University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (UNISA)[a] is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, UNISA has over 400,000 students, including international students from 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world's mega universities and the only such university in Africa.
As a comprehensive university, Unisa offers both vocational and academic programmes, many of which have received international accreditation, as well as an extensive geographical footprint, giving their students recognition and employability in many countries the world over. The university lists many notable South Africans among its alumni, including two Nobel prize winners: Nelson Mandela, the first democratically elected president of South Africa and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.[3]
Founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good Hope, the University of South Africa (or Unisa as it is commonly known) spent most of its early history as an examining agency for Oxford and Cambridge universities and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. Legislation in 1916 established the autonomous University of South Africa (the same legislation established Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town as autonomous universities) as an "umbrella" or federal institution with its seat in Pretoria, playing an academic trusteeship role for several colleges that eventually became autonomous universities.[4] The colleges that were under UNISA's trusteeship were Grey University College (Bloemfontein), Huguenot University College (Wellington), Natal University College (Pietermaritzburg), Rhodes University College (Grahamstown), Transvaal University College (Pretoria), the South African School of Mines and Technology (Johannesburg), and Potchefstroom University College.[5] In 1959, with the passage of the Extension of University Education Act, UNISA's trusteeship also extended to the five "black universities", namely University of Zululand, University of the Western Cape, University of the North, University of Durban-Westville, and University of Fort Hare.[6] In 1946, UNISA was given a new role as a distance education university, and today it offers certificate, diploma and degree courses[7] up to doctoral level.
In January 2004, UNISA merged with Technikon Southern Africa (Technikon SA, a polytechnic) and incorporated the distance education component of Vista University (VUDEC). The combined institution retained the name University of South Africa. It is now organised by college and by school; see below.
University rankings
901–1000 (2023)
851–900 (2024)
1001–1200 (2024)
=821 (2023)
Education at UNISA[edit]
Accreditation[edit]
UNISA received a royal charter in 1877. It currently operates under the Statute of the University of South Africa issued in terms of the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of 1997), and is accredited by the South African Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Its qualifications (including those of the SBL) are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
International accreditation of UNISA's qualifications[edit]
UNISA is inter alia listed in the following publications: International Handbook of Universities published by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and officially verified by the International Association of Universities.
In other cases the publication of an institution's name in specific authoritative publications forms the basis of accreditation. Students must however inquire from the specific foreign country/university whether UNISA's qualifications are accredited/recognized.[34]
Internationally, UNISA is listed in the Commonwealth Universities Handbook of 1999 and also in the International Handbook of Universities of 1998. It is actually listed as Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU 2018).[35][36]
The qualifications offered by the College of Science, Engineering and Technology are also accredited internationally through the accreditation done by the Engineering Council of South Africa under the Dublin[13] and Sydney[12] Accords.
Entrance requirements[edit]
Students need a school-leaving qualification that would entitle them to enter a university or college in their own country. The majority of applications are now processed online.,[37] you will need to meet the requirements for the course you are looking to study.
The university has introduced new rules on entrance requirements since 2014, this outright rejects TVET College graduates. Previously these students was allowed to complete bridge subjects and even Higher Certificates before going towards the Diploma and National Diploma. Even completing the National Senior Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 will not be accepted without further education. Universities South Africa argue the subjects from the school curriculum are more "significant in-depth" than the N3 subjects.[38] The university is therefore likely the only university with this rule. University of South Africa refers these students to consider other universities and colleges.[38]
Distance Education at UNISA[edit]
UNISA is renowned for its versatile teaching approaches — providing online and distance courses — and high-quality education. Since its establishment, UNISA has proposed the concept of "learner-centered" distance open education.[39] Over the past century and a half, UNISA has continuously provided high-quality, efficiency-driven tools for students and teachers, for example, providing data services for students and academic personnel to access UNISA's virtual education environment.[40][41]
UNISA has seized the opportunities of digital transformation, facilitated high scientific research output, and ensured more efficient course implementation through multiple and strategic partnerships of the years to enhance and innovate open and distance learning experience across the world.[42][43] Notable among these partnerships is the Times Higher Education - University of South Africa on University Impact Forum: Quality Education by hosting higher education leaders to develop quality education in Africa to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 - Quality Education.[44] Higher education Africa is hindered by chronic lack of investment, an unsustainable policy environment, competition from outside Africa for academic talent, international conflicts and a colonial legacy that has created multiple socio-economic challenges that higher education must respond to.[45][46]
Disciplinary Action[edit]
The UNISA policy document on Academic Integrity sets out the basic definition and types of academic integrity transgressions (A1), guidelines for policy implementation (A2) guidelines for corrective measures to be imposed for transgression identified in the policy on academic integrity (A3) and declaration of originality (A4).[47] UNISA has a zero tolerance for any form of dishonesty or cheating activity related to assessments and exams and spell out punishments for students found guilty of any form of academic dishonesty to have their modules cancelled and their marks withdrawn. They will also face up to a maximum of five years suspension from the university and from all universities in South Africa.[48][49]
In recent times there has been an outcry on cheating cases with students blaming glitches on the online invigilator application of the institution. UNISA is currently investigating over 1,400 student disciplinary cases of academic dishonesty as of 2024. The University’s Vice Principal for Institutional Development, Ramagoai Magano, says most of cases of academic dishonesty are by postgraduate students.[50][51][52][53] A significant number of the cases of academic dishonesty are cases of plagiarism as the university's online system has flagged potential instances of cheating and copying during tests which has prompted these thousands of investigations of academic integrity. Many students on the other hand have blamed the academic institution for the inconsistencies in its online platform academic assessment.[54][55][56]
Unisa has been promoting and promulgating culture in all its manifestations since its inception in 1873. Apart from the academic courses offered by UNISA's College of Humanities, practical language, art and music skills have been actively pursued through the setting of curricula and the implementation of special courses and examinations.
Unisa Foundation[edit]
The Unisa Foundation was established in 1966 and now has approximately 280 active donors, many of them individual alumni with the desire to give back to the communities, South African and international, with a sense of social responsibility. Equally vital is the role played by the Board of Trustees, whose members not only oversee the affairs of the Unisa Foundation but who also lend the weight of their professional and personal reputations in a drive to reach potential donors, without financial reward to themselves.
Based at Unisa's main campus in Muckleneuck, Pretoria, the foundation has Fundraising and Development Divisions in Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. These divisions support the smooth running of projects being undertaken in their regions while raising additional funding for local community projects.
UNISA Press[edit]
UNISA Press is the largest university press in South Africa and Africa, with the biggest publication list.[58][59]
Notable among the list of publications include; Sisters in the Struggle by Kalpana Hiralal (Women of Indian Origin in South Africa's Liberation Struggle 1900–1994 Volume 1: 1900–1940s),[60] Essays in Online Education; A Global Perspective by Professor Mandla S. Makhanya and Dr Divya Singh,[61] Names Fashioned by Gender by Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa and Prof Madodo Cekiso (a collection of essays on onomastics – a linguistics field of study focusing on the origin, form, history, and use of proper names),[62] Dark Matters: A Conversation with History, Saluting the Extraordinary Humanitarian Endeavours of South African Black Scientists by Colin T. Johnson[63] and Violence in Schools: South Africa in an International Context by Clive Harber and Vusi Mncube.[64]
Controversies[edit]
On 17 October 2021, a leaked ministerial report claimed that rampant corruption at Unisa undermines the quality of education, and highlighted the risk that the institution is becoming a "qualifications factory".[65][66] The claim that Unisa was becoming a diploma mill due to mismanagement were being reviewed by Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology. On 19 October 2021, Unisa released a statement attempting to "correct" these claims.[67][68][69]
The University boasts of being an institution that has given access to tertiary education to all people, irrespective of race or colour, particularly given South Africa’s history of apartheid. Its rich history includes a diverse mix of notable and famous alumni. This identity of UNISA has been its strongest and positive attraction that it is open, flexible and affordable thus serving the needs of the most disadvantaged communities.[70][71] However, the University's anniversary year in 2023 is blemished by a range of controversies and a failure to live up to its mission and strategic goals as it celebrates its 150 years of existence.[72] These controversies elicited the Human Rights Commission report, the Ministerial Task Team Report, and now this Independent Assessor report, all of which do not present a positive outlook for the University.[70][73] According to the report, UNISA’s problems came to the fore around 2015, with reports of challenges in governance, management and the quality of higher education provision such as allegations of deterioration of governance, instability of the executive management; continued complaints regarding student administration issues; the under-spending of earmarked grants; poor throughput and success rates, and very high dropout numbers; specific concerns regarding the quality of teacher education provision; levels of support provided to students at the institution within the context of distance learning; and concerns around the enrollment planning processes.[70][74][75][76]
Critics have shared their opinions about Nzimande announcement of his intention to place the 150-year-old open-distance e-learning institution under administration after dissolving the institution's council and appointing former University of Johannesburg Vice-chancellor Prof Ihron Rensburg as administrator for 24 months.[77][78] Minister Blade Nzimande's appointment of Prof Ihron Rensburg as administrator in October 2023 puts control of UNISA under the government for the next 24 months and he will be reporting to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation or any delegated official in the Department of Higher Education and Training in writing on a biannual basis.[79] A notable critic of the Minister's placement of UNISA under administration, Dr Seán Muller, a senior research fellow at the Johannesburg Institute of Advanced Study based at the University of Johannesburg has indicated that, placing UNISA under an Administrator will not solve the problems and challenges outlined by the Independent Assessor in his report. However, he reiterates that, “What has been clear is that there are many vested interests and agendas at play, including some of those who support the institution being placed under administration for reasons that have nothing to do with setting it on a better path."[80]
The management of University of South Africa (UNISA) challenged the decision of the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation to place the institution under administration in court by interdicting the Minister Blade Nzimande.[81] A sighted order granted by the North Gauteng High Court declared that Nzimande’s notice of intention was in breach of an order granted by Mr Justice Adams on 24 August 2023.[82] The institution's council has always maintained that the report of the independent assessor was fundamentally flawed, and its recommendations misplaced.[83][84]
Another concern about the Minister's decision to place UNISA under administration has brought up possible impacts to students of the University. However, the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation has assured University of South Africa (UNISA) students they will not be affected when the institution is placed under administration.[85]