The Z Zurich Foundation just launched one of the most compelling scholarship opportunities of the year — and it is laser-focused on young African leaders who are building real, grassroots solutions to help vulnerable youth move from classrooms to careers. Twenty-five selected scholars will receive full funding to attend the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, this November, plus access to a structured leadership program before and after the event.

This is not a generic leadership award. The Foundation operates across four pillars — climate adaptation, mental well-being, social equity, and crisis response — and this particular scholarship zeroes in on social equity . They want founders and frontline leaders running early-stage, not-for-profit initiatives that tackle the brutal gap between education and employment for young people in low-income and underserved communities across Africa.

Africa’s population is the youngest on the planet, wi...