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Oldest Universities in South Africa

What are the oldest Universities in South Africa? uniRank answers this question by publishing a list of 25 South African higher education institutions sorted by year of establishment and meeting uniRank's selection criteria:

  • Official Recognition: institutions must be officialy chartered, licensed or accredited by the appropriate higher education-related organization in South Africa.
  • Degree Authority: they must be authorised to grant bachelor's degrees of at least three years' duration and/or postgraduate master's or doctoral degrees.
  • Delivery Mode: they must deliver courses predominantly in a traditional, face-to-face, non-distance education format.

Oldest Universities in South Africa


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List of 25 South African universities by year of establishment
University Town/City #
University of Cape Town Cape Town 1
University of the Free State Bloemfontein 10
Rhodes University Grahamstown 8
University of Pretoria Pretoria 2
University of Fort Hare Alice 19
Universiteit Stellenbosch Stellenbosch 4
University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg 3
University of Limpopo Mankweng 18
University of the Western Cape Bellville 11
University of Zululand Kwadlangezwa 20
Vaal University of Technology Vanderbijlpark 16
Mangosuthu University of Technology Durban 24
Central University of Technology Bloemfontein 15
University of Venda Thohoyandou 21
Durban University of Technology Durban 14
Tshwane University of Technology Pretoria 9
North-West University Potchefstroom 7
University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban 6
Walter Sisulu University Mthatha 17
University of Johannesburg Johannesburg 5
Nelson Mandela University Port Elizabeth 13
Cape Peninsula University of Technology Cape Town 12
Sol Plaatje University Kimberley 23
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Pretoria 25
University of Mpumalanga Nelspruit 22
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many universities are there in South Africa?

There are 25 officially chartered, licensed or accredited South African higher-education institution(s) that meet uniRank's selection criteria.

What is the oldest university in South Africa?

University of Cape Town, located in Cape Town, is the oldest university in South Africa according to uniRank's research.

Related South African University Lists

Since 2005, UniRank provides original research, valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about South African universities and their online presence.