Beit Trust Postgraduate Scholarships for Southern Africa 2027

The Beit Trust has funded postgraduate study from central southern Africa for generations, and its scholarships remain one of the few routes that combine a full financial package with a deliberately narrow country focus. Nineteen awards are available in this round.

Who can apply

Eligibility is restricted by nationality to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. Awards are for Masters and PhD study, and the subject focus sits in health and medicine, economics, and environment and climate. Because the eligible group is small and the disciplines are defined, an applicant from one of these three countries faces a far narrower field than in the large open-to-all schemes.

What the award covers

The package is close to complete. It covers full tuition and academic fees paid directly to the university, a living allowance, and economy-class flights to and from the study destination. It also covers the UK visa and health surcharge, the TB test and biometric costs, and adds separate allowances for arrival, for a laptop, and for departure. Those smaller items are the ones that usually catch funded students out, and covering them is what makes this package unusually practical.

Deadline and how it works

The round opens on 1 December 2026 and closes on 12 February 2027, and no applications can be processed after that date. That last clause is worth taking literally: this is not a scheme with an informal grace period. Study can be hosted in the United Kingdom or in South Africa, so the destination is a real choice rather than a default.

Before you apply

Decide the destination early, because a South African and a British application differ in cost, visa route and timeline. Then secure the university place question: a scholarship that pays fees directly to an institution expects you to know which institution that will be.