Every industry and organization needs the service of an accountant, which makes it one of the most relevant courses in higher institutions. Governments also require accountants to analyze and interpret figures for decision-making. If you want to study accounting and are looking for the best universities, look no further because this article is for you.
Best Accounting Universities in South Africa
South Africa has some of the best Universities in Africa today. In this article, we will provide you with a list of the top 10 universities to study accounting in South Africa. They include;
- University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town was established in 1829 on the 1st of October. The university was formerly referred to as South African College. It is the highest-ranked University in South Africa according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and QS World University Rankings. The institution is also the best university in Africa according to the latest ranking.
UCT currently has a student population of 28,000 across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. UCT is located in Cape Town, Western Cape, which it was named after. It has four urban campuses and two suburban campuses.
The University has the best College of Accounting in South Africa; it serves as the center of excellence in professional and accounting education. The institution designs its curriculum to produce graduates with technical skills across corporate governance and assurance, taxation, financial reporting, and several other areas of specialization.
- University of Pretoria
In 1908, the University of Pretoria was established in South Africa, and it became the fourth oldest university in the country. The University is located in Pretoria, Gauteng province of South Africa. The university, which has been running for over a century, started with 32 students and now has over 30,000 students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
The institution’s Department of Accounting is one of the largest residential departments. It is also recognized for producing highly qualified personnel and strong research links, vital to producing accounting professionals who can make valuable inputs in the real world.
- University of Witwatersrand
On our third spot in the top ten universities in South Africa is the University of Witwatersrand, which was established in 1896 and is the third-oldest in South Africa. The University of Witwatersrand is located in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It became a full-fledged university in 1922 and has over 30,000 students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses with over 1,000 full-time and permanent staff.
Wits University has five academic campuses: the East Campus, the main administrative campus; the West Campus, which lies across the De Villiers Graaff Motorway; and the three other academic campuses, which are located in Parktown.
The School of Accountancy focuses on delivering the highest standard of education in preparation for the real world. The institution has produced competent and professional accountants. Also, it is the leading contributor of black accountants to the South African business landscape.
- Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university located in Stellenbosch. It is one of the best universities in South Africa and is formally referred to as Victoria College. It became a full-fledged university in 1918 thanks to the £100,000 donated by a local benefactor, Mr Jan Marais of Coetzenburg. The University has more than 29,000 students studying undergraduate and postgraduate courses across five campuses.
The institution’s Department of Accountancy, recently named the School of Accountancy, specializes in training professional accountants following global standards. The School of Accountancy has full-time personnel lecturers of the university and experts in the accounting profession for dynamic learning.
- Rhodes University
Rhodes University was established in 1904 as a public university named after Cecil Rhodes. In 1918, it became a constituent college of the University of South Africa and became independent in 1951. The university is located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and is one of the four universities in the province of East Cape. It is the province’s oldest university and the fifth or sixth oldest South African university, running continuously.
Its Department of Accounting focuses on producing students with professional competence to be responsible and responsive leaders. It also trains students to apply sound business judgment with a firm grasp of professional ethics.
- University of KwaZulu-Natal
The merger of the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville led to the establishment of the University of KwaZulu-Natal on January 1st, 2004. The university is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It has 40,000 students across its five campuses, which are Pietermaritzburg campus, Howard College campus, Westville campus, Nelson Mandela medical school campus, and Edgewood campus.
The school offers many accounting courses aiming to produce professionals who can compete worldwide and show a firm grasp of accounting principles and ethics wherever they find themselves.
- University of the Western Cape
The University of the Western Cape was established 1959 as a public university. The institution started with 166 students but grew to over 22,000 students today. It is located in the Ballville suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. In 2014, the university occupied the 6th position on Webometrics Universities ranking in South Africa, the 7th position in Africa, and 885th in the world.
The Department of Accounting promotes a curriculum that boosts research, training, and development of professional accountants in all accounting fields.
- University of South Africa
The University of South Africa, UNISA, is one of the oldest universities in South Africa and the largest university in the country and Africa. UNISA was established in 1873. The institution has over 300,000 students, with a significant number of international students across 130 countries.
Its Department of Accounting aims to produce students with sound communication, teamwork, reporting, and analytical skills alongside knowledge of their desired accounting specialization.
- University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg came into existence on January 1st, 2005. The institution emerged due to the merger of the Rand Afrikaans (RAU), the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR), and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University. UJ is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. UJ has eight different faculties and a total number of 35 residences across the four campuses.
The University of Johannesburg has over 50,00 students and about 3,000 academic staff. The university functions in four campuses, which are Auckland Park Kingsway, Auckland Park Bunting Road, Doornfontein, and Soweto campuses
Its Department of Accountancy is the biggest provider of black chartered accountants in South Africa. It also aims to transform accountancy in the country by producing competent professionals in all fields.
- University of the Free State
Last on the list of top 10 universities in South Africa is the University of the Free State, a public university in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It was established in 1904 and was formerly known as the University College of the Orange Free State. The university houses over 30,000 students and runs its activities around three campuses, which are South Campus, Bloemfontein Campus, and Qwaqwa Campus.
The School of Accountancy offers courses in the following fields: financial accounting, auditing, computer application/controls, management accounting, taxation, and financial management. It is one of the first six universities in South Africa to receive a “1” grading by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).
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