Considering studying in South Africa, consider these top 10 universities in South Africa review. However, choosing South Africa as a study destination is among the best choices a student will ever make.
South Africa can provide the best higher educational institutions and facilities globally.
South African education system is one of the best in Africa with most of the South African universities ranking high in the latest release of the top-ranking universities in Africa. Some of the best universities in South Africa are well within the first 1000 universities in the world with the first being among the top 500.
Table of contents
- About South Africa
- 10. University of South Africa
- 9. North-West University (NWU)
- 8. University of the Western Cape
- 7. Rhodes University
- 6. University of KwaZulu Natal
- 5. University of Johannesburg
- 4. Stellenbosch University
- 3. University of Pretoria
- 2. University of the Witwatersrand
- MIB Enrolment Award at Monash South Africa 2023
- 1. University of Cape Town
- References
About South Africa
It’s impossible to mention South Africa without acknowledging the role apartheid has played in shaping today’s cultural and political landscape. However, through the hard work and persistence of international icons, such as Nelson Mandela, South Africa has come together to become the “Rainbow Nation” it is today.
International students will be amazed at how cultural diversity has combined to create a new national narrative as they traverse any of South Africa’s many popular student destinations.
Today, South Africa is a parliamentary republic with three capitals, Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town, each with its political responsibility. Additionally, South Africa lays claim to being Africa’s second-largest economy, making it an attractive location for international business and trade.
This ranking is purely based on Web metrics (Not Academic) which use specific parameters, including online presence and authority, and online research availability to rank the best universities in Africa and worldwide. It is usual for some academically sound universities to lag using this parameter. However, the aim is to facilitate universities’ web presence, research, and publishing overall.
WSF brings you the latest ranking of the top 10 universities in South Africa based on their web metrics IN ASCENDING ORDER
10. University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (UNISA) is the largest in Africa, attracting one-third of all higher education students in entire South Africa with a student headcount of over 300,000 students, including African and international students in 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world’s mega universities.
Africa’s leading distance learning institution nurtures inspiring leaders of tomorrow. UNISA is a reputable, comprehensive, flexible, and accessible open distance learning institution that motivates a future generation and offers internationally accredited qualifications with world-class resources.
9. North-West University (NWU)
North-west University is a multi-campus university that covers two major South African provinces. The North-West University was established on the 1st of January 2004 after the merger of Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of the North-West which are two universities with very different historical backgrounds and cultures. NWU is among the most diverse, best-managed, and innovative universities in South Africa.
The North-West University offers students an exceptionally rich range of study choices at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, which span the spectrum of academic disciplines, from agriculture and the arts to commerce, engineering, education, health, law, the natural sciences, and theology.
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8. University of the Western Cape
Located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. The University of the Western Cape was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only. Among academic higher institutions, it has been in the vanguard of South Africa’s historic change, playing a distinctive academic role in helping to build an equitable and dynamic nation.
University of the Western Cape’s key concerns with access, equity and quality in higher education arise from extensive practical engagement in helping the historically marginalized participate fully in the nation’s life.
7. Rhodes University
Rhodes University is a 104-year-old South African institution with a well-established reputation for academic excellence. Located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Rhodes is a small university with the distinction of having among the best undergraduate pass and graduation rates in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates, and the best research output per academic staff member.
This is a testimony to the quality of students that Rhodes attracts and of academic provision and to the commitment of Rhodes staff to student development and success.
6. University of KwaZulu Natal
The University of KwaZulu Natal University ranks number 686 in the world and is one of the top universities in South Africa.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal was formed on 1 January 2004 due to the merger between the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal. The new university brings together the rich histories of both the former Universities.
The two KwaZulu-Natal universities were among the first South African institutions to merge in 2004 following the government’s higher educational restructuring plans that will eventually reduce the number of higher educational institutions in South Africa from 36 to 21.
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5. University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg is undoubtedly one of the best universities in Africa. The University of Johannesburg (UJ), is one of the largest, multi-campus, residential universities in South Africa and seeks to achieve the highest distinction in scholarship and research within the higher education context.
The university provides the ideal ground for interdisciplinary research and has more than 90 rated researchers.
The University fosters ideas rooted in African epistemology but also addresses the needs of South African society and the African continent, as it is committed to contributing to sustainable growth and development.
4. Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is the number 1 university in South Africa and occupies the 400th position in the world in academic excellence, research, innovation, and study environment. It takes pride in having one of the country’s highest proportions of postgraduate students, of which almost ten percent are international students.
The University lies in the picturesque Jonkershoek Valley in the heart of the Western Cape Winelands. The earliest roots of the University can be traced back to the 17th century when a beginning was made with regular school instruction.
3. University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria started its activities in 1908 with a staff of only four professors and three lecturers. Thirty-two students enrolled for courses at the first campus, Kya Rosa, a house in the center of Pretoria.
The University of Pretoria became a fully-fledged university in 1930. The name Tuks, for the University of Pretoria, derives from the acronym for the College, namely TUC, and the Pretoria branch of the Transvaal University College (TUC) was the forerunner of the University of Pretoria.
The institution has proven worth by maintaining a high standard and world-class talents.
2. University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand has a reputation built on research and academic excellence.
Wits are one of only two universities in Africa ranked in two separate international rankings as a leading institution in the world and is the only university in the country that features in the top 1% in the world in seven defined fields of research according to the 2007 ISI international rankings.
The University of Witwatersrand is in Johannesburg, a world-class city with countless opportunities for students and staff to engage with and present solutions.
The University of the Witwatersrand is one of Africa’s premier research universities that strive to be innovative, where boundaries of knowledge are pushed, and where the focus is on sustaining globally competitive standards of excellence in learning, teaching, and research.
MIB Enrolment Award at Monash South Africa 2023
1. University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town is ranked number 456 among the best universities in the world. UCT was founded in 1829 and has a proud tradition of academic excellence and effecting social change and development through its pioneering scholarship, faculty, and students.
It is also renowned for its striking beauty, with its campus located at the foot of Table Mountain’s Devil’s Peak, with panoramic views of much of Cape Town.
UCT aspires to become a premier academic meeting point between South Africa, the rest of Africa, and the world.
Taking advantage of expanding global networks and a distinct vantage point in Africa, the University of Cape Town is committed, through innovative research and scholarship, to grapple with the key issues of our natural and social worlds.
References
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