List of universities in South Africa
Institution Nickname Founded University status Undergrad Postgrad Total Location ( s ) Medium
University of Cape Town Ikeys / UCT 1 October 1829 2 April 1918 18,421 10,653 29,074 Cape Town Eng
University of Fort Hare UFH / Blues 1916 9,074 2,000 11,074 Alice , East London , Bhisho Eng
University of the Free State Kovsies / UFS 28 January 1904 1950 21,193 5,082 26,275 Bloemfontein , QwaQwa Eng
University of KwaZulu-Natal UKZN / Natal / Impi 1 January 2004 1 January 2004 33,456 13,064 46,520 ( 2016 ) Durban , Pietermaritzburg , Pinetown , Westville Eng
University of Limpopo Turfloop 1 January 2005 1 January 2005 17,273 3,327 20,600 Polokwane , Turfloop Eng
North-West University NWU / Pukke / Potch 1 January 2004 1 January 2004 43,596 3,235 44,008 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 28,450 10,484 38,934 Pretoria , Johannesburg Eng
Rhodes University Rhodes / RU 31 May 1904 10 March 1951 5,456 1,127 6,700 Grahamstown Eng
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University SMU ( formerly MEDUNSA ) 16 May 2014 16 May 2014 6,410 ( 2018 ) Ga-Rankuwa , Pretoria Eng
University of Stellenbosch Maties , Stellies 1866 2 April 1918 17,970 9,853 27,823 Stellenbosch , Saldanha Bay , Bellville , Tygerberg Eng
University of the Western Cape UWC / Bush / U Dubs 1959 1970 11,836 3,390 15,226 Bellville ( Cape Town ) Eng
University of the Witwatersrand Wits , Witsies 1896 1922 24 621 13 234 38 353 Johannesburg Eng
Public Universities -- Traditional Universities
University of Cape Town University of Fort Hare University of the Free State University of KwaZulu-Natal North-West University University of Pretoria Rhodes University Stellenbosch University University of the Western Cape University of the Witwatersrand
This is a list of universities in South Africa. For the purposes of this list, colleges and universities are defined as accredited, degree-granting, post-secondary institutions. As at September 2019 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 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.