With applications already in, we take a look at the universities our top students in the country will be hoping to attend next year.
The current top ten universities in South Africa are:
University of Cape Town
University of the Witwatersrand
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Stellenbosch University
University of Pretoria
University of Johannesburg
North West University
University of the Western Cape
University of the Free State
Rhodes University
University of Cape Town A view of the Upper Campus of the University of Cape Town, seen from the other side of the rugby fields. // Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Adrian Frith The University of Cape Town which sits picturesquely at the foot of Devil's peak has consistently been the best University in the country and has made every effort to position itself as the top research university on the continent. Currently ranked 241st in the world rankings and ranks favourably internationally for Development Studies, Sports-related Subjects and Geography ranking in the top 50 in the world for all three.
University of the Witwatersrand The Wits University East Campus. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Samuella99 The University of Witwatersrand with campuses dotted all through the northern suburbs of Johannesburg is one of the hubs for fossil research. Commonly called Wits, this university currently sits 321st in the world. Wits are internationally rated as a leading university for paleo-sciences with the most extensive fossil collection in the southern hemisphere in addition to having a very strong mineral and mining engineering faculty.
University of KwaZulu-Natal Image credit: hmu.co.za The University of KwaZulu-Natal is one of the younger institutions in the country after a 2004 merger of institutions which brought the old University of Natal and University of Durban-Westville under one banner. The University currently has more than 46,500 students across 5 campuses across the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The university currently ranks 349th in the world.
Stellenbosch University Stellenbosch University (formally University of Stellenbosch/Afrikaans: Universiteit van Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Image credit Flickr/CISAbroad Stellenbosch is known worldwide for world-class wine and a world-class university. The University of Stellenbosch has been open since 1918 and operates across 5 campuses serving more than 29000 students. Currently ranked 415th in the world and one of the Universities still offering tuition in Afrikaans.
Also Read: #UCTShutdown: Students shut down campus in peaceful protest
University of Pretoria
Image credit: educations.com The University of Pretoria was founded way back in 1908 and is one of the most prominent universities in South Africa offering more than 1800 programs academic programs with 7 campuses situated in the north of Gauteng province. The university currently ranked 474th in the world.
University of Johannesburg University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Aurobindo Ogra The University of Johannesburg was established in 2005 with the merger of the Rand Afrikaans University, the Technikon Witwatersrand and Vista University. Out of the approximately 50,000 students in attendance, more than 3,000 are international students. It ranks 627th in the world and offers a mix of vocational and Academic Programmes.
North West University Image credit: hmu.co.za North West University ranked 745 in the world and was established in 2005 when the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education merged with the University of Bophuthatswana. It has three campuses, in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark. With more than 60,000 students, it is one of the largest universities in the country.
University of the Western Cape University of the Western Cape Central Campus entry, 28 November 2008. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Danmichaelo University of Western Cape was established in 1959 and has approximately 22,000 students. It was active in the struggle against racial discrimination, and many of its students were involved in the Black Conscious Movement. UWC has a world ranking of 885.
Read Also: Incredible South African genius graduates university at just 19 years-old
University of the Free State DSC0064editufs Main Building, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South-Africa 2. 27 August 2013. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Carle de Villiers One of the oldest universities in South Africa, it was initially founded as the Grey College and ranks 1004th in the world. It was known as the University College of the Orange Free State during the forties and fifties. It is situated in Bloemfontein but also operates a satellite campus in Qwaqwa. Operating as a whites-only institute for most of its existence, the University of the Free State was fully de-segregated in 1996.
Rhodes University Main building with Herbert Baker clocktower, Rhodes University, Grahamstown (South Africa) 15 March 2018. Image credit: Wikimedia commons/Vysotsky Situated in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, Rhodes is one of only four universities in the province. Approximately 8,200 students are currently enrolled at Rhodes, of which almost 1,500 are international students. It was founded back in 1904 and has a world ranking of 1021
[h/t: URAP Center]
Tags: Cape TownGrahamstownJohannesburgKwaZulu-NatalpotchefstroomPretoriaRhodes UniversitySouth African universitiesStellenboschUniversity of Cape Town (UCT)University of Johannesburg (UJ)University of PretoriaUniversity of Stellenboschwits university
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
With applications already in, we take a look at the universities our top students in the country will be hoping to attend next year.
