France-South Africa Scholarship Programme 2027 for Graduates

The France-South Africa Scholarship Programme is a bilateral scheme that places graduate students from southern Africa at French institutions. It runs as one call a year, so the calendar rather than the field of study is what usually decides whether a candidate can apply in a given cycle.

Who can apply

Eligibility is limited by nationality to South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. Candidates apply at Masters or PhD level, and the programme is open across fields rather than restricted to a scientific shortlist. Because the eligible group is small, the applicant pool is far narrower than for the large open-to-all European schemes, which is an advantage worth taking seriously if you hold one of these three nationalities.

What to check before applying

The published call sets out what the award carries; the funding terms are the part candidates most often skim. Read them against your own situation before investing time in the application, particularly if you have dependants or an employer whose leave policy will need to accommodate a move to France. Confirm too what level of French, if any, the receiving institution expects, since that varies by programme rather than being set centrally.

Deadline

The 2027 call for applications for the France-South Africa Scholarship Programme is now open. The deadline for final submissions is 8 October 2026 23:59, South Africa time. The call opened in July, so the window is a long one, and applications that arrive in the final days are competing for attention with everyone else who waited.

Before you apply

Secure the academic side first: an identified host institution and a supervisor who has agreed to the project make a bilateral application far stronger than a general statement of interest in studying in France.