Mandela Washington Fellowship 2025 for Young Africans

The U.S. Department of State and IREX are delighted to launch the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program 2025, offering a unique opportunity for young African leaders to participate in a six-week Leadership Institute at a U.S. college or university.
As the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the Fellowship will welcome up to 700 young leaders to the United States in summer 2025, providing a comprehensive executive-style program aimed at enhancing their skills and empowering them to drive positive change in their respective fields and communities.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered for the Fellowship, interested candidates are to meet the following requirements:
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- Are between the ages of 25 and 35 on or before the application deadline, although exceptional applicants ages 21-24 will be considered;
- Are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States;
- Are eligible to receive a United States J-1 visa;
- Are not employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government (including a U.S. embassy or consulate, USAID, or other U.S. Government entity);
- Are proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English (additional guidance coming for applicants who are deaf);
- Are not Alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Eligible Countries
Interested candidates must be citizens or residents of one of the following countries: 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
How to Apply
Interested and eligible applicants for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (YALI Fellowship) Program 2025 are to apply online before the application deadline. Applicants with any question are to contact the Fellowship Team at [email protected].