KAS-SAIIA Scholarship and Internship Programme (South Africa)

The KAS-SAIIA Scholarship combines a fully funded master’s degree with a paid full-year internship at the South African Institute of International Affairs, one of Africa’s leading public policy think tanks. It is funded by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the German political foundation named after the Federal Republic’s first chancellor, and has run since 1999. Applications for the 2027 cohort opened on 29 July 2026 and close on 1 September 2026.

The structure is what makes this different from a standard bursary. Scholars receive full tuition and a monthly stipend for living costs and accommodation, but they also work at SAIIA from 1 February to 30 November while studying. That means a demanding year rather than a funded study period, and applicants should go in understanding it as a combined degree and job. In exchange, you leave with practical policy research experience alongside the qualification, which is why alumni have moved into influential positions across the public and private sectors.

You choose your city, and the choice matters. The Johannesburg office houses SAIIA’s Economic Resilience and African Diplomacy and Governance programmes, with study at the University of the Witwatersrand. The Cape Town office houses the Futures and Climate Change programmes, with study at the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University or the University of the Western Cape. Eligible fields are international relations, development studies, political science, economics, law and journalism, plus related humanities and social sciences subjects.

Two eligibility conditions are firm and rule out many applicants. You must be a South African resident or eligible for residency status, so this is a national rather than an international programme, and you must be younger than 30. The scholarship also does not fund students who have already completed the first year of a master’s, meaning it is aimed at people starting out. University admission is a separate process that you pursue alongside the scholarship application, and helpfully, SAIIA states that if your admission status is still unclear at the deadline you should apply anyway and note it in your cover letter rather than waiting.

• You must be a South African resident, or be eligible for residency status. This is a national programme rather than an open international one.
• You must be younger than 30 years of age at the time of application.
• You must meet the admission requirements for a master's degree at one of the partner universities and apply to them separately.
• Johannesburg-based candidates study at the University of the Witwatersrand. Cape Town-based candidates study at the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University or the University of the Western Cape.
• Eligible fields are international relations, development studies, political science, economics, law and journalism, plus related humanities and social sciences subjects.
• The scholarship does not fund students who have already completed the first year of their master's programme, so it is aimed at people starting rather than continuing.
• You must be able to commit to the full-year internship, which runs from 1 February to 30 November alongside your studies.
• If your university admission status is still unclear at the internship deadline, SAIIA asks you to apply anyway and note this in your cover letter.

• A full tuition bursary for the master's degree, plus a monthly stipend covering living costs and accommodation.
• A paid full-year internship at SAIIA, one of Africa's leading public policy think tanks, running concurrently with your studies.
• Placement in a live research programme. The Johannesburg office houses Economic Resilience and African Diplomacy and Governance, while Cape Town houses the Futures and Climate Change programmes.
• Practical policy research experience rather than purely academic training, which is the feature that distinguishes this from a standard bursary.
• Access to a strong and active alumni network, built since the programme began in 1999.
• The programme is explicitly output-focused and designed to develop future leaders in public policy, academia, business, media and civil society.
• Alumni have gone on to influential positions across both the public and private sectors in South Africa and beyond.
• Choice of city and research focus, since you select your preferred office and university combination when applying.

• Online application submitted through the SAIIA application form.
• Cover letter setting out your interest, your chosen office and university, and your admission status if it is still pending.
• Curriculum vitae covering academic and any professional or research experience.
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates, including your honours results.
• Proof of application to, or admission into, a master's programme at one of the partner universities.
• Proof of South African residency or eligibility for residency status.
• Reference letters as specified in the current call.
• Identity document.

• Review SAIIA's research programmes first and choose your office deliberately, since Johannesburg and Cape Town host different research areas and this shapes your whole year.
• Apply for admission to the master's programme at your chosen partner university through that university's own process, which is separate from the scholarship application.
• If your university admission is still undecided when the scholarship deadline arrives, apply anyway and explain the position in your cover letter. SAIIA explicitly permits this.
• Submit the KAS-SAIIA application through the SAIIA online form by 1 September 2026.
• Be clear that this is a combined scholarship and job. The internship runs from 1 February to 30 November alongside your degree, so it is a demanding year rather than a funded study period.
• Emphasise policy interest and research capability rather than academic results alone, since the programme is output-focused and you will be producing work at SAIIA.
• Note the age limit of 30 and the rule excluding students who have already completed a first year of their master's, as both are firm.
• If you are not South African, this programme is not open to you, but KAS runs other scholarship schemes in different regions worth checking separately.