What are the best business schools in South Africa? | Top 10 MBAs

The best business schools in South Africa offer accredited, English-taught MBA programs at a fraction of the cost of Europe or North America.

Yet despite their low cost, South African business schools are increasingly offering a high-quality education that matches up well against other popular MBA locations. In recent years, South African MBAs have featured in the global top-100 rankings from QS and the Financial Times.

Here are the 10 best business schools in South Africa that offer MBA programs, according to Eduniversal.

10. UFS Business School, University of the Free State

Location: Bloemfontein

The University of the Free State (UFS) has a history dating back to 1904, and today it is one of the premier universities in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State. Although traditionally an Afrikaans university, today the school offers many programs in English, including the MBA at UFS Business School.

The two-year degree is a generalist MBA program, with the 13 core modules covering key areas of business and management, including financial management, business analytics, and strategic marketing. Through elective modules, students can pursue more specialized areas such as digital marketing, investment management, and social entrepreneurship. 

Applicants must be at least 25 years old at the time of application, have at least three years of work experience, and hold at least an undergraduate degree at NQF Level 8.

9. University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership

Location: Westville

The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership offers a comprehensive Online MBA alongside its various business master’s programs. The program takes two years to complete, with lectures held four evenings a week, Monday to Friday. 

The MBA offers two pathways: Investment and Portfolio Management or Innovation and Entrepreneurship. While both modules are suitable for students with limited experience in the topics, applicants should have at least three years of formal work experience. The program ends with a business research project under the guidance of a mentor at the business school. 

All applicants must submit a GMAT score with their application or take the entrance exam administered by GSBL. 

8. Graduate School of Business Leadership (UNISA SBL), University of South Africa

Location: Midrand

The UNISA SBL MBA focuses on business leadership rather than business administration, as evidenced by modules such as Economics for Managers and Management of Digital Technologies. 

Students can choose between a two-year and a three-year program, both of which include an integrated management project. This compulsory module encourages students to develop innovative business strategies in a real-world context, with a particular focus on addressing sustainability challenges. 

To apply, you must have three or more years of professional work experience. You may also be required to complete an admissions test as part of the selection process.

7. North-West University Business School (NWU MBA)

Location: Mahikeng, Potchefstroom, and Vanderbijlpark campuses

The NWU MBA is a part-time program that runs over two years, blending online and in-person study. It places a strong emphasis on experiential learning, with regular case studies, company visits, and consulting projects dotted throughout the program.

The MBA curriculum blends core modules in subjects like finance and marketing alongside a focus on business ethics and preparing students for leadership roles in Africa.

To apply for the program, you must complete an online application together with an essay detailing your reasons for applying. You’ll also need to hold a bachelor’s degree (NQF Level 8) or equivalent, have at least three years of relevant work experience (preferably at managerial level), and complete one of the accepted entrance exams (TTS, GMAT, or NMAT). 

6. Nelson Mandela University Business School

Location: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)

One of the youngest business schools in South Africa, the Nelson Mandela University MBA is recognized for its focus on sustainability, innovation, and ethical leadership. It’s also one of the most affordable MBAs in South Africa, with African students paying just R138,890 (around US $8,400). 

The Nelson Mandela University MBA offers part-time and block-release study options, allowing students to complete on-campus learning while working. For this reason, students must live within a 60km radius of Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), or one of the school’s other campuses, for the block-release option.  

Candidates who meet the program’s basic requirements will move to stage two of the application process, during which they must take a psychometric test or business school entrance exam such as the GMAT.

5. Rhodes Business School, Rhodes University

Location: Grahamstown

Entering the top five best business schools in South Africa is the Rhodes Business School at Rhodes University. The school’s MBA is unique in that it focuses on sustainable leadership and the balance between economic, social, and environmental sustainability in business. As a result, it will appeal to students wishing to make a real difference in business. 

The program can be taken part-time or in a modular format, allowing you to keep working whilst studying for an MBA. Two-thirds of the program consists of core and elective modules, assessed through a mixture of assignments, tests, and examinations.

Like most top business programs in South Africa, you’ll need to hold an NQF Level 8 qualification, have a minimum of three years’ relevant professional experience, and be fluent in English.

4. Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand (WBS MBA)

Location: Johannesburg

In many ways, the quality of an MBA is defined by its links to the local and national job market. And in South Africa, you won’t find a more vibrant job market than in its largest city, Johannesburg, where the University of the Witwatersrand’s Wits Business School is located. Wits holds strong links with the city’s business community, helping students forge their post-MBA careers in South Africa’s biggest economic center. 

The two-year, part-time MBA at Wits focuses its curriculum around five main themes: Context in Africa, Context in South Africa, Sustainability, Entrepreneurial Action, and Critical Engagement. In addition to core courses and elective courses, WBS MBA students will participate in a research project and an international study trip.

Application requirements include a four-year degree (NQF 8) or a three-year degree plus PG-Dip (NQF 8), a minimum of four years’ post-university work experience, relevant test scores (GMAT, NMAT, or WBS Admission Test), and proof of English proficiency. 

3. Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), University of Pretoria

Location: Johannesburg

The MBA program at the triple-accredited Gordon Institute of Business Science is one of only two programs on this list to receive international recognition for its commitment to sustainability. The degree ranks 23rd in the Corporate Knights Better World ranking and seventh among the top 10 large schools. 

The MBA is offered in five different study formats, offering flexibility for students who want to continue working part-time or full-time while studying. An additional manufacturing-focused MBA is also available to students who wish to specialize. 

Uniquely, GIBS offers flexibility for students without the prerequisite academic qualifications to apply for the MBA by completing a postgraduate management program at GIBS prior to enrolling in the MBA and taking the GMAT. 

2. University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB)

Location: Cape Town

The second-best MBA in South Africa (according to Eduniversal) is offered by the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. The UCT GSB is triple-accredited, and is also the only South African MBA program to appear in the top 100 of the QS Global MBA ranking.

The UCT GSB MBA is also committed to responsible leadership and sustainability, and is the second South African MBA to appear in the Corporate Knights Better World ranking. MBAs pursue a dedicated module on responsible citizenship during the program, during which they will dedicate 50 hours to a local NGO, both supporting the local community and allowing students to put their business skills to good use. 

Students can choose one of six pathways to customize their studies to an area of interest or career: management consulting, marketing management, innovation and entrepreneurship, leadership and change, operations and supply chain management, or corporate finance. 

To apply, you’ll need to be at least 25 years of age, fluent in English, possess three or more years of relevant work experience, have taken the GMAT, NMAT, or other recognized entrance test, and hold a NQF Level 8 qualification (or equivalent, for non-South Africans). 

1. Stellenbosch Business School, Stellenbosch University (SU)

Location: Cape Town

At the top of the Eduniversal ranking of best business schools in South Africa is the Stellenbosch University (SU) Business School in Cape Town. The school’s triple-accredited MBA program has three pathways—Generalist, Health Care Leadership, and Project Management—which enable students to pursue either a broad education or specialization. 

Elsewhere in the program, students can customize up to 30% of the MBA curriculum, choosing from specializations in finance, sustainability, or innovation, as well as a range of electives in marketing, leadership, decision science, and more.

The SU MBA application requirements include a four-year bachelor’s or postgraduate degree (NQF Level 8), three or more years of work experience, and a GMAT score. The school also recommends that students have a high school-level mathematics diploma.