The “Initiative Southern Africa” (INISA) offers a grant for students from Universities and other tertiary education institutions in countries of the SADC region (Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and invites applications.

Who we are

INISA is a German Non-Governmental Organisation founded in 1995. Our mission is to inform the German public on political, economical, social and cultural developments in Southern Africa to create interest, deepen understanding and enhance contacts and exchange between Germany and Southern Africa. We are entirely independent and non-partisan, funded through membership fees and donations. Our members are country-experts, researchers, students and interested lay persons from both Germany and Africa who all share a common interest in Southern African affairs.

Our activities concentrate on Germany (organising lectures, seminars and talks on Southern African affairs, publishing research papers and provide expertise and assistance for Germans who want to spend time in the countries of Southern Africa). However, we believe that tertiary education aiming at professional academic excellence and critical social engagement is vital for the development of African states and their societies. Taking into account the numerous obstacles African students are facing in pursuing their studies, many of them related to a lack of finances, INISA offers a grant award for students from Southern Africa.

The INISA Student Grant 2023

The INISA grant covers 75% of tuition fees and related costs (e.g. books and other study material; residence fees etc.) for the academic year of 2023 up to a maximum amount of Euro 3000 (or the equivalent in local currency). 

• The applicant (m/f/d) should hold the nationality of one of the SADC countries;
• study full time at a University or other tertiary education institution in one of the SADC countries;
• be in the second or third year of his or her undergraduate studies, i.e. s/he has successfully completed at least one year of studies and has successfully re-registered for further courses in the next academic year. Please note: the INISA Student Grant is not applicable to postgraduate studies such as Honours, Masters or PhD programs.

The grant is open to students of all subjects, but particularly we encourage applications by science, engineering, economics and medical students. Should the grant be awarded to more than one student the maximum amount will be split equally. INISA requires the student to provide proof of tuition related expenses with a fees account record, as the grant amount covers a percentage of these expenses and needs to be calculated on that basis before any payment is possible. The grant will be paid directly into the student’s fees account at the University. INISA requires the student to provide two reports on the progress of his/her studies in the year s/he is awarded the grant.

How to apply

To apply, please go to our website www.inisa.de. Look for the “INISA Student Grant 2023” button and fill in the electronic application form. Besides personal details you will be asked to provide the following information:

1)    A detailed CV (doc,docx or pdf; max. size 800 k)

2)    A photo of you (gif or jpg; max. size 1 MB)

3)    A letter of motivation (500-1500 words; doc,docx or pdf; max size 800 k) The letter of motivation will be the main criterion for the consideration of your application. The object of the letter is to present a comprehensive picture of your personality; we would like to get to know you as good as possible. It should at least cover these aspects: Why did you decide to study a particular subject and what does the subject mean to you? What would you like to achieve with your studies, what would you like to achieve in your life? What do you do in your spare time? Why do you think you should be awarded the INISA grant? In which way would the grant make a difference to your studies this year?

4)    Names and contact details of 2 persons (no members of your family) who support the application and can provide further information on you.

5)    Information on additional funding (grants, scholarships, tuition fee waivers etc.) from public or private sources. Additional documentation (copies of diplomas, testimonials etc) is not required at that stage of the application.  

The closing date for applications is 30.07.2023.  

After assessing the applications INISA will shortlist any number of candidates and conduct interviews with them. Applicants will be informed on the status of their application in due course.