The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is an implementing partner of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. Initiated in 2012, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is a global initiative designed to develop the next generation of transformative leaders by enabling highly talented, service-oriented young people, primarily young Africans, to pursue their higher education and cultivate their leadership potential.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program is specifically targeted towards young people whose access to higher education is impeded by economic and social barriers. The Program places a particular emphasis on reaching young women, refugees and forcibly displaced youth, and persons with disabilities, who are encouraged to apply.
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC supports academically talented youth from South Africa and other parts of the African continent. The aim of the Program is to equip youth with the necessary tools and education to drive transformative change which will positively impact their communities and countries. For the 2026 academic year, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UWC will provide fully-funded opportunities for young scholars to study for i) undergraduate qualifications or ii) master’s degree qualifications.
- Arts and Humanities (History, Linguistics, Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies)
- Economic & Management Sciences (Economics, Information Sciences and Public Administration)
- Education (Mathematics and Science, Foundation Phase)
- Natural Sciences (Biological, Computational, Mathematical and Physical Sciences)
