The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026 have once again highlighted South Africa as a major hub of academic excellence on the African continent and in the world. With 2,191 universities ranked globally, South African institutions continue to make a strong showing across multiple tiers of this highly respected global benchmark.
1. University of Cape Town (Global Rank: 164)
The University of Cape Town remains South Africa’s highest-ranked university and the top university in Africa in the 2026 THE rankings. Climbing 16 places from last year’s ranking, UCT placed 164th worldwide, placing it in the top 7.5 % of universities globally. This achievement underscores the university’s sustained excellence in teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international engagement.
UCT’s improvement is attributed to its strong academic reputation, research output, and global outlook, factors that collectively reinforce its role as a leading research and policy voice both within Africa and internationally.
2. Stellenbosch University (Global Rank: 301–350)
Stellenbosch University continues to uphold a strong global presence, ranking within the 301–350 band in the world and consistently positioned as the second-highest ranked South African university. This performance marks its steady presence among the world’s respected research-intensive universities and reflects strengths in teaching and industry partnerships.
3. University of the Witwatersrand (Global Rank: 301–350)
The University of the Witwatersrand, based in Johannesburg, shares the 301–350 global ranking band with Stellenbosch, reaffirming its standing as one of South Africa’s premier institutions. Wits has maintained its reputation for influential research and graduate output, particularly in engineering, public health, and social sciences.
4. University of Johannesburg (Global Rank: 351–400)
University of Johannesburg made notable progress, earning a spot in the 351–400 global band, an improvement indicating the institution’s expanding research footprint and teaching quality. This marks a significant milestone for UJ as it competes more directly with older, more established universities domestically and internationally.
5. University of KwaZulu-Natal & University of Pretoria (Global Rank: 501–600)
Both UKZN and University of Pretoria ranked in the 501–600 bracket, showing solid global positions among the world’s universities. Pretoria, in particular, improved its standing compared to the previous year, highlighting the strength of its research environment and international outlook.
Other Notable Universities in the Rankings
South Africa’s depth in higher education is further illustrated by the strong global performances of other institutions:
University of the Western Cape (UWC) ranked among the top-third globally (601-800) and was praised for strong research output and citation impact.
North-West University, University of the Free State, and Nelson Mandela University also appeared in the global rankings, confirming the broad contribution of South African universities to global teaching and research excellence.
These are the Best Universities in South Africa (2026)
| World Rank | University |
|---|---|
| =164 | University of Cape Town |
| 301–350 | Stellenbosch University |
| 301–350 | University of the Witwatersrand |
| 351–400 | University of Johannesburg |
| 501–600 | University of KwaZulu-Natal |
| 501–600 | University of Pretoria |
| 601–800 | University of the Western Cape |
| 801–1000 | North-West University |
| 1001–1200 | University of the Free State |
| 1201–1500 | Nelson Mandela University |
| 1201–1500 | Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University |
| 1201–1500 | University of South Africa |
| 1501+ | Durban University of Technology |
Methodology
The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings methodology uses a performance-based framework made up of 18 indicators grouped into five pillars: teaching (learning environment), research environment, research quality, industry engagement, and international outlook. The methodology places strong emphasis on teaching and research through measures such as academic reputation surveys, staff-to-student ratios, research income, publication output and citation impact, which reflects the global influence of a university’s research. Additional indicators assess international collaboration, the ability to attract international staff and students, and the transfer of knowledge to industry, resulting in a balanced and internationally comparable evaluation of university performance.
