Study in South Africa: Application, Colleges, VISA & More

Home to multiple ethnicities, 11 national languages and rich wildlife and landscape, South Africa is the epitome of diversity. In recent times, post Independence, South Africa has dedicated itself to providing outstanding education thereby rising to popularity as one of the popular study destinations in the world. Recently as many as 9 south African universities made it to the QS world ranking in 2016 and about 13 universities made it to the QS BRICS world Rankings in 2017. Offering a multicultural student community, excellent academic facilities and a plethora of social activities, one can count on South Africa to produce responsible and socially conscious professionals into the world. If you have been considering pursuing higher education in South Africa, read on to find out more.

Why Study in South Africa?

South Africa has seen tremendous development in recent years, owing to its exceptional educational facilities. Many of the courses offered here are in par with the facilities one may find in the US or UK. given below are a few reasons why South Africa has emerged as an ideal study destination among international students: 

• After the legislation in 2004 overturning racial segregation, the education system in SA underwent a drastic change. Today South Africa hosts 23 public universities and the government spends 21% of its budget on education. With education gaining tremendous importance, heaps of students flock to South Africa for higher education.
• As per reports on South Africa’s job sector, the economy has seen tremendous growth in areas from agricultural to business services and community industries. Therefore students find plenty of job and internship opportunities in any area of study. 
• The education sector in South Africa is extremely affordable in comparison to Europe or the US, whilst providing top-notch facilities. Additionally Students from financially weaker backgrounds. 
• South Africa is one of the few countries where it is very easy to transition into the workforce after completing education. Being the second-largest economy in the African continent, South Africa provides numerous work opportunities to international students.
• South Africa is referred to as the Rainbow Nation owing to its diversity. Students studying in SA have a great opportunity to get exposed to different cultures, perspectives and people all of which is essential to building a tolerant, sensitive and progressive student community. 

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Application Requirements

Application requirements for students who want to study in South Africa are usually submitted online after which a panel will review the applications and get back to the applicant with their decision. In some cases, interviews are conducted which may be telephonic or through skype. Documents required for the application are mentioned below: 

• Official transcripts from attended high school and a copy of the graduation diploma
• Personal essay
• Letters of recommendation
• CV/Resume
• Results from standardised university entrance exams in the respective country
• Demonstrated Command of English through English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL.
• Health Declaration Form
• Medical Form

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Higher Education in South Africa

Most students pursue their higher education from public universities. Public universities in South Africa are extremely reputed and offer a variety of including diplomas, national certificates, undergraduate, and postgraduate degrees. The institutions impart both traditional theoretically and research-oriented degrees. Public universities in South Africa are further categorized into 3 types : 

1. traditional universities – which are academic in focus 
2. Universities  of technology (“technikons”) – which are more vocational;
3. Comprehensive universities – which offer a combination of both types of qualification. 

The Department of Higher Education and Training is the authoritative body responsible for tertiary education and vocational training. (Including Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) centres.)

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Top Universities in South Africa

Universities	Times Higher Education Ranking (2021)	TopUniversities Ranking (2021)	U.S. News & World Report Ranking (2021)
University of Cape Town	155	220	103
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg	201	403	192
Stellenbosch University	251	456	321
University of Kwazulu Natal	351	801	332
University of Johannesburg	601	439	308
University of Pretoria	601	561	444
North-West University (NWU)	501	–	564
University of the Western Cape	601	–	729
University of South Africa (UNISA)	–	801	921
Rhodes University	–	901	925

Popular Courses to Study in South Africa

There are a lot of courses in South Africa which are popular amongst students. In fact, a lot of students wish to study in South Africa to pursue these courses. They are mentioned below: 

• Engineering studies
• Marketing studies
• Management studies
• Business studies
• Art studies
• Economic studies
• Science and technology
• Digital and graphic designing
• Journalism and mass media
• Hospitality and tourism

Visa Requirements

Students who wish to study in South Africa must avail student visa. To begin the visa process, students have to go to the nearest South Africa consulate or high commissioner. The entire process takes as much as 8 weeks however on being granted the visa, is applicable for the entire duration of the stay. The documents required for the student visa include: 

• Valid passport
• Proof of application payment
• Acceptance letter from the university with the course duration
• Confirmation of registration
• Police Clearance Certificate issued by a security authority in the country from which a student is applying
• Yellow fever vaccination certificate if the student has or intends to travel through a yellow fever endemic area
• Proof of access to the necessary financial means while residing in South Africa
• Proof of medical coverage
• Marital status documents when applicable

Here’s What You Need to Do After Getting Your Study Abroad Admit!

This was all about study in South Africa options. Being a nascent democracy, South Africa is a thriving economy in the world. This fast-paced development is a testament to the quality of South Africa’s education. We hope you enjoyed this blog. For more interesting content and admission related queries get in touch with our experts at Leverage Edu!