Bheki Mlangeni Memorial has opened its September 2026 academic year Scholarship program and is inviting all applicants from South African and Lesothan students to apply now. All interested applicants should apply using the details below.

CLOSING DATE:

• 21 September 2026: scholarship applications close.
• October 2026: eligible candidates will be interviewed.
• November to December 2026: final candidates will be selected and results will be made available.
• January to July 2026: specific programme will commence in South Africa (online french courses and possibly internship).
• Early September 2026: departure to France

BURSARY REQUIREMENTS

Before applying, applicants must meet the following minimum entry criteria (please note that if you do not meet all of the requirements, your application will be rejected):

• You must be a South African citizen or Lesothan citizen
• You must be under the age of 33 years old on 1 January 2026
• You must intend on studying towards a Master’s degree or PhD, in any field
• You must intend on studying at a University or higher education institution in France
• You must intend on starting your studies in September 2026
• Preference may be given to students intending on studying within Science, Engineering and Technology fields, as well as niche courses not available in South Africa

BURSARY COVERAGE

 The scholarship will cover studies in France towards a Master’s degree or PhD qualification, in ANY field of study.

The Embassy of France offers two types of scholarships:
1) A full scholarship from the French government, which includes tuition fees (up to a maximum of 5000 euros per year), a return flight to France, a monthly allowance (approximately 700 euros for master’s students and 1400 euros for PhD students), and individualized housing assistance (approximately 150 euros per month). Scholars will also receive social security, priority access to student housing, a waiver of visa fees, and Campus France Paris assistance.

2) A cost-sharing scholarship, which includes a monthly stipend paid in full or in part by a partner, as well as all of the other benefits of a full scholarship.

Candidates are encouraged to seek alternative sources of funding, and students with confirmed sources of funding will be given special consideration.

Scholarships will be given for a specific period of time in France, in accordance with the time required to complete the degree:

Scholarships will be awarded to master’s degree students for a period of 10 to 22 months. Master’s degrees typically last two years, and students may be required to apply to M2 programs in some cases (2nd year of the Master Programme). Depending on academic performance after the first year of study, the Embassy of France may award a scholarship for the second year.
Scholarships will be awarded to PhD students for a maximum of three years. Students will be required to justify the progress of their research work after the first year of study in order to qualify for funding for the second and third years. Co-supervision/cotutelle for PhD students: scholarships will be awarded for periods spent in France and these periods of stay should be specified by the candidate.

METHOD OF APPLICATION

Applications must be done online at: Embassy of France Scholarship Application

Before candidates can apply, they will be required to Register an Account, thereafter they may Login and apply.

Application notes:

• You will be able to save and continue your application at any time, however no changes will be allowed to be made after final submission, so ensure that all the information on your application is correct before submitting.
• Applications can be done on any platform, but it is recommended that a desktop computer be used.
• The application does not recognise special characters (such as apostrophes), so ensure that you do not use them.

Upload clear copies of the following supporting documentation to your profile (the submission of these documents is compulsory – if any items are missing, your application may be disqualified):
ALL applicants must submit:

• Completed online application form
• Passport (certified copy)
• Updated resume/ curriculum vitae, including entire academic record
• Covering letter, including motivations and interests in the selected academic project
• Degree certificates (Bachelor or Master degrees)
• University transcripts for the last 2 years of study

Master students must ALSO submit the following:

• List of study programmes the student intends on applying for (as well as application dates and tuition fees)
• Proof of acceptance for the study programme stating in the application (between February and May 2026)
• Email correspondence with the institution in France (to be submitted during the application process)

PhD students must ALSO submit the following:

• Attestation, signed by your supervisor and stating their commitment to supervise your thesis OR
• Attestation signed by the 2 supervisors (South African and French) stating their commitment to supervise in France and in South Africa (must indicate that a cotutelle agreement will be formed), if under co-supervision
• Detailed description of the research project and detailed work plan (2 to 3 pages long)

Optional documents students may submit:

• Academic or professional recommendation
• Language proficiency certificates
• Cost-sharing commitment letter from the corresponding organisation

DOCUMENTS TO READ BEFORE APPLYING FOR THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

Embassy of France Scholarship Rulebook
Embassy of France Scholarship FAQ’s
Why to study in France