Description

The Africa Center and Afreximbank have partnered to establish the Global Africa Gateway initiative at The Africa Center’s home base in Harlem, New York. Holding the continent at the heart of their respective mandates, both institutions are committed to exploring opportunities for more effective interactions between the African continent and its wide diaspora. The Global Africa Gateway is a considerable step towards these goals, providing a conduit for both institutions to significantly advance their efforts in building cultural and economic connections between the Diaspora and the continent. By creating opportunities for the Diaspora to play an active role in Africa’s growth, this new mandate builds on lessons from The Africa Center’s rich history, which remains fiercely committed to the institution’s core purpose of centering Africa and its people in Africa’s story. As part of the Global Africa Gateway, the initiative offers a fully-funded internship program supporting graduate-level students from the diaspora in pursuing professional experiences in their fields of study with organizations working on the continent.

2026 GLOBAL AFRICA GATEWAY COHORT

An essential part of the GAG initiative, the summer internship program identifies and matches highly skilled and qualified candidates in the U.S. looking for substantive professional experiences in Africa, with reputable companies and organizations based on the continent. For its 2026 cohort, the Global Africa Gateway is recruiting 9 currently-enrolled or recently graduated students who demonstrate a strong interest in establishing professional ties to the African continent. Candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a range of experiences with particular emphasis on internships in the fields of finance, construction, commodities, law, and NGOs. Internship opportunities in summer 2026 are available across the continent. Please review the host organization section for more details.

Selected interns will receive a USD$10,000 stipend to cover the costs of travel, lodging, and other expenses. The experiences are designed to run for a duration of 8-12 weeks and the internship position will offer a schedule of up to 40 hours per week. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee including TAC, Afreximbank, and host organization partners.

Requirements

ELIGIBILITY

The program is open to applicants who are:

U.S. citizens of African descent.
Students currently enrolled in full-time graduate-level study or recent graduates (within 6 months of graduation) from an accredited institution.
Fluent in English and in any other African Union official working languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Kiswahili).
Applicants must be aged between 22 and 35 at the time of application.
Meet all other requirements specified in the terms of reference.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

For full consideration, interested candidates must submit all of the following information by the deadline of March 6th, 2026, at 11:59pm ET:

1000-word personal statement outlining their specific interests, ambitions, and why working on the continent is of interest.
A resume/CV
Two professional/academic references
A passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended dates of travel.