Are you a postgraduate student passionate about shaping Africa’s future through policy, research, and youth-led innovation? The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) invites applications to the Africa Youth Portal Research Programme, a premier initiative empowering the next generation of African researchers and policy influencers.
This programme also celebrates the soft launch of the newly rebranded Africa Portal — now the Africa Youth Portal, a vibrant platform dedicated to youth-led research and policy engagement across the continent.
Programme Overview
The Africa Youth Portal Research Programme provides intensive training, mentorship, and publication opportunities for 20 exceptional postgraduate youth researchers from across Africa.
Core to the programme is a week-long in-person training workshop titled:
“From Academia to the Think Tank: A Young Researcher’s Journey”
This workshop equips participants with essential policy research skills, communication techniques, and exposure to professional think tank processes. After the workshop, participants receive ongoing mentorship to support their academic-to-policy transition.
Eligibility: Open to All African Nationals
The programme is open to young postgraduate researchers from every African country, ensuring broad continental representation and diversity. Eligible nationalities include:
Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), 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, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
This wide eligibility ensures that the Africa Youth Portal Research Programme is truly pan-African, welcoming voices from North, West, East, Central, and Southern Africa.
What Participants Will Gain
✓ Expert Mentorship
Guidance from leading policy specialists and senior researchers.
✓ Intensive Training
Practical sessions designed to bridge academic research and policymaking.
✓ Publication Opportunities
A platform to publish original work on the Africa Youth Portal, showcasing youth perspectives across Africa.
✓ Continental Networking
Engagement with peers, mentors, and SAIIA’s extensive policy community.
Ideal Candidates
This programme is perfect for:
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Master’s or PhD students
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Youth passionate about African development, governance, climate resilience, economics, peacebuilding, or social transformation
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Emerging researchers seeking to convert academic work into policy impact
Why This Opportunity Matters
Africa’s youth are central to driving the continent’s development agenda. Yet many young scholars lack access to the training, networks, and platforms needed to shape meaningful policy outcomes. This programme directly addresses that gap by:
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Elevating youth voices in policy debates
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Strengthening youth-led scholarship
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Supporting long-term career pathways in research and policy
Final Thoughts
If you are committed to influencing Africa’s future through evidence-based research and policy engagement, the Africa Youth Portal Research Programme provides an unparalleled platform for growth.
This is your chance to join a truly pan-African cohort of emerging scholars.
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