MBABANE – Politically active young graduates from Eswatini’s neighbouring countries have a final chance to apply for the 2026 International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) Africa programme in Berlin, Germany.
The German Bundestag is offering a four-week fully funded scholarship to university graduates from Southern Africa (including Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa), East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania), and West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal). The application deadline is Wednesday, July 31, 2025.
Set to take place from January 5 to February 3, 2026, the programme will expose up to 24 participants to the workings of Germany’s federal parliament, with a week-long internship in the office of a Bundestag member forming the programme’s centrepiece.
Applicants must be younger than 30 by January 1, 2026, hold a university degree, possess at least a B2-level proficiency in German, and show strong interest in political or civic engagement. Selection interviews will be conducted at German embassies across the participating countries.
Workshops in Berlin will cover topics such as anti-corruption, intercultural communication, democratic structures, minority rights and memory culture. Participants will also design personal projects aimed at promoting civil society in their home countries.
Selected applicants will receive a €700 scholarship, accommodation, return travel to Berlin, and insurance coverage during the programme.
Applications must be submitted as a single PDF file to the relevant German embassy. Required documents include a completed application form in German, a signed motivation letter, proof of language proficiency, a degree certificate, passport copy, and a reference letter.
Though Eswatini is not on the list of eligible countries, South Africans and Namibians can also apply for the longer five-month IPS Global programme.
More information is available through the Bundestag website or by contacting ips-afrika@bundestag.de.
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