Fully Funded Scholarships for Eswatini Swaziland Students 2026 — Chevening, Commonwealth Guide

Search “Swaziland” AND “Eswatini” — Most Scholarship Databases Still Use the Old Name

The Kingdom of Eswatini changed its name from the Kingdom of Swaziland in April 2018, when King Mswati III renamed the country to mark its 50th independence anniversary. The new name, Eswatini, means “land of the Swazis” in siSwati the national language.

This name change has a direct practical effect on scholarship searching that most guides don’t address: most scholarship databases, government listings, and official Commonwealth and DAAD documents still use “Swaziland.”

The TopUniversities list of African Commonwealth countries reads: Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.

Swaziland not Eswatini is what this document says. The country is listed. The scholarship access is real. But students searching only for “Eswatini” may miss it entirely.

Practical rule: When searching for scholarships, enter both “Eswatini” AND “Swaziland” in every search. When contacting scholarship bodies, refer to the country as “Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)” to ensure recognition.

Beyond this naming issue, Eswatini has a structural scholarship advantage that no other country in this Africa series shares: with approximately 1.2 million people, it is the smallest country by population covered in this entire Africa scholarship series. Country-specific scholarship allocations which Nigeria competes for with 220 million people and Ethiopia with 120 million are competed for in Eswatini by a fraction of that number.

1. Chevening Scholarship — United Kingdom (£1,378-1,690/month)

Chevening is the UK Government’s prestigious international scholarships program, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Eswatini has a dedicated Chevening page at chevening.org/scholarship/eswatini/ — confirming it is an active, country-specific program.

What it covers:

• Full university tuition fees
• Monthly living allowance: £1,690 (London) / £1,378 (outside London)
• Economy class return airfare
• Additional academic grants

Requirements:

• 2 years of work experience (~2,800 hours)
• IELTS 6.5+ or TOEFL iBT 79+
• Must return to Eswatini after scholarship

Eswatini’s Chevening narrative: Eswatini is the last absolute monarchy in Africa. Its governance model, economic challenges, public health crisis (highest HIV prevalence globally), and development aspirations provide a genuinely distinctive scholarship context. Chevening explicitly seeks future leaders applicants who can demonstrate how their UK study will enable them to make a specific, credible impact on Eswatini’s governance, health, and development challenges have a naturally strong application.

Apply at: chevening.org/scholarship/eswatini/

Next cycle: Opens August 2027, closes November 2027.

2. Commonwealth Scholarships — United Kingdom

Swaziland is listed as an African Commonwealth country, making students from Eswatini eligible for the full range of Commonwealth Scholarship Commission programs.

Active categories:

• Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships
• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme

What each covers: Full tuition + monthly living allowance + economy class return airfare + thesis grants.

Apply through: Eswatini’s Ministry of Education and Training and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission at cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk.

Important note: When contacting the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, use “Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)”, their database may list the country under “Swaziland.”

3. Italian Government Scholarships

Italian Government Masters/PhD Degrees are available for students from Swaziland/Eswatini.

The Italian government provides scholarships for international students through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Italy is one of Europe’s top university destinations for science, engineering, architecture, and design and these scholarships are available for study at Italian public universities.

What it covers: Tuition fee support + living allowance for Master’s and PhD study at Italian universities.

Why this is notable: Italian government scholarships are genuinely underused by Southern African students, who typically focus on UK, Germany, and Australia. The Italian scholarship pool for Eswatini is correspondingly smaller.

Apply through: Italian Embassy in Pretoria (covering Eswatini) or the Italian Embassy website — esteri.it — search scholarships section. Contact the cultural section for current-year quota and application process.

4. DAAD Scholarships — Germany (€934-1,300/month)

Sub-Saharan African countries eligible for DAAD include Swaziland, Eswatini is explicitly listed.

Key programs:

DAAD Study Scholarships: €934/month for Master’s. Deadline mid-October.

DAAD EPOS (Development-Related Courses): For Eswatini students in public health (HIV/AIDS, maternal health), sustainable agriculture, environmental management, and governance.

DAAD Helmut Schmidt Programme: Public policy and good governance, relevant to Eswatini’s political development context.

Eswatini’s DAAD narrative: A student from Eswatini studying public health with a specific plan to address the country’s HIV epidemic where approximately 1 in 4 adults is living with HIV has an extremely compelling EPOS application. The global public health significance of Eswatini’s HIV response is internationally recognized, and a Swazi student returning with specific expertise has a credible and impactful contribution to make.

Language: MOI Certificate accepted for English-medium programs, generate at: MOI Generator

5. Australian Awards — Australia (Fully Funded)

Eswatini is among the eligible developing countries for Australian Awards.

What it covers: Full tuition + return economy airfare + establishment allowance + monthly living stipend + health insurance.

Apply through: Australian Embassy covering Eswatini (through South Africa) — dfat.gov.au/australiaawards

Deadline: Typically February-April.

6. CSC China Scholarship (CNY 3,000-3,500/month + Free Tuition)

Eswatini had a complex relationship with China, Eswatini is one of the last countries to maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan (Republic of China) rather than the People’s Republic of China, making it ineligible for FOCAC-track scholarships from the PRC.

Important note: As of 2026, Eswatini maintains official relations with Taiwan. This means the standard CSC China scholarship (for PRC universities) may not be available through the usual FOCAC track. Check the current diplomatic status before applying. However, some PRC universities have separate international scholarship programs that may be accessible regardless of diplomatic relations.

7. Mandela Rhodes Scholarship — South Africa

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship is for sub-Saharan African students to study at leading South African universities, particularly relevant for Eswatini given that the country is almost entirely surrounded by South Africa.

What it covers: Full Master’s degree funding at UCT, Wits, Rhodes University, and others.

Geographic advantage: Eswatini shares approximately 430 km of border with South Africa and has deep economic, social, and cultural ties. South African universities are familiar institutions for many Swazi students.

Apply at: mandelarhodes.org — deadline typically February-April.

8. Fulbright — USA

The US Embassy maintains relations with Eswatini and Fulbright programs may be accessible. Eswatini’s public health context (HIV/AIDS) and governance situation provide compelling research contexts for Fulbright applicants.

Contact: US Embassy in Mbabane — sz.usembassy.gov — to confirm current Fulbright availability and deadlines.

9. GKS Korea (Global Korea Scholarship)

GKS Korea requires no English test and has a minimum GPA of only 2.64/4.0, one of the most accessible major scholarships.

What it covers: Full tuition + monthly stipend (~USD 650-700) + funded Korean language year + round-trip airfare.

Apply through: Korean Embassy. Embassy Track closes February.

10. MEXT Japan Scholarship

Open to Eswatini students via the MEXT Embassy Track.

What it covers: Full tuition + monthly stipend JPY 143,000-147,000 (~USD 950-980) + round-trip airfare + Japanese language year.

Deadline: Embassy Track May-June.

11. TU Delft Sub-Saharan Africa Excellence Scholarships

Four scholarships are available for excellent students from Sub-Saharan Africa to study a MSc degree at Delft University of Technology. Eswatini is included as a Sub-Saharan African country. Four awards for all of sub-Saharan Africa a small pool, but Eswatini’s small population means fewer competing Swazi students than from Nigeria or Ethiopia.

Apply at: tudelft.nl — search Africa scholarships.

12. University of Glasgow African Excellence Waiver and Edinburgh African Scholarships

Both the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh offer African-specific scholarships open to Sub-Saharan African students including from Eswatini.

Glasgow: Full tuition fee waiver for a Master’s degree — search at gla.ac.uk

Edinburgh: Merit-based graduate scholarships for Master’s or PhD — search at ed.ac.uk

13. Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program

For Eswatini students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds with demonstrated academic excellence and community leadership potential.

Apply through partner universities: mastercardfdn.org/scholarships

14. Erasmus Mundus — Europe (€1,100-1,400/month)

Open to all nationalities. Eswatini students are fully eligible for all English-medium consortium programs.

Deadline: Most consortiums January-February.

15. Stipendium Hungaricum — Hungary

Full tuition + accommodation support + monthly stipend (~EUR 115-130) + health insurance. Open to developing countries including Eswatini.

Apply at: stipendiumhungaricum.hu — deadline January-February.

Quick Reference: Scholarships for Eswatini Students 2026

Eswatini’s Unique Scholarship Advantages

1. Africa’s Smallest Competitive Pools With approximately 1.2 million people, Eswatini is the smallest country by population in this entire Africa scholarship series. Country-specific scholarship allocations which Nigeria (220M), Ethiopia (120M), Ghana (32M), or even Malawi (20M) compete for with far larger applicant pools are contested in Eswatini by far fewer students. When Chevening, Commonwealth, or DAAD allocate scholarships country by country, Eswatini’s pool is structurally smaller.

2. The HIV/AIDS Public Health Narrative Eswatini has the world’s highest adult HIV prevalence rate approximately 27% of adults aged 15-49 are living with HIV. This is not a disadvantage for scholarship applications. It is a genuine public health context of global significance. For any scholarship that asks about development impact DAAD EPOS, Chevening, Fulbright, Commonwealth a Swazi student with a clear plan to contribute to HIV response, maternal health, or public health systems in Eswatini has a scholarship narrative that is recognized and valued globally.

3. Search Both Names Always search for and apply as “Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)” the name change happened in 2018, but most official scholarship lists still use “Swaziland.” Do not assume you are ineligible because a list says “Swaziland” rather than “Eswatini”, they are the same country.

Practical Tips for Eswatini Students

1. Search “Swaziland” — not just “Eswatini” — in every scholarship database Most scholarship databases have not updated the name change. The Chevening page is at chevening.org/scholarship/eswatini/ but the Commonwealth list uses “Swaziland.” Always search both.

2. Apply for Italian Government Scholarships — underused pathway Italian government scholarships for Southern African students are significantly underused compared to UK and German programs. The Italian Embassy in Pretoria covers Eswatini, contact them for current-year quota and application details.

3. Verify China CSC scholarship status regarding Taiwan diplomatic recognition Eswatini is one of the last countries recognizing Taiwan. This may affect eligibility for the standard PRC CSC scholarship track. Verify directly with the relevant Chinese institution and confirm diplomatic status before investing time in a CSC application.

4. HIV/AIDS narrative is an asset — use it strategically The world’s highest HIV prevalence makes Eswatini’s public health context globally significant. For DAAD EPOS, Chevening, and Fulbright, a specific study plan connected to Eswatini’s HIV response or public health system strengthening is both personally credible and internationally recognized.

5. Use MOI Certificate for DAAD Eswatini’s English-medium education means DAAD accepts a free MOI Certificate for English-medium programs. Generate at: MOI Generator

FAQ

Is it “Eswatini” or “Swaziland” for scholarship purposes?

The country changed its name from Swaziland to Eswatini in 2018. For scholarship searches, use both names most scholarship databases and official government lists still use “Swaziland.” Always clarify with “Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)” when contacting scholarship bodies.

Is Eswatini eligible for Commonwealth Scholarships?

Yes, Swaziland (Eswatini) is explicitly listed as an African Commonwealth country in the Commonwealth scholarship eligibility list.

Is Chevening active for Eswatini?

Yes, Chevening has a dedicated page at chevening.org/scholarship/eswatini/ confirming it is an active program.

What is the most accessible scholarship for Eswatini students?

GKS Korea: no IELTS, minimum GPA 2.64/4.0, fully funded with Korean language year. DAAD is also accessible with a free MOI Certificate instead of IELTS.

Does Eswatini’s small population help with scholarship applications?

Yes, country-specific scholarship allocations are competed for by approximately 1.2 million people in Eswatini versus hundreds of millions in larger African countries. This structural advantage affects the size of the applicant pool for country-specific programs.