AboutUniversity of South Africa (UNISA)
The University of South Africa (Unisa), the only higher education institution to carry the name of the country, is the people’s university in every sense of the word. Throughout its history, spanning 15 decades, Unisa has responded to the developments brought about by changing times, the needs of a developing country and society at large, and an ever-evolving higher education environment. This was achieved through ongoing and dynamic transitioning. Unisa’s journey has been one of continuous growth and transformation, aimed at shaping tomorrow through education.
Unisa’s roots (and indeed that of higher education in South Africa) date back to 1873 when the University of the Cape of Good Hope was founded, initially functioning as an examining body for higher education.
In 1916, the university changed its name to the University of South Africa and in 1918 it relocated to Pretoria. In 1946, it became one of the first public universities in the world to teach exclusively by means of distance education. Today, Unisa is widely recognised as a leading comprehensive, open, distance and e-Learning (CODeL) university. The university has more than 370 000 students and is the largest university in South Africa and on the African continent, and one of the world’s mega-universities.
With offices across South Africa and students from 109 countries, Unisa has an extensive geographical footprint and global reach.
