Z Zurich Foundation Scholarship

Z Zurich Foundation Scholarship 2026 is a fully funded opportunity for young African leaders to attend the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. The scholarship supports emerging changemakers working on youth employability, youth entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion / future of work, with a strong emphasis on social equity and helping vulnerable or marginalized youth move from learning to earning.

Selected scholars will receive full summit participation, hotel accommodation in Cape Town, return air travel, catering, and ground transportation. The programme also includes a pre-summit virtual preparation phase, an in-person connection day in Cape Town, and a post-summit debrief session. A limited number of scholars may also be considered for a one-year Post-Summit Fellowship through the Z Zurich Foundation’s Global Changemakers Program.

Eligibility highlights: applicants must be 18–35 years old by the summit date, be nationals and residents of African countries, lead an early-stage initiative with measurable impact, and be serving in a primary leadership role. The initiative must be formally registered as a not-for-profit entity with its own bank account and should not be backed by major corporate or institutional funders. The call especially welcomes initiatives supporting youth in low-income, fragile, underserved, displaced, refugee, or marginalized contexts.

Deadline: 4 May 2026.

How to apply: use the scholarship application link, review the criteria carefully, and submit before the deadline.