Africa’s best-performing universities, particularly in South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, continue to make incremental gains. South Africa leads the continent, boasting seven of the top eleven African universities in the rankings.
- Business Insider Africa presents the best universities in Africa, according to latest ranking (2026).
- The list is courtesy of Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
- South Africa leads the continent, boasting seven of the top eleven African universities in the rankings.
Africa’s top universities are steadily strengthening their global standing, carving out a more visible presence in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026.
Trusted worldwide by students, academics, and policymakers, the rankings assess over 2,100 institutions across 115 countries, evaluating their performance across teaching, research, industry impact, and international outlook.
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While the latest rankings reveal stagnation in parts of Asia and a continuing decline in U.S. performance, Africa’s best-performing universities, particularly in South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco, continue to make incremental gains.
South Africa leads the continent
South Africa leads the continent, boasting seven of the top eleven African universities in the rankings.
At the top is the University of Cape Town (UCT), a global institution with over 5,000 academic and professional staff and 29,000 students from more than 100 countries.
UCT’s six faculties, Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science, collectively produce about 7,200 graduates every year.
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Next is Stellenbosch University, which began humbly in 1918 with four faculties, Arts, Science, Education, and Agriculture, 503 students, and 40 lecturers.
Today, it has grown into a vibrant institution with 32,225 students and 3,400 staff across five campuses and ten faculties, solidifying its reputation as one of Africa’s foremost hubs of research and innovation.
