UCT ranked first in QS Sub-Saharan Africa rankings

The recently published 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa have placed the University of Cape Town (UCT) first in the region. This is a newly introduced regional ranking by global higher education analyst, QS.

UCT’s top position places the university at the forefront of higher education in a region of growing global significance, recognising its performance across teaching, research, employability, sustainability and international engagement. The ranking includes 69 universities across Sub-Saharan Africa, with 14 institutions from South Africa and is designed to provide a more contextualised view of university performance within the region.

QS introduced the Sub-Saharan Africa rankings to reflect the rising importance of the region in global higher education, particularly considering Africa’s youthful and expanding population and its central role in shaping the future global workforce. The ranking framework combines global measures of reputation and research impact with indicators that speak to regional priorities and realities.

UCT achieved the highest overall score in the region, with particularly strong performance across indicators measuring academic reputation, employer reputation, sustainability, research productivity, digital presence and international research collaboration.
 

“Being ranked first in Sub-Saharan Africa in this new QS ranking is both an honour and a responsibility.”

UCT’s research performance reflects the scale and impact of its scholarly output. Between 2019 and 2023, the university produced more than 19 000 Scopus-indexed research papers, generating over 290 000 citations between 2019 and 2024. When normalised for disciplinary differences, the university’s research impact places it well above the regional median for both citations per paper (regional median = 8.0; UCT = 10.7) and papers per faculty member (regional median 2.2; UCT = 19.9).

The university’s international research network is also notably strong, with an average collaboration index of 75.1, more than double the regional median of 30.6, because of its extensive global and regional research partnerships.

UCT Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, Professor Thokozani Majozi, said the ranking speaks directly to the university’s public mission and its responsibility to the continent. “Being ranked first in Sub-Saharan Africa in this new QS ranking is both an honour and a responsibility,” he said.

“QS has introduced this ranking to shine a spotlight on a region that is playing a significant role in the future of global higher education, research and innovation. That future is being shaped on the continent, by its people, its institutions and its ideas.”

Commenting on UCT’s position specifically, he added that it reflects the depth and quality of the university’s scholarship, the global recognition of its graduates, and research that speaks to the realities of Africa while contributing to knowledge-production worldwide.

“As a public university rooted on this continent, our work must serve present needs while preparing future generations to lead, innovate and respond to complex global challenges,” he added.

UCT’s top position indicates strong recognition by academics and employers, high-impact research output, extensive international and regional collaboration, and a well-resourced learning environment supported by highly qualified academic staff. Collectively, these factors reflect UCT’s role as a leading African university committed to excellence, relevance and public purpose — serving the present and helping to shape the future of the continent.

What this ranking means

The QS World University Rankings: Sub-Saharan Africa has been introduced to provide a regionally grounded perspective on higher education performance, complementing global rankings with a framework that recognises both excellence and context.

The ranking draws on global academic and employer surveys, alongside bibliometric data measuring research productivity and impact, and indicators reflecting sustainability, international collaboration, digital engagement and the learning environment. Together, these measures aim to capture how universities contribute to knowledge creation, skills development and societal advancement within Sub-Saharan Africa.