Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
South African universities have dominated the top positions among sub-Saharan Africa’s institutions in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, with seven of the region’s top 10 universities coming from the country.
The University of Cape Town (UCT) leads the sub-Saharan African contingent after climbing to joint 147th globally, up from joint 164th in the 2026 edition. The latest ranking was released on September 30, 2026, as THE published its 2027 global university rankings.
The results place South Africa’s universities prominently across the upper levels of the regional table, while institutions from Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana also feature among the leading universities in sub-Saharan Africa.
South Africa takes seven of the top 10 places
According to the 2027 THE rankings, seven South African universities appear among the top 10 institutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
The institutions are the University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch University, University of Johannesburg, University of Pretoria, University of KwaZulu-Natal and University of the Western Cape.
The top 10 regional institutions listed by THE are:
- University of Cape Town — South Africa — joint 147th globally
- University of the Witwatersrand — South Africa — 301–325
- Stellenbosch University — South Africa — 326–350
- University of Johannesburg — South Africa — 351–375
- University of Pretoria — South Africa — 451–500
- University of KwaZulu-Natal — South Africa — 501–550
- University of the Western Cape — South Africa — 701–800
- Covenant University — Nigeria — 801–1,000
- Makerere University — Uganda — 801–1,000
- North-West University — South Africa — 801–1,000
THE’s published data shows that the top 10 are dominated by South African institutions, with Covenant University representing Nigeria and Makerere University representing Uganda.
Because several universities are placed in ranking bands rather than individual positions, institutions sharing a band should not be interpreted as having an exact numerical order within that band.
University of Cape Town returns to global top 150
UCT’s joint 147th position marks a significant movement from its joint 164th position in the previous edition.
THE said the university had returned to the global top 150 for the first time since the 2020 edition. Its performance also makes it the highest-ranked university in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2027 rankings.
The improvement comes as the overall THE World University Rankings expands to 2,297 institutions across 118 countries and territories.
THE said the 2027 edition draws on almost 20 million research papers, close to one million votes from its Academic Reputation Survey and institutional data covering more than 3,000 universities worldwide.
South Africa records eight universities in global top 1,000
Beyond the seven South African universities in the sub-Saharan African top 10, the country has eight institutions within the global top 1,000.
The eighth is North-West University, which is placed in the 801–1,000 band.
South Africa has 17 universities represented in the 2027 rankings, making it the second-most represented country in sub-Saharan Africa by number of ranked institutions, behind Nigeria.
THE’s data shows that South Africa has five universities within the global top 500, led by UCT. The University of Pretoria is also reported to have achieved its highest position in the rankings, entering the 451–500 band.
Other South African universities appearing further down the rankings include Durban University of Technology, University of South Africa, University of the Free State, Nelson Mandela University and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, among others.
Nigeria has the largest number of ranked universities
While South Africa dominates the upper end of the regional table, Nigeria has the largest number of universities included in the 2027 rankings.
A total of 29 Nigerian universities feature, compared with 17 from South Africa.
Nigeria’s highest-ranked institutions are Covenant University, the University of Ibadan and the University of Lagos, all placed in the 801–1,000 global band.
Covenant University moved into the 801–1,000 band after being placed in the 1,001–1,200 range in the previous edition. The University of Ibadan and University of Lagos remained in the 801–1,000 band.
Nigeria also has universities in the 1,001–1,200 band, including Ahmadu Bello University, Bayero University, Landmark University and the University of Ilorin.
The 2027 ranking also includes new Nigerian representatives such as Osun State University, the University of Maiduguri, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Kwara State University and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
More African universities enter the rankings
The 2027 edition shows an expansion in the number of ranked universities from sub-Saharan Africa.
THE reports that 69 universities from 16 countries in the region feature in the latest rankings, compared with 55 universities from 14 countries or territories in the previous edition.
Ghana has five universities in the rankings, with the University of Cape Coast and University of Ghana both placed in the 801–1,000 band.
Uganda has two institutions represented, led by Makerere University in the 801–1,000 band.
Kenya has two universities in the rankings. The University of Nairobi is placed in the 1,601–1,800 band, while Kenyatta University appears in the 1,801–2,000 band.
The latest edition also includes new or returning representation from countries including Malawi and Ethiopia. Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi and Mekelle University in Ethiopia are both placed in the 1,201–1,400 band.
What the rankings measure
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings assess research-intensive universities using a range of institutional indicators.
The 2027 edition is the most expansive in THE’s history, with 2,297 institutions from 118 countries and territories. THE says its assessment incorporates research, teaching, international outlook and industry-related measures, alongside data concerning research influence and institutional performance.
The rankings therefore provide one comparative measure of university performance, rather than a complete assessment of every aspect of higher education.
For African universities, the results also provide an indication of their international research visibility and institutional standing within a global higher education system that includes thousands of institutions.
A changing African higher education landscape
The 2027 results highlight the different strengths and levels of representation across African higher education.
South Africa’s concentration near the top of the regional table contrasts with Nigeria’s much larger number of ranked institutions. Nigeria has 29 universities represented, but only three are in the global top 1,000.
South Africa, by comparison, has 17 ranked universities, including eight in the global top 1,000.
The figures also show that representation is expanding beyond the continent’s traditional higher education centres.
THE’s regional list now includes institutions from 16 sub-Saharan African countries, including countries with new or returning entries in the rankings.
For students, universities and policymakers, the rankings offer one source of comparative information, although individual university decisions also depend on factors such as programmes, tuition costs, location, student support, employability, research opportunities and institutional priorities.
What happens next
The release of the 2027 rankings is likely to provide universities across Africa with another benchmark for evaluating research performance, international visibility and institutional development.
THE’s results also provide universities with year-on-year comparisons, allowing institutions to examine changes in their global ranking bands and their position relative to other universities.
For African higher education systems, the growing number of ranked institutions provides a broader picture of the continent’s participation in global university assessments.
The 2027 rankings show that South African institutions currently occupy seven of the top 10 positions in the sub-Saharan African table, while Nigeria remains the region’s most represented country by the number of universities ranked.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Times Higher Education — World University Rankings 2027 results and official rankings data.
- Times Higher Education — 2027 sub-Saharan Africa university rankings data.
