The Archie Mafeje Scholarship In African Studies

The late Professor Archie Mafeje started his academic career at the University of Cape Town. He left UCT with exceptional credentials, including a first-class honours degree, and a Master’s degree with distinction. He completed his training with a PhD from Cambridge University.
In 1968 he was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at UCT, but under severe government pressure the University Council rescinded the appointment. This was strongly opposed within the University at the time and led inter alia to a week-long student sit-in in 1968 in the university administration building.
Professor Mafeje went on to a distinguished academic career in other countries, becoming an influential scholar with many significant publications. He never returned to UCT, despite attempting to do so in the 1990s.
It has become clear that the University did not do nearly enough in the 1990s to make it possible for Professor Mafeje to return to UCT, and that this remained an obstacle to his reconciliation with his alma mater. In 2008, a year after Professor Mafeje died; the University apologised to his family and awarded him a posthumous honorary doctorate.
The Mafeje scholarship is an acknowledgement on the part of UCT that the University showed a serious lack of sensitivity as a result of which significant opportunities were lost during the period of South Africa's transition to democracy to bring a very significant African scholar home to UCT. It is above all an attempt to find tangible ways in which the memory of a fine scholar of Africa might be acceptably and indelibly enshrined both at the University of Cape Town, and in the wider scholarly community.

Humanities Faculty in the field of Social Sciences, for study on land and Agrarian issues in Southern Africa, and/or democracy and development broadly, as well as epistemic issues in the study of Africa.
Eligibility:
Preference will be given to black South African citizens, although applications from students from the SADC areas will also be considered. Preference will be given to students who will register or are registered for the 1st year of Masters or Doctoral study in 2026.
The Archie Mafeje Scholarship Is based entirely on academic merit. Applicants must have achieved the Honours degree with a minimum mark of 68% and/or a good Master’s degree.
Values and Tenure:
The Master’s scholarship is valued at R75,000 per annum, with a further R10,000 travel allowance. The travel allowance must be applied for by the successful candidate separately. The tenure for the Master’s scholarship is one year, with a possibility of renewal for one further year.
The Doctoral scholarship is valued at R90,000 per annum with a further R10,000 travel allowance. The travel allowance must be applied for by the successful candidate separately. The tenure for the Doctoral scholarship is one year, with a possibility of renewal for a maximum of two further years.
Renewal of the award will depend on satisfactory academic progress and the availability of funds. Renewal will only be made to a student whose academic progress is satisfactory and who will proceed to a second year of Master’s study. The Master’s student entering a 3rd year of Masters study will not be eligible for renewal. The Doctoral student may apply for renewal of the scholarship for a 2nd and 3rd year of Doctoral study (a student entering a 4th year –or beyond – of Doctoral study will not eligible for renewal).
Conditions of Award
The successful candidate will be required to:
• Provide bi-annual reports reflecting academic progress.
• Undertake to comply with the University’s approved policies, procedures and practices on postgraduate funding, including repayment of the value of the Scholarship if satisfactory academic progress Is not made, or if the student fails to complete the degree or de-registers from the course of study.
Application procedure:
Applicants are required to:
• Complete application form
• Write a letter outlining the intended study and how she/he intends to use the study in her/his career in the future.
• Submit a CV of no longer than two A4 pages.
• Attach a certified copy of all academic transcripts (University only) (NO certificates)
• Attach a certified copy of SA identity document / South African Permanent Resident document / Passport
• Attach 2 letters of reference from ACADEMICS who have taught her/him at University
• Provide confirmation of acceptance by the department for study in 2026.
Applications along with all supporting documentation must be uploaded on Peoplesoft by no later than 07 May 2026
LATE AND INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
The University reserves the right to cancel, withdraw and recover any funds paid to the award-holder if she/he does not comply with the Conditions of Award.