Umholi we Africa (UwA) Fellowship: Cohort 5 Applications Close 31 October 2026
The fully funded Umholi we Africa Fellowship places eligible African Leadership Academy and Mastercard Foundation Scholars alumni in public-service roles. Cohort 5 applications are open until 31 October 2026.
This captured cycle appears closed. Use this page for historical guidance unless the official source has reopened the program.
Captured cycle: This page is retained for historical guidance. Confirm whether the program has reopened before planning an application.
Umholi we Africa (UwA) Fellowship: Cohort 5 Applications Close 31 October 2026
Cohort 5 applications are open. The official Africa Career Networks call lists 4 September 2026 as the opening date and 31 October 2026 as the application deadline. Eligible applicants should use the Cohort 5 application form linked on the official call page, complete it carefully, and submit the form with their current CV and copies of their academic qualifications through the designated application platform. Do not rely on an old Cohort 4 form or an aggregator listing when preparing an application.
The Umholi we Africa (UwA) Fellowship is a public leadership and professional development programme initiated by the African Leadership Academy (ALA) through its AL for Governance network. AL for Governance and Africa Career Networks invite applicants in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The current call describes a fully funded, 12-month fellowship placing selected fellows in government and policy roles alongside ministers, members of parliament, and senior public leaders in their home countries. The application form describes the full-time commitment as approximately 12 to 18 months depending on placement. These descriptions use different durations; applicants should use the form’s placement-specific wording and confirm the expected term for any placement offered.
Cohort 5 at a glance
| Detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Programme | Umholi we Africa Fellowship, Cohort 5 |
| Organising network | African Leadership Academy’s AL for Governance network, with Africa Career Networks and Mastercard Foundation |
| Application status | Open |
| Application period | 4 September to 31 October 2026 |
| Deadline | 31 October 2026 |
| Published funding description | Fully funded; no itemized stipend or expense amount is published |
| Public call duration | 12 months |
| Form commitment | Full-time, approximately 12–18 months depending on placement |
| Evaluation and interviews | January–February 2027 |
| Pre-fellowship training | June 2027 |
| Placement begins | July 2027 |
| Official call and form | Africa Career Networks — Umholi we Africa |
What the fellowship involves
UwA aims to create routes into public service for emerging African leaders with an interest in governance and political leadership. The current call says selected graduates of ALA and the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program serve with ministers and members of parliament in their home countries. It describes work supporting national development and institutional transformation, including research, data collection, project management, communications, and strategic planning.
The call’s fuller programme description adds policy analysis and strategic advisory work. Fellows may assist with project planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation; draft policy briefs, reports, speeches, and communication materials; and help with stakeholder consultations, community engagement, and public outreach. The placement is intended to give practical exposure to government and policymaking, supported by leadership training, mentorship, and coaching through the AL for Governance network.
The form asks applicants to state whether they are open to relocation for the fellowship, which may last up to 18 months, and to select placement environments of interest. These include national government or executive offices, parliament or legislative institutions, regional or continental institutions and intergovernmental organisations, or any suitable placement. The call describes home-country roles, while the form allows for placements across Africa and asks about relocation. Treat the eventual location as a matter to clarify with the organisers rather than assuming that every role will be in the applicant’s current city or country.
Eligibility
The official Cohort 5 page lists five core requirements. Applicants must:
- Be an African national.
- Be a graduate of the African Leadership Academy or the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
- Hold at least a university degree.
- Have at least four years of professional experience.
- Demonstrate a passion for public service and an aspiration to pursue political or policy leadership roles.
These conditions narrow the intended pool considerably. The programme is designed for graduates of the two named networks; the call does not describe an alternative route for applicants without that background. The form asks for the applicant’s designation as ALA alumnus, ALU alumnus, or Mastercard Foundation Scholar, as well as nationality, country of residence, education, field of study, current role, and employer. Its experience question offers response bands from less than two years through more than five years, but that does not replace the public call’s four-year minimum. Check yourself against the published eligibility criteria before spending time on the essays.
The application asks about capabilities and interests beyond formal eligibility. Candidates can select up to two areas of public service or governance interest, including education and youth development, health and social welfare, economic policy and trade, gender and women’s empowerment, environment and climate action, technology and innovation, governance and public administration, or another area. They can also select up to three relevant skills such as policy analysis, research, project or programme management, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, communications, data and analytics, monitoring and evaluation, financial management, or technology and digital transformation.
Funding and duration
The live call describes Cohort 5 as fully funded. Neither the call page nor the linked application form gives an itemized amount for stipend, salary, travel, relocation, accommodation, or other expenses. “Fully funded” is the published funding description, but it is not a breakdown of what each fellow receives or which costs are covered. Applicants should ask the programme contact to clarify the financial terms, payment structure, and any relocation support before accepting a placement.
There is also a difference in how duration is summarized. The call says the fellowship is 12 months, while the Cohort 5 form asks for a full-time commitment of approximately 12–18 months depending on placement, and asks candidates to confirm availability for that full period. A selected fellow should rely on the specific placement terms provided by the organisers. This is a full-time commitment, so assess existing employment, study, family, and other obligations honestly before applying.
How to apply
Start at the official Africa Career Networks call page and download the Cohort 5 application form. The linked form is a fillable PDF. Complete all sections electronically, save your work regularly, and save a final copy before submission. The form instructs candidates to submit the completed application with their most recent CV and copies of academic qualifications through the designated application platform. Supporting documents should be clear, current, and in PDF format. The form warns that incomplete applications may not be considered.
The form asks first for personal and contact information, nationality and country of residence, professional links, languages, and the relevant alumni designation. It then records highest completed education, field of study, current occupation and employer, and full-time experience. Do not leave key details for the narrative answers to explain: use the relevant form fields and ensure that the CV supports the dates, responsibilities, and qualifications you report.
The written questions use short word limits and ask for concrete evidence. Prepare concise answers about your professional journey and relevant responsibilities (up to 200 words), an achievement that shows meaningful impact (up to 200 words), why this fellowship is the right next step and what you hope to contribute and gain (up to 200 words), and a governance or development challenge in your country that you are committed to addressing (up to 200 words). The form also asks where you see yourself contributing to public service, governance, or political leadership over the next five to ten years (up to 200 words).
The leadership and competency section asks for examples of influencing people without formal authority (up to 200 words), handling a complex challenge with limited authority, resources, or information (up to 200 words), ethical and inclusive leadership (up to 150 words), and adapting to a new institution, team, country, or working environment (up to 150 words). Use specific situations. State the problem, your role, the actions you personally took, and the result or lesson. A general statement that you value integrity or collaboration will not show how you behave when a decision is difficult.
Later sections ask whether you are based in your home country, whether you are open to relocation, the policy areas and host institutions that interest you, and which skills you would bring. The form also asks whether you have worked with or collaborated with a government institution or public-sector organisation; if so, describe that experience in no more than 100 words. It checks full-time availability, readiness to attend pre-fellowship training and begin the placement on the stated schedule, and any commitments that could affect participation. It includes a question about disability or accessibility requirements and reasonable accommodations. Review each section and complete it as accurately as possible.
The form says answers should be honest, clear, concise, and within the listed word limits. It includes a final declaration that the information is true, complete, and accurate. Before submitting, check that your qualifications and CV are attached, that the documents open and are legible, and that your narrative claims agree with the details entered elsewhere in the form. The published deadline is 31 October 2026; the official page does not publish a time of day or time zone, so avoid leaving submission until the last minute and follow any deadline instructions shown by the application platform.
Selection and preparation
The official call places application evaluation in January–February 2027. The Cohort 5 form gives the more detailed sequence: round one interviews in January 2027, round two interviews in February 2027, pre-fellowship training in June 2027, and placement beginning in July 2027. These are the published dates for this cohort. The call and form do not explain interview format, scoring rubric, or when individual decisions will be sent, so candidates should not assume a specific interview method or notification day.
Prepare by choosing examples that show work relevant to public institutions: a policy question you researched, a programme you helped implement, a stakeholder group you brought together, a project you managed, or a decision you influenced. Be precise about what you did and what changed. If an outcome was mixed or incomplete, explain what happened and what you learned. The prompts cover leadership, judgement, adaptation, ethics, and motivation; a few well-chosen examples can answer those themes more effectively than broad claims about being passionate.
Think through your country-specific governance answer before drafting. Identify an issue that matters to you, explain why it matters, and connect it to a plausible contribution you could make. The form asks what role you hope to play in addressing the challenge; it does not ask for an unsupported promise to solve a national problem. A credible answer shows awareness of institutions and constraints as well as personal motivation.
Common questions
Is there an open call now? Yes. The official page lists Cohort 5 applications as open from 4 September 2026 until 31 October 2026. Use the current Cohort 5 form linked there.
How much funding does the fellowship provide? The public call says “fully funded,” but it does not itemize an amount or explain specific expense coverage. Ask the organisers for the details relevant to your placement.
How long is the commitment? The call describes a 12-month fellowship. The application form asks candidates to be available full time for approximately 12–18 months depending on placement. Confirm the expected duration and terms for any offer.
Must my degree be in governance or political science? The published eligibility criteria require a university degree but do not specify a field. The form asks applicants to state their field of study.
Can I apply if I am not an ALA or Mastercard Foundation Scholars graduate? The published criteria name graduates of the African Leadership Academy or the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The call does not describe another qualifying route.
Where do I submit the form? The application form says to submit it with a recent CV and copies of academic qualifications through the designated application platform. Follow the submission route provided with the current form or by the organisers, and do not send documents to an unofficial third-party listing.
Official source
The Africa Career Networks page carries the Cohort 5 call, important dates, eligibility criteria, and the downloadable application form. It is the source to check for any update to the deadline or application instructions: