YALI 2027 Mandela Washington Fellowship for young African Leaders (Fully Funded to the United States of America)

Application Deadline: October 13, 2026

Applications at the moment are open for the 2027 YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship. The Mandela Washington Fellowship will carry roughly 550 young leaders to the United States in the summer season of 2027 for a complete executive-style program designed to empower Fellows to lead of their respective sectors and communities and construct partnerships with American counterparts.

The Fellowship is an unparalleled alternative to…

• Participate in a six-week executive-style institute at a U.S. faculty or college to share your experiences with and study from American consultants.
• Engage with U.S. consultants in in enterprise and commerce, rising applied sciences, and governance and safety.
• Meet with American leaders in the private and non-private sectors to strengthen your skilled community.
• Explore American innovation, business, historical past, and tradition to develop your experience.
• Join an lively community of practically 7,800 alumni.

Eligibility

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is open to young African leaders who meet the following standards: 

• Are between the ages of 25 and 35 on or earlier than the application deadline, though distinctive candidates ages 21-24 could also be thought-about;
• Are not U.S. residents or everlasting residents of the United States;
• Are eligible to obtain a United States J-1 visa;
• Are not staff or speedy members of the family (spouses, dad and mom, kids, or siblings) of staff of the U.S. Government (together with a U.S. embassy or consulate or different U.S. Government entity);*
• Are proficient in studying, writing, and talking English (candidates who’re deaf ought to refer to the “English Language” part of the application instructions);
• Are residents of one of the following nations: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe;
• Are residents of one of the above nations, and will probably be completely residing there as of February 1, 2027, and at the starting of the Fellowship in June 2027; and
• Are not alumni or prior individuals of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

  *Current IREX staff and consultants and their speedy members of the family (spouses, dad and mom, kids, and siblings) are usually not eligible to apply for any IREX-implemented grant packages, both as people or as the accountable celebration representing an institutional applicant.

Please word that Fellows are usually not allowed to have dependents, together with spouses and kids, accompany them throughout the Fellowship.

Benefits

Financial Provisions of the Fellowship There isn’t any charge to apply for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. If you might be chosen for the Fellowship, the U.S. Government will cowl all program prices. Program prices funded by the U.S. Government will embody:

• J-1 visa assist;
• Round-trip journey from Fellow’s home metropolis to the United States and home U.S. journey as required by the program. Fellows should depart from their nation of residence inside an eligible Fellowship nation in Africa to the United States;
• A six-week institute;
• A restricted accident and illness profit plan;
• Housing and meals throughout the program; and
• An non-obligatory four-week Professional Development Experience (for up to 50 Fellows).

Please word that the U.S. Department of State, IREX, institutes, and/or PDE Hosts won’t present funds to cowl Fellows’ salaries whereas they’re away from work or funds for private purchases, similar to assist for Fellows’ home organizations or presents for household.

Application and Selection Process

• The Mandela Washington Fellowship choice course of is a merit-based open competitors.
•  After the deadline, all eligible purposes will probably be reviewed and scored in accordance to the standards for choice (see beneath).  
• Following this overview, U.S. embassies and consulates will interview chosen semifinalists in individual of their home nations. 
• If chosen as a semifinalist, candidates should present a duplicate of their worldwide passport (if obtainable) or different government-issued photograph identification at their interview. 
• Selected finalists are required to attend a compulsory in-person pre-departure orientation. 

Application Timeline:

• September 22, 2026 | Application opens
• October 13, 2026 | Application deadline
• November 2026 – January 2027 | Semi-finalists interviewed by native U.S. embassies and consulates
• February/March 2027 | Applicants notified of their standing
• March – May 2027 | Visa processing and pre-departure orientations for finalists
• June 2027 | Fellowship begins in the United States

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship