The France–South Africa Scholarship Programme 2026 for Southern Africans

The France – South Africa Scholarship Programme is directed to students who intend to study in universities or higher education institutions in France for their Master’s degree or PhD.

• Table of Content
• About France - South Africa
• France–South Africa Scholarship Programme
• Aim and Benefits of France–South Africa Scholarship Programme
• Requirements for France–South Africa Scholarship Programme Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

France–South Africa Scholarship Programme

Aim and Benefits of France–South Africa Scholarship Programme

Two schemes are possible under the France – South Africa Scholarship Programme:

1.  A full scholarship by the Embassy of France. It includes:

The status of a France Excellence scholarship holder which includes :

• social coverage and supplementary health care insurance;
• priority for accessing student housing;
• visa fee exemption;
• assistance offered by Campus France Paris;
• exemption from student and campus life contribution (CVEC);
• conditional exemption from registration fees, provided that the chosen program takes place in a public university under the supervision of the French Ministry of Higher Education AND that no additional training fees are required by the program.
• A return flight ticket to France.
• A monthly allowance (approximately 850 euros for Master students and 1700 euros for PhD students, amounts subject to annual review).
• An additional individualised accommodation aid (approximately 150 euros/month) can be obtained from the French Government via the Familly allocations (CAF).

Please, note that the scholarship does not include the tuition fees, unless specific conditions apply (see above). France has a large choice of options, and you may find a very good programme with almost no tuition fees. If you need help, you can contact Campus France. 

Requirements for France–South Africa Scholarship Programme Qualification

To be eligible for the France-South Africa Scholarship Programme, applicants must be:

• Born on or after 1 January 1996.
• A citizen of South Africa, Lesotho or Malawi. Dual French citizens are not eligible.
• 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, corresponding to the time required to complete the degree:

For a Master’s degree, the scholarship will be granted for the duration of the degree. Master’s 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.

The next call for applications is open for students who intend to start their studies in France in September 2026. 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.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit France - South Africa Scholarship Programme webpage