The Mandela Washington Fellowship

The Mandela Washington Fellowship will bring up to 700 young leaders to the United States in the summer of 2024 for a comprehensive executive-style program that is designed to build skills and empower Fellows to lead in their respective sectors and communities.

Who is eligible to apply?

Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.  The Mandela Washington Fellowship is open to young African leaders who meet the following criteria:

• 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 citizens 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;
• Are residents of one of the above countries; and
• Are not Alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Please note that Fellows are not allowed to have dependents, including spouses and children, accompany them during the Fellowship.

Selection of finalists from all eligible countries may be subject to review in response to local, national, or global events that impact the ability to conduct program activities.

The U.S. Department of State and IREX reserve the right to verify all information included in the application.  In the event of a discrepancy, or if the information is found to be false, the application will immediately be declared invalid and the applicant ineligible.

Application and Selection Timeline

• August 15, 2023  |  Application opens
• September 12, 2023  |  Application deadline
• November 2023 – January 2024  |  Semi-finalists interviewed by local U.S. embassies and consulates
• March 2024 |  Applicants notified of their status
• May 2024  |  Visa processing and Pre-Departure Orientations for Finalists
• June 2024  |  Fellowship begins in the United States

Application Resources

See Mandela Washington website for further details.

Got questions?  Visit Frequently Asked Questions  about the Fellowship application to learn answers to common queries.

Check out our Resources page to download and learn more about:

• Instructions for the 2024 Fellowship Application
• Information for Prospective Fellows with Disabilities
• Information for Prospective Fellows Who Are or May Become Pregnant
• Access the Application Form