Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) Scholarships 2026 for Master’s and PhD at Stellenbosch University

If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, research, and changing the narrative of African development, the Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) Scholarships 2026 for Master’s and PhD at Stellenbosch University present a powerful opportunity. The applications are now open, and this scheme supports full-time postgraduate researchers committed to advancing knowledge in entrepreneurial ecosystems across Africa. Below you’ll find a complete guide to help you navigate this exciting opportunity!

🎓 Scholarship Summary

• Location: Stellenbosch University, South Africa

• Sponsor: Allan Gray Centre for Africa Entrepreneurship (AGCAE) in partnership with Stellenbosch University

• Study Level: Master’s (full-time) & PhD / Doctoral (full-time)

• Target Group: South African citizens and African foreign nationals, with preference for previously disadvantaged applicants

• Fields of Research: Research topics aligned with AGCAE’s research themes: entrepreneurial ecosystems, support, talent, funding, policy, analytics (see “Research Themes” section)

• Value & Coverage:

  • PhD Scholarships: R 250,000 per year for up to 3 years

  • Master’s Scholarships: R 180,000 per year for up to 2 years

• Award Duration: 3 years (PhD) / 2 years (Master’s)

• Application Deadline: Friday, 17 October 2025 (23:59)

• Start Date: February 2026

• Eligible To: African nationals (including South Africans) who meet the academic and thematic criteria

🧭 Scholarship Overview

The AGCAE Scholarships aim to support full-time, high-impact research in entrepreneurship and ecosystem development in Africa. Applicants must enroll in postgraduate programmes at Stellenbosch University (in relevant departments) and pursue research aligned with AGCAE’s strategic priorities.

AGCAE is hosted within the School of Public Leadership under the Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences at Stellenbosch.

AGCAE’s research agenda emphasizes data-and-dialogue driven approaches to understanding and strengthening entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa.

📚 Research Themes & Focus Areas

Because the scholarship requires alignment with AGCAE’s research themes, it’s important that applicants orient their proposals accordingly. Some of the key themes include:

1. Support (e.g. incubators, accelerators, enterprise support organizations)

2. Talent: how entrepreneurial capability, team formation, mindset, training, etc., interact with ecosystem factors

3. Policy: governance, incentives, institutional design to support entrepreneurship

4. Funding / Finance: innovative finance, funds of funds, venture financing in African contexts

5. Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Analytics: metrics, diagnostics, data science, measurement, modeling

AGCAE typically makes six scholarships available in total: 3 PhD and 3 Master’s scholarships.

The selection and final award are discretionary, dependent on funding availability and whether suitable supervision can be secured at Stellenbosch.

🎁 Benefits of the AGCAE Scholarship

• Tuition & fees coverage (implicitly included in scholarship funding)

• Stipend / living allowance via the annual allowance (R250,000 / R180,000) to support living expenses

• Research support & supervision: You will enroll in relevant programmes at Stellenbosch and be supervised by faculty aligned with AGCAE themes

• Access to the AGCAE network, data hub, ecosystem dialogues: as a scholar you may engage in AGCAE’s ecosystem-building, data hub, events, and stakeholder engagements

• Publication & dissemination opportunities: Your research may contribute to AGCAE’s outputs, dialogues, and broader entrepreneurship policy influence

• Academic development in a leading African institution and ability to contribute to Africa-centered research

✅ Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, applicants must satisfy both university admission requirements and scholarship-specific criteria:

1). Admission Requirements

• For PhD: Must hold a relevant Master’s degree and satisfy Stellenbosch University’s PhD admission requirements

• For Master’s: Must hold an honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline and qualify for admission to the Master’s programme at Stellenbosch

• The research proposal must be aligned with one of AGCAE’s research themes, and the candidate must indicate that they have applied (or intend to apply) to the relevant Stellenbosch programme

2). Minimum Academic Performance

• For PhD candidates: A minimum 70% aggregate in the Master’s programme

• For Master’s candidates: A minimum 70% aggregate in the honours programme

3). Citizenship & Preference

• Open to South African citizens and African foreign nationals 

• Preference is given to previously disadvantaged South Africans and African nationals

4). Other Conditions & Constraints

• Only research proposals within the AGCAE research themes will be considered; proposals outside these areas may not be shortlisted unless they clearly fit within those frameworks

• The candidate must formally apply to the relevant Stellenbosch programme (Master’s / PhD) via the University’s central applicant portal

• Referees must submit recommendation letters directly to AGCAE by the deadline

• Only complete applications will be considered; late submissions or missing documents typically lead to disqualification

📝 Application Procedure

1. Apply to Stellenbosch University

   • For PhD: via the University’s PhD programme admissions portal

   • For Master’s: via the University’s postgraduate admissions portal

   • The university admission must be completed by 17 October 2025.

2. Submit AGCAE scholarship application

   • Use the “Apply Now” link on the AGCAE Careers portal to submit your application for either the Master’s or Doctoral scholarship opportunity.

   • In the scholarship application form, provide:

     – A motivation letter (max 1 A4 page) explaining your suitability and alignment with AGCAE’s mission

     – A research concept note / proposal (5 to 7 pages max), clearly showing how your intended research aligns with AGCAE themes

     – Supporting documents (see below)

3. Submit supporting documents & ensure referees

   • Certified copies of all previous degrees / diplomas and full academic transcripts (official records)

   • Certified copy of ID (for South Africans) or passport (for international applicants)

   • Proof of English language proficiency, if necessary (unless prior degree was in English) — the test result should not be older than 24 months

   • Three referee letters: Referees must submit their letters directly to AGCAE (via email to tyracole@sun.ac.za) by the deadline

   • (Optional but recommended) Any publication records, working papers, or evidence of research potential

4. Submit the completed application

   • All materials (application form + supporting docs) must be compiled into one document or file and submitted via the AGCAE Careers portal by 17 October 2025, 23:59 (SA time)

   • Late applications are not accepted

5. Shortlisting & outcome notification

   • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

   • If no response is received by 15 November 2025, consider the application unsuccessful

Extra Notes (Tips & Insights)

• The PDF of the 2026 campaign contains the explicit details and is linked via AGCAE’s official site.

• The research proposal should be tightly aligned with one of AGCAE’s themes. Proposals that stray outside are unlikely to be considered.

• Even meeting all criteria does not guarantee funding; final allocation depends on budgets, suitable supervision, and quality of proposals.

• Be careful about format, quality of writing, and clarity of alignment with African entrepreneurship challenges.

• Engage prospective supervisors early at Stellenbosch to ensure there are faculty willing to supervise your intended topic.

• Highlight any prior research, publication, or work in entrepreneurship/ecosystems or related development topics to strengthen your case.

🗂️ Resources

Download the PDF call for applications here

🔗 Details & Apply

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