Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027 | Master’s and PhD Study in Southern Africa

Applications for the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027 offer postgraduate students from selected Southern African countries an opportunity to receive financial support for Master’s and PhD study at universities in South Africa.

The scholarship is administered by the Canon Collins Trust and is aimed particularly at postgraduate students whose academic work contributes to social justice and positive change in Southern Africa. For the 2027 programme, funding is available for selected fields covering justice, education and the humanities.

Students searching for fully funded scholarships in South Africa, Canon Collins Scholarships 2027, Master’s scholarships in Southern Africa, PhD scholarships in South Africa, or postgraduate funding for African students should carefully check the eligibility and funding details before applying.

About the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027

The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships for Postgraduate Study support eligible Southern African students pursuing postgraduate qualifications at South African universities.

For the 2027 academic year, Canon Collins is offering support for Master’s and PhD programmes. Funding can support Master’s students for up to two years, while PhD students may receive support for up to three years.

Importantly, this scholarship is not open to every academic discipline. Applicants need to demonstrate that their proposed programme falls within the scholarship’s specified academic and social-justice priorities.

Fields of Study for the 2027 Scholarships

Canon Collins has identified three main areas in which it will make awards for 2027.

These are:

Justice – including Climate Justice, Law, Economics and Politics
Education Policy and Practice
Humanities – including Literature, History, Anthropology and the Arts

Applicants are specifically advised to apply only when their programme falls within one of these areas.

Interdisciplinary programmes and some doctoral research projects may not fit neatly into one category. Applicants can use their judgement in such circumstances, but programmes clearly outside the scholarship’s priorities will not be considered.

For example, the programme states that MBAs, medical sciences, sports sciences and applied sciences fall outside the supported areas.

Countries Eligible for the Canon Collins Scholarship

The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship is targeted at applicants connected to specific Southern African countries.

Applicants must be nationals of, or hold recognised refugee status in, one of the following countries:

Angola
Botswana
Eswatini
Lesotho
Malawi
Mozambique
Namibia
South Africa
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Applicants must also ordinarily reside in one of these countries.

This makes the programme particularly relevant to students searching for scholarships for Zimbabweans, scholarships for Zambian students, scholarships for Malawians, scholarships for South African students and postgraduate scholarships for Southern African students.

Where Can Scholarship Recipients Study?

Although applicants can come from several Southern African countries, the postgraduate programme itself must be undertaken at a South African university.

Applicants must either be:

applying for a Master’s or PhD programme at a South African university, or already enrolled in an eligible Master’s or PhD programme at a South African university.

The scholarship therefore should not be interpreted as funding study at universities anywhere across Southern Africa. The eligible nationalities cover several Southern African countries, but the study destination for this programme is South Africa.

Academic Requirements

Applicants need an appropriate academic background for the postgraduate level they intend to pursue.

For Master’s study, applicants should hold, or expect to obtain during the application year, a good Honours degree, with a minimum of Second Class Upper Division or its equivalent.

For PhD study, applicants should have a good Master’s degree.

Academic performance is therefore an important part of eligibility, but the scholarship goes beyond grades.

Social Justice Commitment

A distinctive requirement of the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships is an applicant’s commitment to social justice.

Candidates need to demonstrate at least two years of sustained active engagement in activities addressing social, educational, economic, environmental, cultural or human-rights challenges.

Relevant activities can include community initiatives, advocacy, teaching, mentoring, public service, civil society or NGO work, social-impact research, professional practice, and leadership promoting equity and inclusion.

Applicants’ studies or research should also contribute to understanding or addressing an important social justice challenge affecting Southern Africa.

This requirement means applicants should consider not only their academic qualifications but also whether their background demonstrates meaningful and sustained engagement with the issues their proposed studies seek to address.

Additional Requirements for PhD Applicants

Candidates applying for a PhD scholarship have additional requirements.

A PhD applicant must have identified a supervisor or prospective supervisor who has agreed in principle to supervise the proposed research.

The applicant must also submit a draft research proposal as part of the scholarship process.

At the second application stage, PhD candidates will additionally need a letter of support from their proposed supervisor.

Canon Collins Scholarship Value

The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship package ranges from:

R20,000 to R100,000

The actual value depends on the circumstances of the individual student.

This distinction is important for applicants searching for “fully funded scholarships.” The source describes a scholarship package ranging from R20,000 to R100,000, rather than guaranteeing that every recipient’s complete tuition and living costs will be fully funded.

The programme supports both full-time and part-time study. Applications from students wishing to pursue distance learning are also considered.

Additional Benefits for Canon Collins Scholars

Financial assistance is only one component of the programme.

Canon Collins also organises an annual conference for current scholars, alongside smaller events during the year.

Successful scholarship holders are expected to participate in these activities and become active members of the Canon Collins network.

This provides postgraduate students with opportunities to develop connections with other scholars whose academic and professional interests relate to social justice and development.

How to Apply for Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027

The application process consists of two stages.

During Stage 1, applicants submit a shorter online application and supporting documents.

Required documents include:

Degree certificates
Academic transcripts
CV
Identification document such as a passport, birth certificate or driver’s licence

Where applicable, applicants may also need to submit proof of refugee status and two recent payslips if currently employed.

Stage 2 of the Scholarship Application

Only applicants who satisfy the eligibility requirements, submit a complete Stage 1 application and provide the required supporting documents can be considered for Stage 2.

Candidates who successfully pass Stage 1 are invited to submit a more detailed application.

Stage 2 requires two reference letters.

Master’s candidates must provide a sample piece of writing, while PhD candidates must submit their draft research proposal and a supporting letter from the supervisor or prospective supervisor who has agreed in principle to supervise their research.

Shortlisted candidates are then invited for interviews, with the 2027 selection interviews scheduled for October/November 2026. Applicants are expected to receive the final outcome by mid-December 2026.

Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship 2027 Deadline

The Stage 1 application deadline was extended to:

21 August 2026 at 16:00 SAST.

Because that date has already passed as of September 2026, students should note that new Stage 1 applications for this 2027 round are no longer open, based on the supplied programme information.

Applicants who successfully completed Stage 1 may, however, proceed through the subsequent selection stages according to communications from Canon Collins.

Important AI Policy for Applicants

Canon Collins has an explicit rule concerning the use of generative artificial intelligence in scholarship applications.

Applications must represent the applicant’s own work and voice. According to the programme, generative AI tools cannot be used to draft, write or substantially edit any part of an application, and applications found to have used generative AI may be disqualified. Standard spelling and grammar tools are permitted where they do not generate or rewrite content.

Applicants should therefore prepare their scholarship essays, personal statements, research explanations and other written responses themselves and follow the official AI policy carefully.

Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027 at a Glance

Category	Details
Scholarship	Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships
Academic Year	2027
Study Destination	South Africa
Study Level	Master’s and PhD
Scholarship Value	R20,000–R100,000 depending on circumstances
Master’s Funding Duration	Up to 2 years
PhD Funding Duration	Up to 3 years
Study Modes	Full-time, part-time and distance learning considered
Main Fields	Justice, Education Policy & Practice, Humanities
Eligible Countries	Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Stage 1 Deadline	21 August 2026, 16:00 SAST
Interviews	October/November 2026
Final Outcomes	Mid-December 2026

Why the Canon Collins RMTF Scholarship Is Worth Knowing About

The Canon Collins RMTF Scholarships 2027 provide postgraduate funding for Southern African students who combine strong academic potential with demonstrated commitment to social justice.

The opportunity is especially relevant to students pursuing Master’s and PhD programmes in South Africa in areas such as law, politics, economics, climate justice, education, history, literature, anthropology and the arts.

Prospective applicants considering future rounds should pay particular attention to the programme’s social-justice requirement. Applicants need more than academic qualifications: they must demonstrate sustained engagement with social challenges and show how their postgraduate studies can contribute to Southern Africa.

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