The provider grants page read here prints no cash figure, so no award level is claimed. Feed posts circulating the call describe grants of up to USD 25,000, wording the provider page does not print.