Country profile · 2027
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.
Provisional order shown; global ranks reveal at the 15 September 2026 launch.
| University | Partners | Countries |
|---|---|---|
| University of Cape Town | 1101 | 79 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | 1083 | 80 |
| University of Johannesburg | 1080 | 80 |
| Stellenbosch University | 1059 | 80 |
| University of Pretoria | 1081 | 78 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | 1035 | 77 |
| North-West University | 984 | 79 |
| University of the Free State | 888 | 77 |
| 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.