Location: South Africa (Cape Town)
Program: One Young World Summit
Eligibility: African Students
Duration: 3 to 6 Nov
Deadline: May 4, 2026
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP GROUP & GET UPDATES ON SCHOLARSHIPS WORLDWIDE
The Z Zurich Foundation Scholarship 2026 is a fully funded opportunity offered through a partnership between the Z Zurich Foundation and One Young World, designed to support 25 young African leaders working on enabling social equity through education, employability, and entrepreneurship solutions to participate in the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, from 3 to 6 November. The scholarship is rooted in the Z Zurich Foundation’s mission of creating brighter futures for vulnerable people, with prevention at the forefront of its work across four pillars: adapting to climate change, improving mental well-being, enabling social equity, and responding to crises.
Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with more than 60% of its population under the age of 25, yet structural barriers continue to limit opportunity through fragmented education and skills systems, uneven access to finance and technology, and challenges posed by climate impacts, conflict, and economic instability. The Z Zurich Foundation Scholarship responds to this reality by investing in youth-led, grassroots solutions led by young people who understand their communities, drive innovation, and influence the systems around them. One Young World, a globally recognised organisation that convenes one of the world’s most international communities of young leaders, provides the platform through which scholars connect with peers, counsellors, and decision-makers from around the world to accelerate their social impact and amplify their voices on the global stage.
Benefits of the Scholarship
This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:
- Full participation in the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town from 3 to 6 November 2026
- Hotel accommodation in Cape Town from 1 to 6 November inclusive
- Return international air travel to and from Cape Town
- Full catering including breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the Summit
- Ground transportation between Summit venues in Cape Town
- Opportunity to apply for a one-year Post-Summit Fellowship offering holistic capacity-building support through the Z Zurich Foundation’s Global Changemakers Programme
- Other benefits
Also Check:
2026 ICANN Global Fellowship Program
2026–2027 Chatham House Academy Postgraduate Fellowships – United Kingdom
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:
- Must be aged 18 to 35 by the date of the One Young World Summit 2026 in November
- Must be a national of and resident in a country in Africa
- Must demonstrate impact aligned with the Enabling Social Equity pillar of the Z Zurich Foundation, specifically in education, employability, or entrepreneurship
- Must be leading an early-stage initiative that is not supported by major corporate or institutional funders
- Must be leading a formally registered entity with a clear not-for-profit mission and a bank account registered in the organisation’s name
- Must be serving in a primary leadership role within the initiative
- Must be committed to actively engaging in the Pre-Summit Engagement and Preparation Programme from September to October 2026 and the Post-Summit Debrief Session in late November 2026
- Must be willing to actively engage, collaborate, and contribute to peer learning before, during, and after the Summit
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements
Also Check
2026 University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship (UoADS) – New Zealand
2026 Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) International Student Scholarship – Lithuania
Selection Criteria
We seek young leaders in Africa who are advancing solutions that support youth facing the greatest barriers to move from learning to earning, particularly in low-income, fragile, or underserved contexts, with priority given to initiatives addressing youth employability, youth entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion and future of work, as well as cross-cutting initiatives that improve pathways to decent and productive work in vulnerable employment contexts, promote the economic inclusion of displaced, refugee, and marginalised youth, support youth mental wellbeing, and strengthen climate-resilient and green livelihoods particularly in rural and agricultural contexts.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application.
