Two UP graduates heading to Oxford University on 2026 Rhodes Scholarships

PRETORIA – Two University of Pretoria (UP) postgraduate students have been awarded Rhodes Scholarships to pursue studies at the University of Oxford in the UK in 2026.

Ms Ruth Kasanga and Ms Ntando Dube will be heading to Oxford in October 2026 to join a global cohort of more than 100 Rhodes Scholars from around the world to undertake fully funded postgraduate studies and become part of a strong community of Scholars determined to make a positive difference in the world.

The Rhodes Scholarship, described as a “globally inclusive and thoughtful community of leaders”, is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903. Since inception, nearly 1 000 high-achieving graduates from universities across Southern Africa have been awarded the Rhodes Scholarship to further their studies at Oxford.

Ms Kasanga is completing a Master of Arts in International Relations at UP, where her research examines the capability of Africa’s Regional Economic Communities’ youth development policies to achieve human security outcomes in complex regional environments. She graduated cum laude in her BAHons International Relations degree and summa cum laude in her BPolSci International Studies degree, both from UP.

She recently completed a Politics internship at Oxford Economics Africa and currently serves as a Youth Advisor to the Embassy of Sweden in South Africa. She is part of the teaching support staff in the Department of Political Sciences, and is a Research Assistant at the African Centre for the Study of the United States at UP.

Ms Kasanga is the founder of LeadHership by Ruth, a mentorship programme supporting early professional development of young women aspiring to enter politics and international relations across Southern Africa. She is also a Youth Fellow with the Sweden-based International Youth Think Tank, where she co-develops participatory democracy policies presented at international forums such as the Athens Democracy Forum and implemented in countries including South Africa, Sweden, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Uganda.

At Oxford, she hopes to pursue a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government.

Ruth Kasanga

Ms Dube hails from Imbali Township in Pietermaritzburg, and holds a BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics (cum laude) and BSc (Hons) Actuarial Science from UP. As a Technical Member of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (TASSA), she is currently working as an Actuarial Associate in the Non-Life Actuarial Team at Ernst & Young South Africa.

While at UP, she was a recipient of the Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Merit Award, the Postgraduate Merit Plus Award and the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Scholarship. In addition to serving as a class representative in numerous classes, she was also a teaching assistant in the Actuarial Science Department, focusing on second-year Financial Mathematics.

Despite her rigorous degree, and being a full-time student, Ms Dube balanced both academic and professional responsibilities during her time at UP – initially, as an intern at Africa's first digital women's health platform, Zoie Health; then with Bank of America, Merrill Lynch as an Investment Banking Intern and, most recently, as a Research Intern at the Harvard Business School Africa Research Centre. It was at the Centre that her admiration for the African continent was born. It was Africa’s attributes of resilience, indomitability and, more so, its great potential rather than its perceived need, that drew her deep affection and lasting reverence. As a result, while at Oxford, she hopes to pursue an MSc in African Studies.

She is deeply committed to public service, especially as it relates to education. In 2020, she appeared on national television shining a light on COVID-19 and its contribution to the digital divide within the educational space. A few years later, she founded Libraries4Learning to create safe library spaces and address low literacy rates within her community. At present, she serves as an Advisory Board Member for Amathuba Foundation, an education-focused non-profit in South Africa. These efforts underscore her commitment to addressing the educational inequality that exists within her broader community.

Rhodes Scholarship process

Each year large numbers of outstanding young graduates, from universities across the country and across disciplines, submit their applications for the Scholarship by 1 August. The selection process for the Rhodes Scholarship is demanding and rigorous. It includes a lengthy online application, a thorough review of applications for shortlisting, and then shortlisted candidates are invited to an interview with the selection committees comprising renowned experts and leaders in diverse fields.

This year, 57 regional candidates were shortlisted for interviews in October 2025. The candidates attended a pre-selection dinner with the regional Rhodes Scholarship selection committees, and the following day were interviewed by a diverse panel. Following the regional interviews, 22 finalists were selected for the national round of interviews with the South Africa-at-Large selection committee. The national interviews were held from 7 to 9 November 2025 in Johannesburg, and the winners were announced on the evening of 9 November.

“The Rhodes Scholarship selections never get easier,” said Beverley Johnson, Regional Manager: Rhodes Scholarships for Southern Africa, “as each year we receive so many applications from such talented, outstanding, high-potential individuals from across the regions and academic disciplines. The shortlisting process is intense, and interviews are challenging. Tough choices have to be made by the national selection committee, which can only award 10 Scholarships each year.”

Commenting on this award, Ndumiso Luthuli, National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarships for Southern Africa, said: “The Rhodes selection process aims to identify young people with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character and grit, the courage to lead and make a difference in the broader community, the energy to use their talents to the full, and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges. We believe that Ntando and Ruth personify these core selection criteria.”

• Applications for the 2027 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2026. More information about the Scholarship application can be found at: www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply.