Application Deadline: 16 October 2023 at 23:59 SA time.
The France – South Africa Scholarship Programme is directed to South African students who intend to study in universities or higher education institutions in France for their Master’s degree or PhD.
The programme is also open to students from Lesotho and Malawi.
The next call for applications is open for students who intend to start their studies in France in September 2024. Applicants will be contacted individually as needed. The list of the laureates and the waiting list will be announced according to the indicated timeline. Follow-up requests by applicants will not be answered.
Due to the differences between the Southern and Northern hemisphere calendars, laureates will follow a specific programme in South Africa from February 2024 to July 2024. This track will include online French courses organized by the network of the Alliances Françaises. It may also include an internship in French Companies and organisations based in South Africa, depending on the opportunities and the profile of each laureate.
Eligible study programmes
The study programmes eligible for the France South Africa scholarship programme are masters or PhD programmes in a French higher education institution located in France.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for the France – South Africa Scholarship Programme, applicants must be:
- Born on or after 1st January 1994.
- A citizen of South Africa, Lesotho or Malawi.
- Enrolled in a French Higher Education institution (in due time) to pursue a Master’s degree or PhD.
The scholarship is granted for a given period to be spent in France, matching the necessary time required to obtain the degree:
- For Master’s degree, the scholarship will be granted for a duration between 10 and 22 months. Master degree programmes are two years long. In some specific cases (Bachelor degree with Honours, for example), students may consider applying directly to M2 (second-year of the Master Programme). Only the hosting higher education institution is responsible for the admission. At the end of the first academic year, the Embassy of France will verify the success of the student to continue her/his studies in the second year of the Master’s programme.
- For PhDs, the scholarship will be granted for a maximum duration of 3 years. However, at the end of each academic year, in order to get the renewal of his/her grant, the recipient will have to justify the progress of their research work.
- In case of a PhD under co-supervision/cotutelle, periods of stay in France should be specified in a timeline. The scholarship will only be granted for the periods spent in France.
- For PhD and Master Degrees, if the curriculum requires course work which will take place outside of France, then applicants must specify all the details and his/her intentions, during the application process.
Scholarship types
Two schemes are possible under the France – South Africa Scholarship Programme:
A full scholarship by the Embassy of France. It includes:
- The status of a France Excellence scholarship holder which includes social security, priority for accessing student housing, visa fee exemption and assistance offered by Campus France Paris.
- A return flight ticket to France.
- A monthly allowance (approximately 850 euros for Master students and 1400 euros for PhD students).
- An additional individualized accommodation aid (approximately 150 euros/month) can be obtained from the French Government via the CAF.
In the second scheme of a cost sharing scholarship, the monthly allowance will be provided fully or partially by a partner (a partner among the Advisory Board, a company, a higher education institution or any other funding agency). All the other benefits of a full scholarship will still be provided by the Embassy of France. This scheme can be proposed by the candidate during the application process or by the Advisory Board for some of the laureates. In this last case, preselected applicants must comply with the instructions by the French Embassy in order to secure the co-funding.
Applicants are highly encouraged to look for other sources of financing from his/her own local or French higher education institution but also from private sector companies. Specific attention will be given to applicants who have found other sources of financing for their academic project. Nevertheless, the commitment of the parents or a family business is not considered as a co-funding.
At all times, applicants or laureates must inform the Embassy of France if they obtain any additional funding.
Timeline:
- The call for applications is open until 16 October 2023 at 23:59 SA time.
- A series of webinars will be organized in June 2023 to provide students with useful information to prepare their applications. Follow Campus France South Africa on social media for webinar information.
- Interview of the eligible candidates: November 2023.
- Results: end of November/early December 2023.
- Specific programme in South Africa (online French courses and possibly an internship): February 2024 – July 2024.
- Departure to France: Early September 2024.
Applicants and Scholarship laureates will be contacted individually when needed. Due to the high number of applications, follow-up requests by candidates will not be answered.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the France–South Africa Scholarship Programme 2023/2024