Higher education is an important part of any country’s goals to foster economic growth. Research has shown that individuals who get a higher education are more likely to experience job security and the ability to provide for their families.
When looking at how South Africa’s higher education compares to Africa, it’s worthwhile to note that the country has the highest rated universities on the African continent. Despite these accolades, there is always room for improvement.
According to World University Rankings criteria, the University of Cape Town was ranked first, followed by the University of the Witwatersrand in second place. Ugandan university Makerere University ranked third while two more South African universities (University of Stellenbosch and University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) rounded up the top five.
Ranking was based on eight academic performance indicators including:
- Academic reputation
- Employer reputation
- Proportion of staff with a PhD
- Faculty to student ratio
- Research publication and citation rates
- Proportion of international faculty and students
In South Africa, about 20% of the total state expenditure goes to education. This shows that the country is highly invested in improving the state of the education system.
Further research has revealed that student enrolments in South African higher education institutions increased by 23% from 2005 to 2013. Furthermore, African enrolments increased from 64% of all enrolments in 2008 to 70% in 2013.
Skilled postgraduates are in high demand in South Africa. As a developing country, there are numerous skills shortages, some of which could be alleviated by the higher education system.
Participation rates for Africans and Coloured remain considerably lower than for whites and Indians while more White and Indian students continue to postgraduate study.
Despite the costs, tertiary education is considered the best way to improve earnings potential and employability in South Africa.
Compared to the rest of the African continent, South Africa’s higher education is complex and continues to make changes to keep up with the evolving state of education globally. Government strives to provide better access to technology and to improve infrastructure-factors in which many African institutions of higher learning lag behind.