Country profile · 2026
9 of South Africa's universities are ranked in the global Research Collaboration Index, led by University of Cape Town. Together they anchor the nation's place in the world research network.
| # | University | Partners | Countries | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #121 | University of Cape Town | 1101 | 79 | $27M |
| #176 | University of the Witwatersrand | 1083 | 80 | |
| #225 | University of Johannesburg | 1080 | 80 | |
| #254 | Stellenbosch University | 1059 | 80 | $22M |
| #364 | University of Pretoria | 1081 | 78 | |
| #430 | University of KwaZulu-Natal | 1035 | 77 | |
| #450 | North-West University | 984 | 79 | |
| #736 | University of the Free State | 888 | 77 | |
| #884 | University of South Africa | 884 | 73 |
Universities can verify their data, feature academics and video on their public page, onboard their academics as members and compete for the Subject Awards.