Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship 2027

Overview

The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship funds entrepreneurial South African and Namibian high school students through their full undergraduate degree at a Foundation-partner university. The Fellowship is unusually generous: it covers tuition, accommodation, books, a monthly stipend, and a structured entrepreneurship development programme that runs alongside the academic year. Around 100 new Fellows are selected each cycle. The 2027 deadline is 31 July 2026.

Benefits

• Full tuition and registration fees at a partner South African university (UCT, Stellenbosch, Wits, Pretoria, UJ, Rhodes, North-West, UFS, or NUST in Namibia).
• Accommodation in university residence or comparable arrangement.
• Monthly stipend for personal expenses.
• Books, equipment, and study material allowance.
• Structured Allan Gray Orbis Foundation entrepreneurship curriculum across all four years.
• Membership in the Fellowship alumni network of over 700 entrepreneurs.

Eligibility

• South African or Namibian citizen.
• Currently in Grade 12, planning to enrol full-time at a partner university in February 2027.
• Demonstrated academic performance in matric subjects.
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset: a project, business, problem-solving record, or community initiative you have led.
• Combined household income below the published threshold (typically ZAR 300,000 to ZAR 600,000 per year, depending on family size).

How to apply

1. Open the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation application portal at the source link.
2. Complete the multi-stage application: personal information, academic records, household income statement, school principal reference, and several short essays.
3. Submit by 31 July 2026.
4. Shortlisted candidates attend a Selection Camp in September or October 2026 (two-day residential assessment with case studies, group work, and interviews).
5. Final Fellows are announced in November 2026 for February 2027 university start.