{getToc} $title={List of Fellowships} $count={false}
Leadership fellowships provide unique and transformative opportunities for leaders, particularly those in African countries, to develop critical skills, receive professional mentorship, and advance their careers while making meaningful contributions to their communities and the African continent as a whole in addressing various leadership challenges.
Across Africa, numerous fellowship programs have been designed to nurture the next generation of leaders across diverse sectors such as public service, business, health care, peace and security, journalism, and social innovation. These programs not only equip fellows with professional and technical expertise but also connect them to global networks, funding opportunities, and hands-on practical experiences that accelerate leadership growth and create lasting positive impact.
For professionals, academics, and emerging leaders, fellowships serve as more than just training—they act as gateways to career advancement, strategic networking, and active participation in implementing real-world projects. African leadership fellowships, such as those focused on public sector governance, health care leadership, and socially-driven innovation, offer fully-funded programs that combine mentorship, skill-building workshops, and opportunities to address real-world challenges.
In this post, we have compiled a comprehensive list of leadership fellowships that emerging African leaders can apply for to advance their careers and make a meaningful difference.
1. Mandela Washington Fellowship
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, launched in 2014 under the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), has empowered nearly 7,800 young innovators and leaders from every Sub-Saharan African country.
Open to individuals aged 25–35, the Fellowship equips participants with academic and leadership training while fostering innovation, civic responsibility, and community impact. Its Leadership Institutes, hosted by U.S. institutions across 35 states and Washington, D.C., provide intensive executive-style training in Business, Civic Engagement, and Public Management, blending workshops, mentoring, networking, and cultural exchange. Through these experiences, Fellows enhance their skills while deepening ties between Africa and the United States.
Although the Fellowship will not take place in 2026, alumni opportunities remain available, and prospective applicants are encouraged to engage with their local U.S. embassy or consulate for other U.S. Department of State exchange programs and education pathways.
The Fellowship’s six-week Institutes have proven to be powerful platforms for leadership growth, offering exposure to U.S. society through site visits, collaborative projects, and partnerships with local communities and private businesses. These exchanges not only strengthen leadership capacity among African Fellows but also cultivate lasting international networks that continue to shape Africa’s development journey.
2. Echoing Green Fellowship
Apply for Available Opportunities
Echoing Green has spent over 35 years empowering transformational leaders who tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges, from education and climate justice to health and human rights. Through its Fellowship program, leaders gain capacity building, leadership development, and wellness support tailored to the realities of entrepreneurship.
Fellows receive not only $100,000 in seed funding over 18 months but also access to expert resources, pro-bono support, and curated opportunities to grow their ideas into impactful solutions. With a focus on holistic growth, the program strengthens both professional skills and personal wellbeing, ensuring Fellows are prepared to sustain their work for long-term impact.
A defining feature of Echoing Green is its unique selection model, refined over decades to identify high-potential leaders often overlooked by traditional investors. The Fellowship values diversity across ethnicity, gender, religion, and economic background, and prioritizes potential over conventional benchmarks like financial success.
Fellows become lifelong members of a global community, benefiting from virtual and in-person convenings that foster collaboration and shared learning. By combining capital, mentorship, and a strong peer network, Echoing Green equips leaders to not only advance social innovation but also drive equity and systemic change worldwide.
3. Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellowship Programme
The Ibrahim Leadership Fellowships, launched in 2011, aim to mentor and prepare Africa’s next generation of exceptional leaders. Each year, three selected fellows are placed in executive offices of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa, or the International Trade Centre (ITC) in Geneva.
Fellows receive a $100,000 stipend and spend 12 months gaining technical expertise, leadership skills, and first-hand experience in policy design and research, while benefiting from mentorship by the heads of these major institutions. Beyond the fellowship year, they join the Now Generation Network (NGN), where they continue contributing to Africa’s growth and development.
Applications for the 2026 fellowship are open to young professionals, mid-career experts, and emerging executives across Africa.
Eligible candidates must be African nationals, hold a master’s degree, and have at least seven years of relevant professional experience. Applicants must also be under 40 years old, or under 45 for women with children, with additional criteria varying by host institution. The programme provides an exceptional platform for qualified Africans to enhance their leadership capacity while making meaningful contributions to the continent’s future.
4. Public Sector Fellowship (ALU)
The ALU Public Sector Fellowship is a fully-funded 12-month program designed to equip Africa’s senior public sector leaders with the tools, mentorship, and networks they need to successfully execute large-scale government projects. Targeted at directors, commissioners, and heads of departments across African ministries and agencies, the fellowship emphasizes practical learning by doing.
Fellows benefit from workshops on leadership, communication, product management, and data-driven decision-making, as well as regular coaching from seasoned executives. They also engage with experienced mentors, participate in peer group meetings, and attend progress retreats that foster accountability and knowledge-sharing.
The fellowship is results-oriented, helping leaders accelerate the execution of high-impact projects that deliver immediate social benefits. Participants gain dedicated support to track progress and culminate their journey with a results showcase presented to peers, stakeholders, and external guests.
Beyond skills development, the fellowship builds a strong community of like-minded leaders committed to innovation in the public sector. With its focus on execution, mentorship, and collaboration, the ALU Public Sector Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for African government leaders to move from knowing what must be done to effectively achieving it.
5. Africa Extractives Media Fellowship
The Africa Extractives Media Fellowship (AEMF) is a 6-month journalism training program aimed at equipping early to mid-career journalists in Ghana with the skills and networks to report effectively on extractive industries.
Led by NewsWire Africa in partnership with institutions dedicated to transparency, sustainability, and good governance, the fellowship offers expert-led training, mentorship from industry leaders, field reporting opportunities, and connections with stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society. Its focus areas include mining, oil, gas, climate change, and the future of green minerals, ensuring that participants gain specialized knowledge in sectors central to Africa’s development.
The fellowship provides a valuable platform for journalists passionate about telling Africa’s most important stories and advancing sustainable development. Participants benefit from exclusive training by global experts, career-building mentorship, and opportunities to publish impactful stories that influence public discourse.
Women journalists are especially encouraged to apply, with the fellowship seeking to build a pioneering network of reporters dedicated to covering extractives, energy transition, and climate issues. By combining training, mentorship, and real-world reporting, the AEMF helps shape the next generation of Africa-focused journalists.
6. African Leadership Centre Fellowships
Explore Available Opportunities
The African Leadership Centre (ALC), based in Nairobi, is dedicated to developing the next generation of African leaders, researchers, and practitioners in leadership, security, and development. Since its inception, the Centre has trained approximately 148 young Africans through innovative fellowship programs, beginning with the Conflict, Security and Development Group at King’s College London.
ALC’s flagship fellowships aim to mentor transformational thinkers capable of influencing policy, academia, and activism, with programs tailored to both emerging African women leaders and scholars pursuing research careers in peace, security, and development.
Fellows gain a combination of rigorous academic training, mentoring, and practical placements at regional organizations, universities, or centers of excellence, equipping them with the skills and experience to drive meaningful change on the continent.
Specialized fellowships, such as the Peace and Security Fellowships for African Women, provide early-career African women with non-degree postgraduate training in Nairobi and occasional visits to King’s College London, focusing on leadership, development, and security.
Degree-awarding opportunities, such as those for African scholars, include an 18-month program with academic research, policy analysis, and a six-month attachment to gain practical field experience. Across its programs, ALC emphasizes intellectual development, policy influence, and practical engagement in conflict management and security processes.
By combining rigorous research, mentoring, and field placements, the Centre fosters a pipeline of African leaders equipped to address complex peace, security, and development challenges while advancing gender equality and youth participation in these critical areas.
7. INSEAD Africa Leadership Fund Scholarship
INSEAD places a strong emphasis on diversity, and its scholarship portfolio is designed to foster a vibrant classroom with a mix of nationalities, academic and professional experiences, and gender.
The Africa Leadership Fund Scholarship specifically supports talented candidates from the African region who face financial challenges, enabling them to pursue a world-class MBA at one of the leading business schools globally. Each class awards one scholarship to a candidate who demonstrates exceptional professional and personal achievements, leadership potential, academic excellence, and a commitment to contributing to the diversity of the program.
To be eligible, applicants must be African nationals who have spent a significant part of their lives and received part of their education in Africa, with preference given to those currently residing in the region and requiring financial assistance.
Candidates must also be admitted to the MBA program or in the interview process. The application requires candidates to demonstrate their past contributions to their country or region, future impact aspirations, and what sets them apart from other applicants, along with a detailed description of their financial circumstances and how they plan to finance their studies if the scholarship is not awarded.
Applications are submitted online through the INSEAD Africa Scholarship Group for review following each round’s deadline.
8. African STARS MBA Fellowship
Explore available opportunities
The MBA in Health Care Leadership (MBA HCL) at Stellenbosch Business School is a 24-month program designed to develop leadership and innovation in Africa’s health sector.
Offered through the African STARS Fellowship in collaboration with CERI, IPD, and the Mastercard Foundation, it combines core business modules with health care-specific courses, electives, and a research mini-thesis. The program uses blended learning with three on-campus residencies in South Africa and an international study module.
Eligible applicants are African nationals under 35 with at least three years of health-sector experience, including clinicians, senior nurses, managers in health technology or pharmaceuticals, and senior public or private health officials.
The fellowship fully covers tuition, accommodation, living stipend, health insurance, travel, research support, and provides mentorship and leadership development. Fellowship applications close 31 July 2025, with shortlisted candidates invited to apply to the MBA program by 31 October 2025.
