TOP TEN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

                                               1. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

Established in 1829 is the second oldest university in Africa. It was elevated to university status in 1918. UCT is renowned for its Science, Engineering, Commerce and Humanities departments. With campuses including Law and Medicine are spread across the suburbs of Rondebosch, Rosebank and Mowbray. The state of the art artificial grass soccer field was approved by FIFA for training world cup teams for world cup 2012. Notable alumnis include Ralphe Bunche (American political scientist and diplomat awarded the Nobel Peace prize in 1950), Max Theiler, virologist awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951 for developing a vaccine against yellow fever, Professor Allan McLeod Cormack (Medicine), Sir Aaron Klug (chemistry).


                                               2. UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH

The university is a public research university located in a town called Stellenbosch in South Africa. The university manufactured and designed Africa’s first microsatellite called SUNSAT, launched in 1999. The original of the university can be traced to the Stellenbosch gymnasium, it became the Stellenbosch College in 1881. In 1887 this college was renamed Victoria College, when it acquired university status on 2nd April 1918 and was renamed once again to Stellenbosch University. Some notable alumni are Andre du Piscani (political scientist and professor), Andries Petrus Treurnicht, theologian and founder of the Conservative Party in South Africa, Brian Currin, leading Human rights lawyer, Daniel Francois Malan former Prime Minister of South Africa, Hendrich French Verwoed, former Prime Minister South Africa.

                                          3. UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

 The university is organised into nine campuses and an established business school. Established in 1920, the university of Pretoria faculty of veterinary Science is the second oldest veterinary school in Africa and the only veterinary school in SA. In 1994 the university business school launched the first MBA outside of North America and the university’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has consistently been ranked the top business school in Africa for executive education, as well as being placed in the top 50 in the world. In 2011 the Financial Times ranked the GIBS Executive MBA 1st in Africa and 67th in the world. Notable alumni include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi Minister of public service and administration.

                                      4. UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND                      

 Famously known as the Wits University, it has its roots in the mining industry, as do Johannesburg and Witwatersrand in general. It was founded in 1896 as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley. In 2009 Times Higher Education – QS World University Rankings ranked Wits as 250-275 in the world. The university is a member of the Global Business School Network. In its capacity as a business school, it was placed 6th best business school in Africa and the Middle East in 2010 QS Global 200 Business School report. As well as being voted the best MBA in South Africa by the Financial Mail 6 years running. Notable Alumni is Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa.


                                           5. UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL

 The University of Kwazulu natal is a university with five campuses all located in the province of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa. It was formed in 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. Notable alumni include Steve Biko, anti apartheid activist, Mangosuthu Buthelezi leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party.



                                          6. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

UNISA as it’s famously called is the largest university on the African continent and attracts diverse students from all over the world. The university attracts students from Africa and the rest of the world with a head count of 300,000 students making it one of the world’s mega-universities. UNISA is also a dedicated distance education institution which gives the students flexibility as regards how and where they want to study. UNISA is renowned for giving their students recognition and employability in many countries in the world over. Notable Alumni include Jean-Beatrand Aristide (Haitian Politician) and Sandra Botha (South African politician).

                                           7. CAIRO UNIVERSITY

 Cairo University previously called Egyptian University and later Fuad University is a large prestigious public university in Giza,Egypt. The university includes a school of law and a school of medicine, the medical school is also known as Kasr Alaini, was one of the first medical schools in Africa and the Middle East. Cairo University was founded as a European-inspired civil university, in contrast to the religious university of Al-Azhar, and became the prime indigenous model for other state universities in the region.

                         8. The AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO

The American University in Cairo is an independent, non profit institution for higher education in Cairo, Egypt. The university provides American liberal arts education to the students from all socio-economic backgrounds in Egypt and other nations around the world contributing substantially towards Egypt’s intellectual and cultural life. The University was founded in 1919 by American Mission in Egypt sponsored by the United Presbyterian Church in North America. It was dedicated to the cultural enrichment and modernization of Egypt. Notable alumni include Rania al Abdullah (HM the Queen of Jordan), Yuriko Koike (Former Japanese minister of Defence), Mona El-Shazly (Egyptian Talk show host).

                                          9. RHODES UNIVERSITY

 Rhodes University (RU or simply Rhodes) is a public research university located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, established in 1904. It is the province’s oldest university, and is one of the four universities in the province. It is the fifth or sixth oldest South African university in continuous operation, being preceded by the University of the Free State (1904), University of Witwatersrand (1896),Stellenbosch University (1866) and the University of Cape Town (1829). Rhodes was founded in 1904 as Rhodes University College, named after Cecil Rhodes, through a grant from the Rhodes Trust. It became a constituent college of the University of South Africa in 1918 before becoming an independent university in 1951. Notable alumni include Ian smith (Former Prime Minister of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe 1965 – 1979), Mandla Mandela – Chief of the Mvezo Traditional Council and grandson of Nelson Mandela.

                                        10. UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE

 The University of The Western Cape has grown to become one of the most diverse universities in South Africa. Its excellence and quality of education is complemented by its faculty and staff, and brought to life by its students. The University of the Western Cape is a public university located in the Bellville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. It was established in 1960 by the South African government as a university for Coloured people only. Other universities near Cape Town are the University of Cape Town, (UCT, originally for English speaking whites) and the Stellenbosch University (originally for Afrikaans speaking whites). The establishing of UWC was a direct effect of the Separate University Education Bill of 1957. This law accomplished the segregation of higher education in South Africa. Coloured students were only allowed at a few non-white universities. In this period, other 'ethnical' universities, such as the University of Zululand and the University of the North, were founded as well. Since well before the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1994, it has been an integrated and multiracial institution.