The Chamber
France–South Africa Scholarship Programme Sends 20 Students to France
The pre-departure and alumni event for the France–South Africa Scholarship Programme took place last Tuesday at the Résidence of the French Ambassador in Pretoria. The morning was dedicated to briefing the selected students, followed by a lunch with the programme partners.
This year, 20 students, 18 Master’s and 2 PhD candidates, from South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi have been selected to study in France with a scholarship funded by the French ministry of Foreign affairs. They will attend universities across the country in various academic fields. A few students from the crossed-mobility programme, which offers a one-semester exchange in France, also attended the pre-departure session.
The 2025 intake received 393 applications. Around 75 candidates were interviewed in November. The selection jury included Yves Guénon, Chairperson of the French South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FSACCI), Zanélle Dalglish from Schneider Electric, a member of FSACCI, Dr. Temwa Moyo from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and Dr. Mulelo Ncango from the National Research Foundation (NRF) as well as the science and higner education team and Campus France from the French Embassy.
The 2026 call for applications is now open >> Click Here <<. The deadline for submissions is 8 October 2025 at 23:59. Shortlisted candidates will be announced by the end of November or early December.
Successful applicants will participate in a preparatory programme in South Africa from February to July 2026. This includes online French language courses delivered through the Alliances Françaises network, and may include internships with French companies depending on availability and candidate profiles.
The programme is open to all academic fields. Interested students from South Africa, Lesotho, and Malawi can find more details and application guidelines on the Campus France South Africa website.
