University of Cape Town climbs world rankings, cements its spot as Africa’s best

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The University of Cape Town (UCT) has maintained its position as the highest-ranked university in South Africa and in Africa in previous years.

UCT was ranked 164 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (WRU) 2026. With 2 191 universities ranked this year, UCT now sits in the top 7.5% of universities worldwide, improving from its 2025 placing. 

In 2025, UCT was ranked 180th out of 2 092 institutions, placing it within the top 8.6%. The previous year, it ranked 167th out of a slightly smaller pool of 1 907 universities, landing in the top 8.75%. Despite the shift in numerical ranking, UCT has improved its percentile position each year over the past three years, performing strongly in an increasingly competitive global field.

Here are the top 10 universities in South Africa as per the THE rankings for 2026: 

  1. University of Cape Town 
  2. Stellenbosch University 
  3. University of the Witwatersrand
  4. University of Johannesburg 
  5. University of KwaZulu-Natal
  6. University of Pretoria
  7. University of the Western Cape
  8. North West University 
  9. University of the Free State
  10. Nelson Mandela University