The best universities in Africa span 10 countries, from Uganda in the east to Nigeria in the west, Morocco in the north to South Africa at the southernmost tip of the continent, according to the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2021.
Two of South Africa’s universities feature in the top 250 of the worldwide rankings: the University of Cape Town is Africa’s top university, sitting at joint 155th position, while the University of the Witwatersrand is in the 201-250 bracket.
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Overall, Egypt and South Africa are the two best represented African countries in the ranking, with 21 and 10 universities each.
Egypt, Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa all have universities in the top 500 of the global ranking.
The ranking rates university performance using 13 indicators measuring teaching, research, research impact, innovation and international outlook. The full methodology can be found here.
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Top 3 universities in Africa 2021
1. University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town’s campus is located at the foot of Table Mountain, offering spectacular views of Devil’s Peak and across the city.
The university was founded in 1829, making it the oldest university in the country and the second oldest in Africa, behind the University of Sierra Leone, which was established two years earlier.
The main campus contains many teaching faculties, the main library and some halls of residence. The middle and lower campuses are home to most of the student residences, sports facilities and some academic departments.
Academic departments are grouped into six faculties: Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Law.
In addition, the university’s Graduate School of Business runs independently from the commerce faculty.
The university is committed to social change through its “transformation” projects, which tackle issues such as diversity, student opportunity and behaviour.
Some 18 per cent of the student body are international.
2. University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand – or Wits University, as it is commonly known – is a public research university based in Johannesburg.
It was founded as a school of mining; the region is the most abundant with gold of any location worldwide.
The university grew significantly in the late 20th century, and the campus has been expanding with many new buildings.
That time was also a period of protest against apartheid policies, and the university campus was divided. Nonetheless, many prominent black leaders graduated from the university.
There are five campuses, with two joined by a walkway. The campuses are home to student residences (including female-only dorms), academic departments, the Origins Centre, Planetarium, theatres, museums and galleries.
Academic research and teaching are spread across five faculties: Commerce, Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; Science; and Humanities.
Through the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, the medical school trains more specialists than any other university in southern Africa.
The Disability Rights Unit is a flagship centre ensuring that higher education is accessible to disabled students, caregivers and others in need of special provisions.
3. Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is located in South Africa’s Western Cape, 50km from Cape Town.
The university town maintains Dutch colonial architecture, and its streets host an array of cafés, boutiques and galleries.
The university boasts many achievements, among them that its staff and students designed Africa’s first microsatellite in 1999.
Teaching at the university is split over four campuses, with the main one in Stellenbosch and the others nearby.
Students can complete assignments and exams in both English and Afrikaans, even though the main language of instruction is Afrikaans. For postgraduate students, the language in classes is determined by the demographic of the class, and is usually English.
There are about 150 academic departments within 10 faculties, and many other research centres.
In addition to an extensive library system, the university has a conservatory with two concert halls, home of the Stellenbosch University Choir – the oldest South African choir.
Best universities in Africa 2021
Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2021 results
| World University Rank 2021 | Africa Rank 2021 | University | Country | City |
| =155 | 1 | University of Cape Town | South Africa | Cape Town |
| 201–250 | 2 | University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa | Johannesburg |
| 251–300 | 3 | Stellenbosch University | South Africa | Stellenbosch |
| 351–400 | 4 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | South Africa | Durban |
| 401–500 | =5 | Aswan University | Egypt | Aswan |
| 401–500 | =5 | Durban University of Technology | South Africa | Durban |
| 401–500 | =5 | University of Ibadan | Nigeria | Ibadan |
| 401–500 | =5 | Makerere University | Uganda | Kampala |
| 401–500 | =5 | Mansoura University | Egypt | Dakahlia |
| 501–600 | =10 | Ferhat Abbas Sétif University 1 | Algeria | Setif |
| 501–600 | =10 | Lagos State University | Nigeria | Ojo, Ukeja and Epa |
| 501–600 | =10 | North-West University | South Africa | Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, Vanderbijlpark |
| 501–600 | =10 | Suez Canal University | Egypt | Ismailia |
| 601–800 | =14 | Cairo University | Egypt | Cairo |
| 601–800 | =14 | University of Johannesburg | South Africa | Johannesburg |
| 601–800 | =14 | Kafrelsheikh University | Egypt | Kafr el-Sheikh |
| 601–800 | =14 | University of Lagos | Nigeria | Lagos |
| 601–800 | =14 | University of Nairobi | Kenya | Nairobi |
| 601–800 | =14 | University of Pretoria | South Africa | Pretoria |
| 601–800 | =14 | University of the Western Cape | South Africa | Cape Town |
| 801–1000 | =21 | American University in Cairo | Egypt | Cairo |
| 801–1000 | =21 | Benha University | Egypt | Benha |
| 801–1000 | =21 | Beni-Suef University | Egypt | Beni Suef |
| 801–1000 | =21 | Covenant University | Nigeria | Ota |
| 801–1000 | =21 | University of Oran 1 | Algeria | Oran |
| 801–1000 | =21 | Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University | Morocco | Fez |
| 801–1000 | =21 | Sohag University | Egypt | Sohag |
| 1001+ | =27 | Ain Shams University | Egypt | Cairo |
| 1001+ | =27 | Al-Azhar University | Egypt | Cairo |
| 1001+ | =27 | Alexandria University | Egypt | Alexandria |
| 1001+ | =27 | Assiut University | Egypt | Assiut |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Béjaïa | Algeria | Béjaïa |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Biskra | Algeria | Biskra |
| 1001+ | =27 | Blida 1 University | Algeria | Blida |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Botswana | Botswana | Gaborone |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Carthage | Tunisia | Tunis |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Constantine 1 | Algeria | Constantine |
| 1001+ | =27 | Fayoum University | Egypt | Faiyoum |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Ghana | Ghana | Accra |
| 1001+ | =27 | Université Hassan II de Casablanca | Morocco | Casablanca |
| 1001+ | =27 | Helwan University | Egypt | Ain Helwan |
| 1001+ | =27 | Ibn Tofaïl University | Morocco | Kenitra |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Manouba | Tunisia | Manouba |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Marrakech Cadi Ayyad | Morocco | Marrakech |
| 1001+ | =27 | Menoufia University | Egypt | Menoufia |
| 1001+ | =27 | M'Hamed Bougara University of Boumerdès | Algeria | Boumerdès |
| 1001+ | =27 | Minia University | Egypt | Minya |
| 1001+ | =27 | Mohammed V University of Rabat | Morocco | Rabat |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Monastir | Tunisia | Monastir |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Nigeria Nsukka | Nigeria | Ive-Ife |
| 1001+ | =27 | Obafemi Awolowo University | Nigeria | Ife-Ife |
| 1001+ | =27 | Port Said University | Egypt | Port Said |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene | Algeria | Bab-Ezzouar |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Science and Technology of Oran Mohamed-Boudiaf | Algeria | Bir El Djir |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Sfax | Tunisia | Sfax |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Sousse | Tunisia | Sousse |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of South Africa | South Africa | Pretoria |
| 1001+ | =27 | South Valley University | Egypt | Quena |
| 1001+ | =27 | Tanta University | Egypt | Tanta |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Tlemcen | Algeria | Tlemcen |
| 1001+ | =27 | Tshwane University of Technology | South Africa | Pretoria |
| 1001+ | =27 | University of Tunis El Manar | Tunisia | Tunis |
| 1001+ | =27 | Zagazig University | Egypt | Zagazig |
Read more: Best universities in the world
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