Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

24 Best Universities in South Africa for Business

If you are looking to study Business in South Africa, our index highlights the top 24 domain-leading institutions. To determine these leaders, we isolated 133K specialized research publications which collectively generated 2.15M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

Cape Town

University of Cape Town

For Business

#1 in Africa #281 in the World

51% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

1874 Founded

2

Vanderbijlpark

Vaal University of Technology

For Business

#78 in Africa #2092 in the World

90% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

1966 Founded

3

Makhanda

Rhodes University

For Business

#41 in Africa #1415 in the World

61% Acceptance

8,200 Enrollment

1904 Founded

4

Kwadlangezwa

University of Zululand

For Business

#92 in Africa #2338 in the World

45% Acceptance

37,000 Enrollment

1960 Founded

5

Bellville

University of the Western Cape

For Business

#21 in Africa #1053 in the World

60% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

1959 Founded

6

Bloemfontein

Central University of Technology

For Business

#110 in Africa #2631 in the World

64% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

1981 Founded

7

Bloemfontein

University of the Free State

For Business

#14 in Africa #873 in the World

25% Acceptance

37,000 Enrollment

1904 Founded

8

Mthatha

Walter Sisulu University

For Business

#131 in Africa #2964 in the World

67% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

2005 Founded

9

Potchefstroom

North-West University

For Business

#8 in Africa #538 in the World

83% Acceptance

37,000 Enrollment

2004 Founded

10

Thohoyandou

University of Venda

For Business

#107 in Africa #2556 in the World

72% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1982 Founded

11

Pretoria

University of South Africa

For Business

#6 in Africa #422 in the World

61% Acceptance

420,000 Enrollment

1873 Founded

12

Alice

University of Fort Hare

For Business

#64 in Africa #1848 in the World

64% Acceptance

11,074 Enrollment

1916 Founded

13

Johannesburg

University of Johannesburg

For Business

#3 in Africa #350 in the World

58% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

2005 Founded

14

Mankweng

University of Limpopo

For Business

#62 in Africa #1841 in the World

45% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1959 Founded

15

Durban

University of KwaZulu-Natal

For Business

#7 in Africa #464 in the World

63% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

2004 Founded

16

Cape Town

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

For Business

#51 in Africa #1629 in the World

91% Acceptance

35,047 Enrollment

2005 Founded

17

Stellenbosch

University of Stellenbosch

For Business

#5 in Africa #395 in the World

56% Acceptance

24,754 Enrollment

1918 Founded

18

Durban

Durban University of Technology

For Business

#46 in Africa #1569 in the World

75% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

2002 Founded

19

Pretoria

University of Pretoria

For Business

#2 in Africa #287 in the World

52% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1908 Founded

20

Durban

Mangosuthu University of Technology

For Business

#231 in Africa #4408 in the World

73% Acceptance

35,047 Enrollment

1979 Founded

21

Pretoria

Tshwane University of Technology

For Business

#36 in Africa #1327 in the World

89% Acceptance

49,910 Enrollment

2003 Founded

22

Johannesburg

University of the Witwatersrand

For Business

#4 in Africa #358 in the World

34% Acceptance

48,174 Enrollment

1922 Founded

23

Pretoria

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

For Business

#193 in Africa #3802 in the World

74% Acceptance

5,000 Enrollment

2014 Founded

24

Port Elizabeth

Nelson Mandela University

For Business

#39 in Africa #1364 in the World

57% Acceptance

8,200 Enrollment

2005 Founded