Southern Africa’s most comprehensive Fellowship Programme opens 2019 applications

To help grow South Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation – a Foundation committed to investing in the education and development of individuals with entrepreneurial potential in Southern Africa – invites eligible, would-be entrepreneurs to enlist on its 2019 Fellowship Programme. Applications open on 9 January 2019, and Grade 12s, as well as first and second year university students, are urged to apply.

The Foundation takes a holistic approach to entrepreneurial development and believes that entrepreneurially-minded individuals, with ethical values and strong leadership skills, hold the key to change in South Africa and the globe. The 2019 Fellowship theme – Earn your stripes – falls in-line with the Foundation’s five pillars which include: Achievement Excellence; Intellectual Imagination; Personal Initiative; Spirit of Significance and Courageous Commitment. Further, these five pillars also encompass the Foundation’s values and represent the traits it seeks and aims to develop in beneficiaries. 

The Fellowship Programme is one of three programmes the Foundation offers in pursuit of creating a pipeline of responsible entrepreneurs. Through its Scholarship Programme, the Foundation offers high school scholarships to learners who are in financial need; have a curious, entrepreneurial mindset; and are high academic achievers. The programme focuses on nurturing the entrepreneurial mindset, personal mastery and academic excellence of scholars.  Fellowship recipients, known as Allan Gray Candidate Fellows, receive funding for university studies as well as access to support and development to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. Much like the scholarship, personal leadership and academic excellence is central to the Fellowship Programme. As a follow-on programme, the Association of Allan Gray Fellows is made up of Fellows who have completed the Fellowship Programme and have either pursued further studies, entered the world of work or started a business. The purpose of the Association is to provide support for each Fellow’s lifelong entrepreneurial journey.

Accordingly, the Fellowship Programme gives students a stepping-stone to nurture their entrepreneurial potential in order for them to grow into well-rounded, responsible entrepreneurs – but not before a rigorous selection process to ensure the right candidates are selected.

Tick-box criteria for Grade 12s:

• Level 5 in Pure Mathematics for Grade 11 final results
• Level 6 average for your final Grade 11 results (excluding Life Orientation)
• Completion of the National Benchmark Test by 30 September 2019
• Under the age of 21 in your application year
• South African citizen
• Intention to study towards a degree in Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine), Engineering, Law or Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS); University of Johannesburg (UJ); University of the Free State (UF); University of Cape Town (UCT); Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Rhodes University; the University of the Western Cape (UWC); University of Stellenbosch, the University of Pretoria (UP), Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA) or University of Kwa Zulu Natal (UKZN).
• Applications close 15 March 2019.

Tick-box criteria for 1^st year students:

• Minimum average of 65% for your 2019 mid-year (June) exam results
• Studying towards a degree in Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine), Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics), Engineering or Law
• Studying at one of the following universities: WITS, UJ, UCT, NMU, Rhodes, UWC, Stellenbosch, UFS, UP, TSiBA or UKZN
• Applicants must be under the age of 22 in the year of their application
• South African citizenship
• Application close 2 August 2019

Tick-box criteria for 2^nd-year students:

• Minimum average of 65% for your 2018 year-end exam and 65% in 2018 mid-year exam
• Studying towards a degree in Commerce, Science (excluding Medicine), Humanities (majoring in Politics, Philosophy or Economics), Engineering or Law
• Studying at one of the following universities: WITS, UJ, UCT, NMU, Rhodes, UWC, Stellenbosch, UFS, UP, TSiBA or UKZN
• Applicants must be under the age of 23 in the year of their application
• South African citizenship
• Applications close 2 August 2019 mindset.
  
  http://www.allangrayorbis.org/​ for more information