IESE Leaders in Africa Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• Up to three scholarships are awarded.
• Each scholarship may cover up to 80% of MBA tuition fees.
• The award does not state that living, travel, or other personal costs are covered.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be nationals of an African country or territory: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Western Sahara, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.
• Candidates must demonstrate exceptional academic and professional achievements and personal merit.
• MBA applicants must hold an undergraduate degree and be fluent in English; an English test is required unless an official exemption applies.
• A GMAT or GRE score is mandatory. Three to ten years of work experience is recommended, not required.

Application process

1. 1
   Prepare the MBA application form, transcripts, CV, GMAT or GRE score, any required English-test result, one recommendation, mandatory essays, and the other listed documents.
2. 2
   Select the scholarship within the MBA application and include the required scholarship essay.
3. 3
   Submit the written application and pay the €200 non-refundable application fee.
4. 4
   Complete the four Kira video-essay questions by the selected round deadline; the link arrives within 24 hours and expires 48 hours after receipt.
5. 5
   If selected, complete the personal interview before the Admissions Committee makes its decision; Assessment Day is highly recommended but not mandatory, even if invited.

Program timeline

1. R1 application deadline

   September 23, 2026

2. R1 interview decision by

   October 9, 2026

3. R1 final decision by

   November 23, 2026

4. R2 application deadline

   January 7, 2027

5. R2 interview decision by

   January 22, 2027

6. R3 application deadline and final scholarship-eligible round

   March 9, 2027

7. R2 final decision by

   March 15, 2027

8. R3 interview decision by

   March 19, 2027

9. R3 final decision by

   April 30, 2027

10. MBA program starts

    September 2027