Application Deadline: 3:59 SAST, Wednesday, 15 August 2018.
The Rhodes Scholarships for Southern Africa (inc. South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland)
This page provides constituency-specific information on Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford for applicants from South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland.
The Scholarships for these countries are administered from a regional secretariat based in Johannesburg.
There are:
- four Scholarships every year for applicants from South Africa-at-Large,
- one for applicants from KwaZulu-Natal,
- one for an applicant from one of: Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland, and
- one each for applicants of or from Diocesan College, Rondebosch; South African College School, Newlands; Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch; and St Andrew’s College, Grahamstown (including their identified partner schools, which are listed here).
The Rhodes Scholarship programme is the oldest (established 1903), and perhaps the most prestigious, international scholarship programme in the world. Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme offers more than 100 fully-funded Scholarships each year
for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the UK- one of the world’s leading universities.
Selection Committees for the Scholarships are looking for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future. The Selection Committees are looking for the following:
• academic excellence (e.g. First Class Honours or GPA of minimum 3.7/4.0, or equivalent).
- energy to use your talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved)
- truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
• moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in your fellow human beings
Countries, regions and schools
Scholarships in Southern Africa are distributed as follows:
- South Africa-at-Large Scholarships: You should apply to the committee (the “Regional Selection Committee”) in whose area you permanently live or in which you have received, or are currently receiving, any considerable part of your education. Save for KwaZul
- Natal as explained below, all successful candidates from Regional Selection Committees are sent to the South Africa-at-Large Selection Committee, for the final round of interviews. The South Africa-at-Large Selection Committee selects successful candidates and recommends them to the Rhodes Trust, which ultimately makes the scholarship awards. There are four regional selection committees, namely:
i. Eastern Cape and Free State;
ii. KwaZulu-Natal;
iii. Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North-West; and
iv. Western Cape and Northern Cape.
b. KwaZulu
-Natal Scholarship: You may apply for the KwaZulu
-Natal Scholarship if you live permanently or have
received, or are currently receiving, a considerabl
e part of your education in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The KZN Selection
Committee may make one direct recommendation (similar to those of the South Africa-at-Large Selection Committee) to the Rhodes Trust each year, and also acts as a Regional Selection Committee.
c. Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland Scholarship (BLMNS): You may apply to the BLMNS selection committee if you fulfil the citizenship or legal residence requirement in one of the mentioned countries. The procedure is the same as that for the South Africa-at-Large Scholarships.
d. Named and partner schools: Former pupils of the four named schools and their partner schools, namely:
i. Diocesan College (Bishops), St Cyprian’s School, St George’s Grammar School, Herschel Girls School, and LEAP 1 School (all in Rondebosch);
ii. Paul Roos Gymnasium, Rhenish Girls’ High School and Bloemhof Girls’ High School (all in Stellenbosch);
iii. South African College School (SACS), Sans Souci Girls’ High School and Rustenburg High School for Girls (all in Newlands); and
iv. St Andrew’s College and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) (both in Grahamstown), may apply for their relevant school Scholarship, or for the South Africa-at-Large (including KZN) or BLMNS Scholarships
Eligibility Criteria
Nationality/citizenship:
You must be a citizen or legal permanent resident of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho,
Malawi, Namibia or Swaziland.
Education/residency: You must
have resided for at least five years within the period of ten years immediately
preceding your application in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia or Swaziland.
Age:
You must have reached your 19th and not have passed your 25th birthday on 01 O
ctober 2019, which means you must have been born after 30 September 1994 and on or before 01 October 2000. For medical students and medical doctors the age limit is extended by up to three years to allow them to complete internship and
community service.
Academic achievement:
You must have completed (or will have completed by 30 June 2019) an undergraduate
degree from a college or university (normally a Bachelor’s degree) to a sufficiently high standard to be admitted to postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. In this respect, please note carefully the requirements for your chosen course at Oxford.
Application Procedure:
Application Procedure
- You can apply online from 01 June 2018 at http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk via the scholarships tab.
- You must submit your application online, with all supporting documents, by 23:59 SAST, Wednesday, 15 August 2018.
- In preparation for making your application, you should read carefully the general information for candidates on the Rhodes website, the Conditions of Tenure for the Rhodes Scholarship, the information in this document and the graduate admissions pages of the University of Oxford: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a social reception (e.g. a lunch or dinner reception) and an interview. No candidate will be selected without interview. You must be available to attend the interview and social reception, in person, as no accommodations can be made on date and time of these events. Interviews will be held in the region to which you have applied, all interviews will have taken place by mid-December. The regional and school selection committees usually meet in October/November. The BLMNS selection committee will hold its interviews towards the end of November. The South Africa-at-Large selections are usually held on the last weekend of November or the first weekend of December. Reasonable travel expenses to the nearest selection committee (and for those shortlisted by the KZN committee) for the purposes of interviews will be paid. The Trust will not be responsible for the cost of overseas travel. Accommodation within South Af rica will, where necessary, be provided.
- All applicants will be emailed with the outcome of their application.
Documents:
National Secretary for South Africa
Ndumiso Luthuli
Email: [email protected]
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Rhodes Scholarships for Southern Africa