Top 10 Best Universities In Africa 2023 List

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There are not many sectors where Africa matches up with the developed world. However, looking at the best universities in Africa, and the quality of education which they have established, it is clear that Africa has the human capital to make a rapid transformation in the near future.

Education has been identified as the bedrock of society; the foundation upon which rests the potential for growth in all sectors such as economy, healthcare, finance, business, communication, urban and physical planning, engineering, technology, and so on.

Africa’s top universities are therefore those that are in the forefront to equip the continents’ youth with the knowledge and technical ability to compete with their peers overseas, and to transform the motherland.

Top 10 Best Universities In Africa

1. University Of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town, which is located in Cape Town, South Africa is judged to be the best institution of higher learning in Africa with good reason. This institution which was established in 1829, is one of those that have made the most contributions to the continent, especially in the area of medical research.

The University of Cape Town is the site of the worlds’ first heart transplant. The university has produced a great number of illustrious persons in the area of medicine or medical research. University of Cape Town continues to be an important center of research for all matters relating to health.

Other important departments and courses offered by this university include Engineering, Science, Law, Philosophy, Commerce, and so on.

2. Stellenbosch University

Located in Stellenbosch, in the heart of Western Cape, South Africa, Stellenbosch University was founded in 1918. It is a public university for research, and has probably made more contributions to research and development of technology than any other place of education.

The birthplace of Africa’s first orbital satellite, this is a very important place of learning, where research in science and technology- important ingredients for changing the outlook of the continent- are taking place.

Stellenbosch University’s motto is “Good education strengthens the spirit.” It offers that good education in several departments including Law, Medicine, Surgery, Communication, Engineering, Environmental Planning, and so on.

3. University Of Witwatersrand

The University of Witwatersrand, which is famously known as the University of Wits, was established in 1896, and is located in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a public research university- one that has many campuses but maintains its standards of greatness.

The University of Witwatersrand has established itself as one of the finest universities on the continent; an excellent place to study medicine, science, humanities, and engineering among others. A team of paleontologists from Wits made a remarkable discovery at the cradle of humanity, thus changing the narrative of the development of the human species.

Wits has quite a politically charged student body; this was one of the institutions that fought against the Apartheid Government, and it is also the institution that produced Nelson Mandela.

4. University Of KwaZulu-Natal

The University Of Kwazulu-Natal is a public research university which was established in 2004, although its roots go back to 1910. This university was formed by the merger of two previously well established places of learning, and now it has well over 46,539 students.

The University of Kwazulu Natal is an excellent place to study education, engineering, humanities, law and so on. This institution has several campuses, and has research facilities dedicated to the study of diseases like HIV, Tuberculosis and so on.

This university is already making important contributions to the continent in terms of providing depth in technical knowledge.

5. Cairo University

Cairo University is the most prestigious universities in North Africa. This university was once known as the Egyptian University and later as the King Fuad I University. It is located in Cairo, Egypt, and was established 1908.

One of the most prestigious places of learning in the Arab World, this institution has produced leaders in politics, literature, and many other fields, not only in Africa, but also in the Muslim world, even the part of it that lies in Europe.

This University has about 20 faculties and 3 institutions. Its School of Medicine is amongst the first of its kind to exist in a center for higher education in Africa. The university’s school of law is one of the best on the continent.

6. University Of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg is one of the most renown citadels of learning in South Africa; it is a top research institution, one that has over the years contributed to the country and continent in terms of capacity building. The University of Johannesburg was established in 2005, following a merger of Rand Afrikaans University, the Technikon Witwatersrand and Vista University.

Despite the recent date of establishment, the University of Johannesburg traces it its history back to the 1960s. The University of Johannesburg is one of the most popular in South Africa; it has a student body with numbers in excess of 50,000.

Furthermore, the University of Johannesburg has somewhere around 3000 international students, and they come from 80 countries. This shows that this university is making great contributions not just to Africa but beyond the continent as well.

7. University Of Ibadan

The University of Ibadan is Nigeria’s foremost university. It achieved full University status in 1963. This is the most prestigious citadel of learning in Nigeria, and is located in Oyo State, Nigeria- an academic community in every right.

The University of Ibadan has produced Nigeria’s only Nobel Laurate; Professor Wole Soyinka, as well as many other writers, authors and playwrights. The University of Ibadan is also a great place to study Law, Public Health, Economics, Pharmacy, Clinical Sciences, Arts, and so on.

The University of Ibadan has a student body of around 42,000, and many students come in from around the continent to broaden their horizons, and to acquire knowledge that can enable them make a difference in their countries.

8. University Of Pretoria

The University of Pretoria was established in 1908. It is one of the best established universities in South Africa; with over 1800 academic programmes. The university is located in Pretoria- the administrative capital of South Africa.

The University of Pretoria has a student body numbering 56,409; and most of them are politically savvy young people. The institution is a great place to study Business, Veterinary Science, Public Health, Economics, Arts, and Law among other courses of study.

The University of Pretoria has a history and culture of its own; it even maintains heritage sites and museums on its campuses. This is a place of learning that has contributed a lot towards the development of South Africa and the whole continent.

9. Mansoura University

Mansoura was established in 1972; it is one of the top universities in Egypt, and Africa as a whole. The university is one of the pillars of Egypt’s cultural and social growth; the university is a public, research university; one that is committed to making new discoveries so as to make life better all over the world.

Mansoura University is a great place to study Medicine, Arts, Economics, Business, Agriculture, Science, Engineering, Education, and so on. The Paleontology department is what has put the institution on the map; it discovered a new type of dinosaur, and named it after the university.

This institution has made outstanding contributions to Egyptian society with a total enrollment figure of about 181,963.

10. Northwest University

Northwest University is another South African university, with a track record of excellence. It is one of the best ranked Universities in Africa, and one of the most recognized universities on the continent among people from outside Africa. Northwest University was established in 2004, by a merger of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, and the University of North-West.

This university has a student body of more than 53,000 people spread over its various campuses, and has produced many notable people. It is a great place to study Biochemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Physical Planning, and so on.