DAAD Leadership for Africa Scholarship (Germany)

The DAAD Leadership for Africa Scholarship funds master’s degrees in Germany for young graduates and refugees from selected African countries, backed by the German Federal Foreign Office. Scholars receive a monthly stipend of about EUR 934 plus insurance at tuition-free German universities, along with up to six months of funded German language training, rent subsidy and family allowances.

Each annual call names its target countries (recent cycles covered South Sudan, Uganda, Cameroon, Senegal and Togo) and reserves places for recognized refugees hosted there. Almost all fields qualify except medicine, law and a few regulated professions. Calls typically open in April and close by mid-June for the following winter intake.

• Nationals of the year's target countries and refugees hosted in them; recent calls covered South Sudan and Uganda (East Africa) and Cameroon, Senegal and Togo (West and Central Africa), with country lists announced before each call.
• Refugee applicants must hold formally granted refugee status in the host country by the cutoff date stated in the call.
• Bachelor's degree completed with strong results, qualifying for master's admission in Germany.
• All fields are eligible except Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Fine Arts, Architecture and health-care fields like Nursing and Midwifery.
• A convincing study plan: the main selection criterion is your description of the planned studies and a suitable choice of programmes in the DAAD study-course profile form.
• Language evidence for the chosen programmes (TOEFL or IELTS for English-taught, TestDaF or DSH for German-taught), or proof you can reach the level through the funded German course.
• Leadership motivation, since the programme exists to educate future leaders for African societies.

• Monthly DAAD stipend (around EUR 934) plus health, accident and liability insurance for the full master's.
• Study at tuition-free public or state-recognized German universities, so the stipend goes to living costs.
• Up to six months of funded German language training in Germany before the degree starts, including test fees, pocket money and accommodation during the course.
• Rent subsidy and monthly allowances for accompanying spouse and children where applicable.
• Membership of the LEAD! network, which regularly brings Leadership for Africa scholars together for leadership training.
• Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and running since 2021 with dedicated slots for refugees.

• DAAD portal application submitted online during the call window (no other channels are accepted).
• DAAD application form and the study-course profile form naming your chosen master's programmes.
• Curriculum vitae and a motivation letter.
• Bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts, translated into English or German where needed.
• Language certificates for the chosen programmes, or proof supporting your ability to reach them.
• Refugee applicants add proof of refugee status; optional extras include employment certificates, recommendation letters and prior German admissions.

• Check the current call on the DAAD Leadership for Africa page to confirm your country is targeted this cycle and note the exact window (the recent cycle ran from April 2 to June 10).
• Attend the free DAAD web seminars that walk through the programme, eligibility and portal step by step.
• Research suitable tuition-free master's programmes in Germany and build a coherent study-course profile, since this is the core of selection.
• Register on the DAAD portal, complete the form and upload every document as PDF before the deadline at midnight CEST; incomplete files are rejected formally.
• Pre-selected candidates are interviewed digitally by a committee of university professors.
• Winners start the funded German course from around April and begin their master's in the winter semester (around October).