JOHANNESBURG – The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has solidified its position as a leading academic institution in Africa, achieving top rankings across multiple international assessment systems. The latest results, announced , confirm a sustained period of growth and increasing global recognition for the South African university.
UJ secured the number two position in the inaugural QS World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa, evaluated against nearly seventy universities from twenty-one countries. This follows earlier rankings that placed UJ as the top university on the continent, including the Times Higher Education (THE) Sub-Saharan African University Rankings and the THE Impact Rankings, which recognized the university’s societal impact.
The university has also been ranked number one among African universities less than fifty years old, a testament to its relatively rapid ascent in the global higher education landscape. Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, UJ’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, stated that these rankings “vindicate our university’s vision as the international university of choice anchored in the African continent and the global South.”
The success, according to Professor Mpedi, is rooted in strategic partnerships and collaborations throughout Africa. “We have invested considerable effort, attention and resources to build partnerships and collaborations throughout the African continent,” he said. “Our university attracts and is a home to several thousand students and staff from all the regions of the continent, underscoring once again our grounding and commitment to this continent.”
Beyond attracting a diverse student body, UJ is actively fostering collaboration through initiatives like the “Africa-by-Bus” programme. This unique program sends students and academics across the continent by bus, facilitating direct engagement with universities, communities, and industry leaders to develop practical solutions to shared challenges. The program also provides opportunities for South African students to experience other cultures within Africa, many for the first time.
UJ’s commitment to pan-African education extends to its curriculum. All undergraduate students are required to take modules such as “African Insight,” which provides a comprehensive overview of the continent’s history, politics, cultures, and economics. A compulsory module on artificial intelligence is also part of the undergraduate curriculum, reflecting the university’s focus on future-oriented skills.
The university’s academic strength is particularly pronounced in the fields of science and technology. Recent Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject placed UJ number one in South Africa for Computer Science, Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Business and Economics – disciplines crucial for driving innovation and economic development across the continent.
UJ’s strong international research network, recognized as the top in Sub-Saharan Africa by the QS rankings, further underscores its global connections and collaborative spirit. This network facilitates joint research, doctoral mobility, and innovation platforms that contribute to knowledge production and socio-economic progress.
Professor Mpedi emphasized that the positive rankings are a direct result of deliberate investment in research excellence, student success, global partnerships, and measurable societal impact. “These results reflect deliberate and sustained investment in research excellence, student success, global partnerships and measurable societal impact,” he stated. “Guided by our Strategic Plan 2035, we are expanding our global footprint, accelerating technology driven innovation and deepening partnerships across Africa. The rankings confirm that our strategy is producing tangible results, but more importantly they affirm that UJ is actively shaping Africa’s future through knowledge, innovation and impact.”
The university’s strategic plan aims to further solidify its role as a leading force in African higher education, with a focus on technological advancement and strengthened continental partnerships. The latest rankings serve as a validation of this strategy and a signal of UJ’s growing influence on the global stage.
