Every year, Form 4 students across Zimbabwe finish their O-Levels with excellent grades and enormous potential — and then hit a wall. School fees. No resources. No connections. Makomborero Zimbabwe exists specifically to break down that wall. If you're a high-achieving student from a low-income background, this scholarship could genuinely change the entire direction of your life.
ApplyMate Quick Verdict
This is the strongest local A-Level scholarship available to Zimbabwean O-Level students right now — and it's one most people overlook because they're busy searching internationally. Makomborero doesn't just cover your school fees. It wraps around you: mentorship, community, and a network of alumni who have gone on to Northwestern University in the USA, University of Pretoria, MasterCard Scholarships, and more. Apply. Do not sleep on this one.
We know the pressure you carry — trying to give your child the best while fighting the realities of the economy. Makomborero was built for exactly this situation. If your child is finishing Form 4 this year with strong grades, please sit with them and read this together. The deadline is Friday 19 June 2026. That's soon. Don't let time run out before you've even tried.
So What Exactly Is Makomborero Zimbabwe?
Makomborero Zimbabwe is a local registered Zimbabwean Charitable Trust — not a foreign NGO, not some online listing that may or may not be real. It was founded by Mr Mark Albertyn, and it has been running for years, identifying and supporting some of the brightest students from government schools across the country.
The name says it all. Makomborero — blessings. And that's what this programme has been to hundreds of students who otherwise might never have sat in a quality A-Level classroom.
To date, Makomborero has awarded over 220 residential and non-residential scholarships. But the numbers alone don't tell the full story. What makes this programme remarkable is what happens after A-Level — and we'll get to that.
You can download the official Makomborero brochure here to read more about the organisation's history and approach.
The Two Scholarships on Offer for 2027
For the 2027 intake, Makomborero is offering two types of scholarships. Together, that's 16 students whose entire A-Level journey will be transformed. Read carefully to understand what each one covers.
1. Residential Scholarship — 10 Places
This is the full package. Ten students will be selected to study at some of Harare's best private schools — we're talking institutions like St George's College, Gateway High School, Hellenic Academy, Watershed College, and St John's College. These are schools that produce results, and you would be placed right in the middle of that environment.
What's covered under the Residential Scholarship:
- All tuition fees and stationery
- Full school uniform requirements
- Examination fees
- Weekly accommodation
- Ongoing mentorship throughout your A-Level years
2. Non-Residential Scholarship — 6 Places
Six students will receive scholarships to study at government day schools. This option is excellent for students who are close to Harare and can commute, or for those who prefer to remain in a familiar environment while still getting the Makomborero support structure behind them.
What's covered under the Non-Residential Scholarship:
- All tuition fees and stationery
- A contribution toward school uniform costs
- Examination fees
- Mentorship
Both scholarship types also connect you to the broader Makomborero network — alumni mentorship, community programmes, and future university grant support.
What Happened to the Students Who Came Before You?
This is the part that should really make you sit up straight. Let's look at what Makomborero alumni have gone on to do after their A-Levels, because this is the real measure of a scholarship programme.
Recent Makomborero leavers have gone on to study at — take a breath — Northwestern University in the USA (Computer Science and Civil Engineering on a Northwestern Scholarship), University of Pretoria (Actuarial and Financial Mathematics on a MasterCard Scholarship), Ashesi University in Ghana (Mechanical Engineering on a MasterCard Scholarship), and Invertis University in India (Electrical Engineering on a Presidential Scholarship). Others are at the University of Zimbabwe studying Actuarial Science, Biomedical Sciences, Data Science, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and more — many on Makomborero grants or corporate sponsor grants.
These are not made-up profiles. These are real Zimbabwean students — from Mabvuku High, Howard High, Goromonzi High, Glen View High, Nyanga High, and dozens of other government schools — who sat exactly where you're sitting now.
A-Level was the turning point. Makomborero was the door.
Who Should Be Applying?
Let's be direct. Makomborero is looking for students who are both academically capable and personally driven. Here's the honest picture of who should apply:
- You are finishing Form 4 this year (writing O-Levels in 2026) or you have recently completed O-Levels.
- You are predicted strong grades — ideally several A grades — or you have already achieved them.
- You come from a government school background and face genuine financial challenges accessing quality A-Level education.
- You are not just looking for a free ride. You are willing to participate in Makomborero's community programmes and give back.
- You have the character and determination to make the most of an opportunity like this.
Makomborero explicitly welcomes applications from government school students who can clearly demonstrate passion and potential — not just those with perfect predicted grades. If you have the fire, that matters.
The Thing Most Applicants Get Wrong
Most students applying to programmes like this walk in believing it's purely an academic competition. Highest grades win. That's not how Makomborero works.
Yes, academic ability is important. But the selection process is specifically described as multifaceted — it is designed to assess raw ability alongside academic ability. That means a student from a rural school who has shown incredible resilience and self-drive, but who hasn't had access to extra lessons or top resources, can absolutely compete here.
What Makomborero is looking for goes beyond your results. They want to know who you are. What drives you. Why you want this. What you'll do with it.
When you fill out your application form, don't be vague. Be honest and be specific. And choose a referee who actually knows you — your Head Teacher, a subject teacher who has seen your work ethic, someone who can speak to your character with real examples.
More Than Just A-Levels — The Full Makomborero Programme
One thing the official brochure makes very clear: Makomborero is not a transactional scholarship. You don't receive money and then disappear. You become part of something.
The organisation is active across eight areas of community work, including:
- Alumni Mentorship — past scholars who come back and guide those coming after them
- University Grant Scheme Zimbabwe — support that follows you beyond A-Level
- Girl Child Mentorship Programme — currently running in three high-density schools
- Ndeipi! Entrepreneurial Training — because not every path leads to university, and that's okay
- Mobile Science Laboratory — giving Form 3 students from high-density schools actual laboratory time each term
- Mutsidzira Community Grant Programme — community-level support beyond individual scholarships
When you join Makomborero, you join a family. And in time, you'll be expected to give back to the students who come after you — just as those before you gave back to you.
How to Apply — Three Steps
The application process is straightforward. There's no online portal, no complicated system. Here's exactly what you need to do:
- Download and print the official Application and Reference Form. Both the application and reference sections are in the same document.
- Complete the application form fully — no blank sections — and have your referee complete the reference section. Your referee should be someone who knows your work and character well.
- Scan or photograph both completed forms clearly (all pages) and email them to admin@makomborero.co.zw.
You can also drop a physical copy with your Head Teacher, post it to Makomborero Zimbabwe, P.O. Box MP753, Mt Pleasant, Harare, or drop it at Mount Pleasant Fashions (the shop at Bond Street shops in Mt Pleasant along The Chase). But honestly? Email is faster and simpler. Use it.
Things That Will Hurt Your Application
We say this with love, because we've seen these mistakes cost people real opportunities:
- Blurry or dark photos of your forms. If the selection team can't read what you've written, they can't fairly evaluate your application. Use natural light. Take the photo flat on a surface. Check it before you send.
- Submitting at 11pm on the 19th. Technical problems happen. Mailboxes fill. Submit early — ideally a week before the deadline.
- Choosing the wrong referee. "My cousin who finished Form 6" is not a good referee. Your Head Teacher, your favourite subject teacher, a trusted adult in a professional position who knows your academic ability — those are good referees.
- Leaving sections blank. Every blank section on an application form is a missed opportunity to tell your story. Fill everything in.
- Missing follow-up communication. Check the email address you provide. Check it regularly after applying. If Makomborero contacts you for an interview and you don't respond, that's it.
What Happens After You Apply?
Once the application window closes on Friday 19 June 2026, Makomborero will draw up an initial shortlist. If you make it to the shortlist, you'll be contacted for the next stage — which includes an interview and scholarship testing.
The testing and interview phase is designed to assess you holistically. Prepare to talk about yourself, your goals, your academic strengths, and why this scholarship matters to you. Be genuine. The selection team has seen polished rehearsed answers before. Authentic stories stand out.
The final selection will be completed before the end of 2026 — importantly, before O-Level examinations are written, meaning selected students know what's coming before they even sit their exams.
If you do not hear from Makomborero by 1 September 2026, assume your application was not successful this time. But file that experience, reflect on it, and keep looking for the next door — because this should not be the only application you make.
Deadline — Mark It, Set an Alarm, Tell a Friend
📅 Application Deadline: Friday 19 June 2026
That is not far away. If you are reading this in June, you have days — not weeks. Do not read this, think "I'll do it tomorrow," and miss the window. Download the form right now and start filling it in today.
One Last Thing Before You Close This Tab
Nelson Mandela — whose words are literally printed in the Makomborero brochure — once said that education is the great engine of personal development. That through it, the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine.
That's not just inspiration. That's a description of what's actually happening through programmes like this one, right here in Zimbabwe, right now.
Students from Mabvuku, Dzivaresekwa, Tafara, Mufakose, Seke — students who came from exactly the kinds of schools and backgrounds you may be from — are today studying at universities in the USA, South Africa, Ghana, India, and here at home. Some of them are your age when they applied.
Don't reject yourself before the selection team even gets to see your application. Fill it out. Submit early. Let them decide.
And if you know someone who should be reading this — a cousin finishing Form 4, a neighbour's child who always comes top of the class but whose family is struggling — share this with them. Don't let them miss this because no one told them.
👉 Visit the official Makomborero application page | Download the Application Form directly | Read the full Makomborero Brochure
Drop a comment below if this helped — or if you have questions about the application. We try to respond to every comment. And if you've been through a Makomborero selection process before (as an applicant or a scholar), we'd especially love to hear from you.
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