The Mandela Rhodes Foundation

The Mandela Rhodes Foundation The Mandela Rhodes Foundation is a Nelson Mandela legacy organisation that aims to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa.
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We provide a unique combination of postgraduate funding and a Leadership Development Programme to young African scholars.

29/05/2026

Health is about the whole human.

For MRF alum Reem Elsayed, a PhD student at Oxford University, healthcare is never just about diagnosis or treatment. It is also about power, access and whose realities are recognised within the system.

In this episode of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Podcast, Reem speaks candidly about the urgent inequities facing women across North Africa, from access to sexual and reproductive health to the often overlooked realities of women’s mental health.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that strong health systems begin by seeing people as whole human beings, not case files.

Listen now on the MRF website, Spotify, iTunes or YouTube.





Inspiring conversations celebrating Africa Month with our partners Oxford University Press and MRF alumni.Our CEO, Judy ...
27/05/2026

Inspiring conversations celebrating Africa Month with our partners Oxford University Press and MRF alumni.

Our CEO, Judy Sikuza, reflected on the incredible partnership between the two organisations and the collective impact on African education and leadership development over the past 18 years.



Where are they now?2024 Äänit Prize winner Ismail Dumutu (South Sudan & University of Cape Town, 2022) shows how communi...
26/05/2026

Where are they now?

2024 Äänit Prize winner Ismail Dumutu (South Sudan & University of Cape Town, 2022) shows how community upliftment and locally driven solutions can improve the lives of others.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Äänit Prize, with up to $100,000 in funding available for social impact ventures aligned with the UN’s 10 SDGs for Africa.

Read more about Ismail’s progress from the link below:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/vhfi/gmwk/ =62

Start your application by clicking the link below:
https://www.mandelarhodes.org/alumni/aanit-prize/


What started as quiet observations in overcrowded clinics became a force for systemic change.In this powerful episode of...
25/05/2026

What started as quiet observations in overcrowded clinics became a force for systemic change.

In this powerful episode of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Podcast, MRF CEO Judy Sikuza connects with 2018 MRF alum Reem Elsayed, a PhD student at Oxford University. Reem reflects on her journey from community pharmacist to health systems researcher and how lived experience, courage and values-based leadership can reshape who gets access to care and who is left behind.

This conversation explores women’s health, dignity and the hard work of changing systems from the inside out.

Listen now and share with someone who needs to hear it; available from the link below:

https://www.mandelarhodes.org/news-impact/podcast/episode-10-from-silence-to-systems-change-reem-elsayed-on-power-gender-and-who-gets-care/






Where are they now? We caught up with 2023 Äänit Prize winner Kira Düsterwald (South Africa & University of Cape Town, 2...
22/05/2026

Where are they now?

We caught up with 2023 Äänit Prize winner Kira Düsterwald (South Africa & University of Cape Town, 2017). Her journey reflects the dedication and drive needed to keep moving forward.

With up to $100,000 in funding, the Äänit Prize will help fuel bold social impact initiatives that make a lasting difference in Africa.

Read more about Kira’s journey from the link in below.
https://online.pubhtml5.com/vhfi/gmwk/ =62

Start your application by clicking the link below.

https://www.mandelarhodes.org/alumni/aanit-prize/


Applications for the 2026 Äänit Prize are officially open! We’ve streamlined the process! Just submit an indication of i...
20/05/2026

Applications for the 2026 Äänit Prize are officially open!

We’ve streamlined the process! Just submit an indication of interest answering key questions about your venture’s vision, impact, and roadmap to success.

With up to $100,000 available for initiatives aligned with the UN’s SDGs for Africa, we’ve made applying easier than ever.

Applications are open until 17 June 2026. Apply from the link below:
https://www.mandelarhodes.org/alumni/aanit-prize/


The Äänit Prize is back! Applications for 2026 open Wednesday 20 May. Since 2021 the Äänit Prize has been a catalyst for...
18/05/2026

The Äänit Prize is back! Applications for 2026 open Wednesday 20 May.

Since 2021 the Äänit Prize has been a catalyst for Mandela Rhodes and Rhodes Trust alumni committed to shaping Africa’s future.

We support alumni tackling the UN’s 10 SDGs for Africa, with up to $100,000 in funding for social impact work.

We aren’t just looking for founders. We’re also recognising "intrapreneurs", those driving impact within existing nonprofits, for-profits, or hybrid organisations. Whether you’ve started your own initiative or are leading transformation from within, the Äänit Prize can help put your venture on the map.

Your work matters. Is it your turn?

Tap the link below to see the timeline:
https://www.mandelarhodes.org/alumni/aanit-prize/

Applications open 20 May.


For Fezokuhle, the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship was that missing piece. A quiet but powerful affirmation of years ...
14/05/2026

For Fezokuhle, the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship was that missing piece. A quiet but powerful affirmation of years of persistence, curiosity, and commitment to public health. A reminder that sometimes the right opportunity arrives exactly when you are ready for the next chapter.

If your work is shaped by deep questions and a desire to serve, this could be your turning point too. Read more about Fezokuhle’s studies from the link below:

https://online.pubhtml5.com/vhfi/gmwk/ =65

Applications for the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship close on 17 May. To apply, contact [email protected].


For Reem, receiving the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship was more than an achievement; it was an affirmation that rese...
12/05/2026

For Reem, receiving the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship was more than an achievement; it was an affirmation that research can and should serve communities with care, respect and responsibility.

That belief is now taking her all the way to a DPhil in Translational Health Science at the University of Oxford.

If you are driven by questions that matter and impact that lasts, this could be your moment. Read more about Reem’s studies from the link below:

https://online.pubhtml5.com/vhfi/gmwk/ =65

Applications for the Shaun Johnson Memorial Scholarship close on 17 May. To apply, contact [email protected]


Mentorship is not only about guidance; it is about shared growth.It is the space where questions are welcomed, experienc...
11/05/2026

Mentorship is not only about guidance; it is about shared growth.

It is the space where questions are welcomed, experience is exchanged and leadership is shaped through honest reflection.

Within the Mandela Rhodes Scholar community, mentorship is a powerful way to strengthen both individual journeys and collective impact.

Be part of this journey; sign up today to be a mentor or mentee from the link below:

https://forms.gle/ji4MxGpiawNYzpbj7


Address

150 Street George's Mall
Cape Town
8001

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27214243346

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