The Mandela Washington Fellowship 2027 is now accepting applications from young African leaders who are making a positive difference in their communities, countries, and professional sectors. The flagship program of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), the Fellowship will bring approximately 550 emerging African leaders to the United States in June 2027 for a six-week executive-style leadership development experience.

The Fellowship is designed for accomplished young professionals and community leaders between the ages of 25 and 35 who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and a commitment to creating positive change. Exceptional applicants aged 21 to 24 may also be considered. Participants will spend six weeks at a U.S. college or university taking part in a Leadership Institute, where they will engage with American experts, exchange ideas with other African leaders, and explore approaches to leadership, innovation, and problem-solving.

Fellows will have opportunities to deepen their knowledge in areas including business and trade, emerging technologies, governance, and security while building professional relationships with leaders and organizations across the United States. The program also provides opportunities to experience American culture, history, innovation, and industry and to share perspectives from their own communities and countries.

Beyond the six-week Leadership Institute, selected Fellows may have access to Professional Development Experiences with U.S. private-sector, public-sector, and nonprofit organizations. These placements can provide practical exposure to different professional environments while helping participants develop international networks and exchange knowledge with American counterparts. Alumni also remain connected to the broader Mandela Washington Fellowship network through professional development, networking, collaboration, and other opportunities supported by the U.S. Department of State and its partners.

The Fellowship is open to citizens of eligible Sub-Saharan African countries who are residents of those countries and will be permanently residing there from February 1, 2027, through the beginning of the Fellowship in June 2027. Applicants must be proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English, be eligible for a U.S. J-1 visa, and must not be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Applicants must also not have previously participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Eligible applicants must not be employees or immediate family members of employees of the U.S. Government, including U.S. embassies, consulates, or other U.S. Government entities. Current IREX employees and consultants, as well as their immediate family members, are also not eligible for IREX-implemented grant programs.

Citizens of Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte 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, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are eligible to apply, subject to the program requirements.

The application process is a merit-based open competition. Applications open on September 22, 2026, and must be submitted by October 13, 2026. Following the initial review, selected semifinalists are expected to be interviewed by U.S. embassies or consulates between November 2026 and January 2027. Applicants will be notified of their status around February or March 2027, with visa processing and pre-departure preparations taking place from March through May. The Fellowship is scheduled to begin in June 2027.

Applicants selected as semifinalists will need to provide documentation confirming their age, citizenship, and residency during the interview stage. Finalists must also participate in a mandatory in-person pre-departure orientation. Fellows are not permitted to bring dependents, including spouses or children, with them during the Fellowship.

Since its launch in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship has brought together nearly 7,800 young leaders from across Sub-Saharan Africa. The 2027 cohort will join this growing alumni network and gain access to continued opportunities for professional development, collaboration, and engagement with other African and American leaders.

The application deadline is October 13, 2026. Interested applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements and submit their applications before the deadline.

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