thumb|200px|right|Location of [[South Africa]]
This is a list of universities in South Africa. In this list, colleges and universities are defined as accredited, degree-granting, tertiary institutions. As of September 2022, only South African public degree-granting institutions may call themselves a "university", whereas other accredited private for-profit or not-for-profit degree-granting institutions tend to call themselves colleges, institutes, or business schools.
Some of these private institutions are local campuses of foreign universities. Degree-granting institutions (both public and private) must be registered with, and have their specific degree programs accredited by, the Council on Higher Education.
In 2004 South Africa started reforming its public higher education system, merging and incorporating small public universities into larger institutions, and renaming all higher education institutions "university" (previously there had been several types of higher education institution).
The country's universities and "technikons", which were incorporated with others and thus no longer exist, are listed at the end of the article.
Two new universities were launched in 2013; Sol Plaatje University and the University of Mpumalanga. They are tentatively classified in the universities of technology category, pending clarification of their programs.
Public universities
Public universities in South Africa are divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoretically oriented university degrees; universities of technology ("technikons"), which offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer a combination of both types of qualification.
Traditional universities
<gallery>
File:UCT Upper Campus landscape view.jpg|University of Cape Town
File:Fort hare, old building - rsa.jpg|University of Fort Hare
File:Main_building_FSU_2.jpg|University of the Free State
File:UKZNPclocktower.jpg|University of KwaZulu-Natal
File:Building Potchefstroom University.jpg|North-West University
File:Old Arts Faculty Building, University of Pretoria.jpg|University of Pretoria
File:Rhodes oldcampus.jpg|Rhodes University
File:Stellenbosch Ou Hoofgebou.jpg|Stellenbosch University
File:University of the Western Cape - Central Campus entry.jpg|University of the Western Cape
File:The Wits University Great Hall.jpg|University of the Witwatersrand
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|-
! Institution
! Nickname
! Founded
! University status
! Undergrad
! Postgrad
! data-sort-type="number" | Total
! Location(s)
! Medium
|-
| University of Cape Town
| Ikeys / UCT
| 1 October 1829
| 2 April 1918
| Cape Town
| Eng
|-
| University of Fort Hare
| UFH / Blues
| 1916
|
| 9,074
| 2,000
| 13,000+ (2025)
| Alice, East London, Bhisho
| Eng
|-
| University of the Free State
| Kovsies / UFS
| 28 January 1904
| 1950
| 21,193 (2011)
| 5,082 (2011)
| 40,248 (2025)
| Bloemfontein, QwaQwa
| Eng
|-
| University of KwaZulu-Natal
| UKZN / Natal / Impi
| 1 January 2004<sup>1</sup>
| 33,456
| 13,064
| 46,000 (2025)
| Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Westville
| Eng
|-
| University of Limpopo
| Turfloop
| 1 January 2005<sup>1</sup>
| 1 January 2005
| 1 January 2004
| Mafikeng, Mankwe, Potchefstroom, Vanderbijlpark
| Afr (Potchefstroom campus), Eng (Mafikeng campus), Setswana (Vaaldriehoek campus)
|-
| University of Pretoria
| Tuks / Tukkies / UP
| 4 March 1908
| 10 October 1930
| 35,942<sup>2</sup>
| 12,541<sup>2</sup>
| 56,453
| Pretoria, Johannesburg<sup>3</sup>
| Eng
|-
| Rhodes University
| Rhodes / RU
| 31 May 1904
| 10 March 1951
| 5,456
| 1,127
| 6,700
| Grahamstown
| Eng
|-
| Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University<sup>4</sup>
| SMU (formerly MEDUNSA)
| 16 May 2014
| 16 May 2014
|
|
|6,410 (2018)
| Ga-Rankuwa, Pretoria
| Eng
|-
| Stellenbosch University
| Maties, Stellies
| 1866
| 2 April 1918
| 9,853
| 34,000 (2025)
| Stellenbosch, Saldanha Bay, Bellville, Tygerberg
| Eng, Afr
|-
| University of the Western Cape
| UWC / Bush / U Dubs
| 1959
| 1970
| 1922
| Johannesburg
| Eng
|}
Note<sup>1</sup>: By merger of existing institutions
Note<sup>2</sup>: Exact and current numbers not available, these numbers are from the University of Pretoria's wiki.
Note<sup>3</sup>: The university's business school the Gordon Institute of Business Science has a campus in Illovo and an inner-city campus on Pritchard Street, in downtown Johannesburg.
Note<sup>4</sup>: Split out from the University of Limpopo into which Medical University of South Africa had previously merged.
Comprehensive universities
<gallery>
File:University of Johannesburg.jpg|University of Johannesburg
File:University of South Africa taken with cellphone camera.jpg|University of South Africa (Unisa)
File:UniversityOfVenda.JPG|University of Venda
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|- "
! Institution
! Nickname
! Founded
! Undergrad
! Postgrad
! Total
! Location(s)
! Medium
|-
| University of Johannesburg
| UJ
|1 January 2005<sup>1</sup> (1967 as RAU, Technikon Witwatersrand and the East Rand campus of Vista University)
|41,229
|13,296
| 54,525 (2025)
| Johannesburg, Soweto
| Eng
|-
| Nelson Mandela University
| Madibaz / NMU
| 1 January 2005<sup>2</sup> (1964 as UPE)
| 19,768
| 2,884
| 22,652
| Port Elizabeth, George
| Eng
|-
| University of South Africa
| Unisa
| 1873 (UCGH)
|
|
| 370,000+ (2025)
| Distance education, headquartered in Pretoria, campuses and regional offices nationwide
| Eng
|-
| University of Venda
| Univen
| 1982
|
|
| 10,968
| Thohoyandou
| Eng
|-
| Walter Sisulu University
| WSU/ALL BLACKS
| 1977 (Unitra)
|
|
| 32,081 (2018)
| East London, Butterworth, Mthatha, Queenstown
| Eng
|-
| University of Zululand
| UniZulu
| 1960
| 6,456
| 369
| 6,825
| Empangeni
| Eng
|}
Note<sup>1</sup>: By merger of existing institutions <br>
Note<sup>2</sup>: By merger of existing institutions
Universities of technology
<gallery>
File:CPUT Cape Town Campus.jpg|Cape Peninsula University of Technology
File:Tshwane University of Technology.jpg|Tshwane University of Technology
</gallery>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|- "
! Institution
! Nickname
! Founded
! University status
! Undergrad
! Postgrad
! Total
! Location(s)
! Medium
|-
| Cape Peninsula University of Technology
| CPUT/Cats
| 2005<sup>1</sup>
| 2005
|
|
| 35,000+ <small>(2026)</small>
| Bellville, Cape Town
| Eng
|-
| Central University of Technology
| CUT/Ixias
| 1981
|
|
|
| 22,380 (2026)
| Bloemfontein, Welkom
| Eng
|-
| Durban University of Technology
| DUT
| 2002<sup>1</sup>
| 2002
|
|
| 23,000
| Durban, Pietermaritzburg
| Eng
|-
| Mangosuthu University of Technology
| MUT
| 1979
|2007
|14,000
|500
| 14,500 (2025)
| Umlazi
| Eng
|-
| University of Mpumalanga
|UMP
| 2013
| 2013
|
|
|
| Mbombela
| Eng
|-
| Sol Plaatje University
| SPU
| 2013
| 2013
|
|
|
| Kimberley, Northern Cape
| Eng
|-
| Tshwane University of Technology
| TUT/Vikings
| 2003<sup>1</sup>
| 2003
|
|
| 66,209 (2025)
| Pretoria, Mbombela, Polokwane, Ga-Rankuwa, Soshanguve, Witbank
| Eng
|-
| Vaal University of Technology
| VUT
| 1966
| 2003
|
|
| 17,000
| Vanderbijlpark, Secunda, Kempton Park, Klerksdorp, Upington
| Eng
|}
Note<sup>1</sup>: By merger of existing institutions
Private degree-granting seminaries, institutes and colleges
Theological seminaries
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|+
|-
! Institution
! Nickname
! Founded
! Enrollment
! Type
! Location(s)
! Medium
|-
| Auckland Park Theological Seminary
| ATS
| 1997 (1956)
|
| Theological seminary
| Johannesburg
| Eng
|-
| Open Christian University
| OCU
| 2021
|Rolling Enrollment
| Theological
| Online
| Eng
|-
| Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa
|
| 1951
|
| Theological seminary
| Johannesburg
| Eng
|-
| George Whitefield College
|
| 1989
|
| Theological seminary
| Cape Town
| Eng
|-
| South African Theological Seminary
| SATS
| 1996
|
| Theological seminary
| Online
| Eng
|-
| St Augustine College of South Africa
|
| 1999
|
| Private Tertiary Academic Institution
| Johannesburg
| Eng
|}
Institutes
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|+
|-
! Institution
! Nickname
! Founded
! Enrollment
! Type
! Location(s)
! Medium
|-
| Two Oceans Graduate Institute
| TOGI
| 2017
|
| Registered private higher education institution
| Distance/Online
| Eng
|}
University rankings
League tables of South African universities are largely based on international university rankings, because there have not as yet been published any specifically South African rankings.
University research collaboratives
- Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC)
- Foundation of Tertiary Institutions of the Northern Metropolis (FOTIM)
- Higher Education South Africa (HESA)
- Southern Education and Research Alliance (SERA)
Defunct institutions
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: centre;"
|- "
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Closed
! Notes
|-
| Bond South Africa
| Sandton
|
| 2004
| Reopened as a new institution. Now Varsity College, part of IIE
|-
| Border Technikon
| East London
|
| 2005
| Merged. Now part of Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science
|-
| University of Bophuthatswana
| Potchefstroom
| 2004
|
| Now part of North-West University
|-
| University of the Cape of Good Hope
| Cape Town
| 1873
| 1916
| Renamed University of South Africa
|-
| Cape Technikon
|
|
|
| Now part of Cape Peninsula University of Technology
|-
| University of Durban-Westville
| Westville
| 1972
| 1 January 2004
| 2005
| Now part of Nelson Mandela University
|-
|University of Port Elizabeth
|Port Elizabeth
| 31 January 1964
| 2005
| Now part of Nelson Mandela University
|-
|Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
|Potchefstroom
| 29 November 1869
| 1 January 2004
| Now part of University of South Africa
|-
|Transvaal University College
| Johannesburg, Pretoria
| 1906
| 1910/1930
| Predecessor of the University of Pretoria and the University of the Witwatersrand. The University of the Witwatersrand was named the Transvaal University College from 1906 to 1910. The University of Pretoria was established as the Pretoria branch of the Transvaal University College in 1908 and retained that name until 1930.
|-
|University of Transkei
| Transkei
| 1977
| 2005
| Now part of Walter Sisulu University for Technology and Science
|-
|University of Gazankulu
| Giyani
| ?
| ?
| Probably distributed between the University of Venda and the University of Limpopo
|-
|Vista University
|Multi-city campus university
| 1981
| 2004/2005
| Now merged with the Nelson Mandela University, the University of the Free State, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa and the Vaal University of Technology.
|-
|Technikon Witwatersrand
|Johannesburg
| 1925
| 2005
|University of Johannesburg
|}