Scholarships, Grants and Fellowships for African Applicants

Applicants can find scholarships, grants, fellowships and training programmes across Africa and beyond, with deadlines from September to November 2026. The opportunities cover entrepreneurship, education, climate storytelling, innovation, governance and internet policy, but each has different age, country and language conditions.

Key facts

• One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs is for South African entrepreneurs aged 30 or below and covers return travel, accommodation and meals for the One Young World Summit in Cape Town.
• FAWE Ghana Mastercard Foundation Second Chance Bursary offers 200 fully funded bursaries in Ghana for marginalised young people aged 25 or below, with 80% reserved for female applicants.
• One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity offers six places for South African applicants aged 30 or below, with travel and accommodation provided according to the stated requirements.
• Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project can provide up to EUR 42,000 to selected organisations in eligible African countries for a 12-month innovation project.
• Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants supports 15–20 storytellers with training, mentorship, content amplification and grants of up to USD 4,000 for climate justice work.
• World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme covers international travel and accommodation for two selected team members attending a governance and artificial intelligence bootcamp in South Korea.
• ICANN Fellowship Program: Travel-Supported Opportunity is open to all nationalities and provides travel assistance for an ICANN community forum in Portugal.

Which African applicants can apply for these opportunities?

Eligibility depends first on your country, then on your age, field and role. The country-specific options include South Africa, Ghana and a group of African countries covered by the innovation and climate programmes.

Applicants from South Africa can consider One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs and One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity. Both are linked to One Young World, both take place in South Africa, and both set a maximum age of 30. One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs matters if you run or support a business that generates jobs, while One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity is broader because its field is listed as any field.

Applicants from Ghana can consider FAWE Ghana Mastercard Foundation Second Chance Bursary, delivered by Forum for African Women Educationalists Ghana Chapter (FAWE Ghana). It is aimed at brilliant yet marginalised young people. The allocation includes 80% for female applicants, 20% for male applicants, and 5–15% for people with disabilities, refugees or internally displaced people. The stated maximum age is 25.

Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project is open to applicants in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It matters for a youth-led organisation with an innovation project, because selected organisations can receive up to EUR 42,000 for implementation over 12 months. The age limit is 35.

Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants covers Mozambique, Uganda, Nigeria, Angola, Chad, Congo, Tanzania, South Sudan, Malawi and Zambia. It matters for eligible storytellers working on environment and climate themes, especially where the proposed work can create public conversation and inspire action.

The remaining options use wider eligibility rules. World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme accepts applicants from developing countries, while ICANN Fellowship Program: Travel-Supported Opportunity accepts all nationalities. A reader from an African country not named in the country-specific opportunities should check the official page before preparing a full application.

Which opportunities suit students, entrepreneurs and organisations?

The guide includes options for different kinds of applicants, but “any level” does not mean every applicant will be competitive. You need to match your evidence to the purpose of the opportunity.

If you run a business or create jobs

One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs matters if your work has a clear job-generation record or plan. The opportunity is specifically connected to entrepreneurship, and the selected participant attends the One Young World Summit in Cape Town from 3 November to 6 November 2026.

Prepare a short explanation of what the venture does, who it serves, how it creates jobs and what evidence supports those claims. A committee can assess a business more easily when you give figures, dates and named activities rather than broad claims about impact. The available support includes return travel to Cape Town, a private hotel room from 3 to 7 November 2026 inclusive, and meals on conference days.

If you need an education bursary

FAWE Ghana Mastercard Foundation Second Chance Bursary matters for eligible young people in Ghana who have faced marginalisation and need support to continue or access education. It is listed as any level and any field, but the age limit remains 25.

The allocation rules mean applicants should explain both academic or career potential and the circumstances that affect access. Applicants with disability, refugee or internally displaced status should state the relevant status clearly and attach any document the official process requests. Do not assume that a general personal statement will prove eligibility.

If you represent an organisation

Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project matters when the applicant is an organisation able to deliver an innovation project over 12 months. The grant is not presented as a personal scholarship. A strong application should therefore identify the organisation, its target community, the problem being addressed, the proposed innovation, the delivery team and how progress will be measured.

The grant amount is stated as up to EUR 42,000. The facts do not specify the required budget format, matching contribution or legal status of applicants, so check the official page from Interartsfunding before drafting the financial section.

If you produce climate stories

Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants matters for storytellers who can work in English or French and focus on environment and climate. The programme lasts 12 months and includes training, mentorship, content amplification and grants of up to USD 4,000.

Your proposal should show the story, the people affected, the reporting or creative method, the intended audience and the action the work could encourage. The programme says content is delivered in English or French. If your strongest work is in another language, check whether translation or another arrangement is allowed instead of assuming it will be accepted.

What funding and travel support do these programmes provide?

Support varies sharply. Read the funding line as a list of covered items, not as a promise that every cost will be paid.

One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs states that it covers return travel to Cape Town, a private hotel room from 3 to 7 November 2026 inclusive, and breakfast, lunch and dinner on conference days. This matters to a South African applicant who needs to know whether attendance costs are addressed before accepting a place.

One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity states that travel and accommodation are provided according to the requirements. Because the detailed requirements are not given here, applicants should confirm what travel route, accommodation period and supporting documents are accepted on the official page from One Young World.

World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme matters for applicants who can attend the GovTech AI Bootcamp in South Korea as part of a two-person team. International travel and accommodation costs for the two selected team members are covered. Sessions are conducted in English with interpretation support, so applicants should still check the expected level of participation and any costs not listed.

ICANN Fellowship Program: Travel-Supported Opportunity provides travel assistance for attendance at the ICANN88 Community Forum in Lisbon, Portugal. The facts do not state that accommodation, meals or every local expense is covered. Budget for unlisted costs only after checking the official information from ICANN.

The grant opportunities are different. Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project gives selected organisations up to EUR 42,000, while Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants offers grants of up to USD 4,000 within a 12-month programme. Currency conversion, bank charges and spending rules are not supplied, so do not convert the awards into local currency in your application unless the official instructions require it.

What deadlines and time zones should applicants track?

The earliest listed deadline is 12 September 2026. One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs closes on that date. FAWE Ghana Mastercard Foundation Second Chance Bursary follows on 15 September 2026, and One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity closes on 16 September 2026.

Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project closes on 23 September 2026. Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants closes on 25 September 2026 at 18:00 GMT, so applicants should convert that time carefully to their local time and submit before the final hour. A portal may record the submission time by its own server clock.

World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme closes on 2 October 2026. ICANN Fellowship Program: Travel-Supported Opportunity closes on 10 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC. The ICANN opportunity also lists applications opening on 21 July 2026 and an event in Lisbon from 13 March to 18 March 2027.

Do not wait for the deadline to request documents. A practical schedule is to verify eligibility first, collect identity and status evidence next, draft the main answers, then allow time to upload files and review every field. The official pages should control if a deadline, time zone or event detail changes.

What should you include in a strong application?

Start with eligibility evidence. State your country, age where relevant, field, current role and connection to the project in the first part of the form. Selection readers should not need to search through several paragraphs to determine whether you qualify.

Then provide proof of work. For an entrepreneur, this might mean a clear record of jobs created or business activity. For a storyteller, it means showing relevant work and explaining the climate issue without turning the answer into a general essay. For an organisation, it means demonstrating delivery capacity, a defined project and a credible 12-month plan.

Use the exact funding purpose. A request for travel support should explain why you need to attend and what you will contribute. A grant proposal should connect each cost to an activity and result, although the official page must be checked for any required budget categories.

Common rejection reasons include applying from an ineligible country, exceeding the age limit, submitting a vague project, ignoring the required language, or treating a personal application as an organisational proposal. Another avoidable error is claiming that all expenses are covered when the opportunity only confirms travel or accommodation.

Keep supporting documents consistent. Your name, country, organisation and project details should match across the application and attachments. If a document is not listed in the available information, check the official page rather than inventing a requirement or sending unnecessary files.

Frequently asked questions about African scholarships and grants

Which scholarships accept applicants from South Africa?

One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs and One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity accept eligible applicants from South Africa. Both are for people aged 30 or below and take place in Cape Town, but One Young World Scholarship for Job-Generating Entrepreneurs focuses on job-generating entrepreneurs while One Young World South Africa Scholarship Opportunity accepts any field and offers six places.

What bursary is available for young people in Ghana?

FAWE Ghana Mastercard Foundation Second Chance Bursary is available to eligible young people from Ghana and is listed as any level and any field. It offers 200 fully funded bursaries, with 80% reserved for female applicants and a stated allocation of 5–15% for people with disabilities, refugees or internally displaced people.

Which African grants support climate storytelling?

Africa No Filter Climate Justice Storytelling Grants supports climate justice storytelling in the listed eligible countries. It provides training, mentorship, content amplification and grants of up to USD 4,000, with content delivered in English or French over 12 months.

Can organisations apply for an African innovation grant?

Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project matters for eligible organisations in the listed African countries that can implement an innovation project over 12 months. Selected organisations can receive up to EUR 42,000, but the official page must be checked for the organisation, budget and document requirements.

Which programme covers travel to an international training event?

World Bank GovTech AI Training Programme covers international travel and accommodation for two selected team members attending its GovTech AI Bootcamp in South Korea. ICANN Fellowship Program: Travel-Supported Opportunity also provides travel assistance for an international forum in Portugal, although the available information does not confirm accommodation or meals for that opportunity.

What should you do next?

Choose opportunities by eligibility first, not by award size. Write down your country, age, field, applicant type and the evidence you already have, then remove any option that fails a basic condition.

Next, check the official page for One Young World, Interartsfunding, Africa No Filter, World Bank or ICANN, depending on your target opportunity. Confirm the deadline, time zone, language, required documents, funding conditions and submission method before writing the final version.

Submit early enough to fix upload or verification problems. Save a copy of every answer and attachment, record the submission confirmation, and keep your phone and email available for follow-up. A precise application supported by matching documents gives the selection committee a clear reason to consider you.