Finding the latest enrolment figures for South Africa’s universities can be a challenge. We’ve done the legwork so you don’t have to.
The Department of Higher Education periodically publishes official figures, but these are always a few years behind, while news reports often quote figures for each new year’s intake that are difficult to verify.
Here are the latest verifiable enrolment counts for the universities that we work with or have worked with in the past.
| University | Student enrolments | Date |
| Central University of Technology | 21,601 | 2024 |
| Mangosuthu University of Technology | 14,638 | 2024 |
| Nelson Mandela University | 32,968 | 2024 |
| North-West University | 57,900 | 2025 |
| NWU – Mahikeng campus | 14,475 | 2025 |
| NWU – Potchefstroom campus | 34,161 | 2025 |
| NWU – Vanderbijlpark campus | 9,264 | 2025 |
| Rhodes | 8,445 | 2024 |
| Sefako Makgatho University | 6,642 | 2022 |
| Stellenbosch University | 35,370 | 2024 |
| Tshwane University of Technology | 66,209 | 2025 |
| University of Cape Town | 29,396 | 2024 |
| University of Free State | 39,963 | 2024 |
| University of Johannesburg | 54,515 | 2024 |
| University of Limpopo | 23,455 | 2024 |
| University of Pretoria | 47,741 | 2024 |
| University of the Witwatersrand | 41,702 | 2025 |
| University of Venda | 15,376 | 2023 |
| Vaal University of Technology | 23,112 | 2025 |
Reference list of data sources:
- Central University of Technology – CUT annual report 2024, page 28
- Mangosuthu University of Technology – MUT annual report 2024, page 77
- Nelson Mandela University – NMU annual report 2024, page 8
- North-West University (NWU): NWU has three campuses, each with their own student media, so we have provided student figures for each campus. Data was based on the 2025 enrolment figure of 57,900. We contacted the Corporate affairs department and NWU’s senior manager for market research and data analytics informed us that the percentage split between campuses is 16% Vanderbijl Park, 25% Mahikeng and 59% Potchefstroom.
- Rhodes University – RU annual report 2024, pg 10
- Sefako Makgatho University – SMU annual report 2022, pg 8
- Stellenbosch University – SU annual report 2024, pg 29
- Tshwane University of Technology – TUT facts & figures 2025
- University of Cape Town – UCT annual report 2024. pg 20
- University of Free State – UFS annual report 2024, pg 16
- University of Johannesburg –UJ annual report 2024, pg 102
- University of Limpopo – UL annual report 2024, pg 28
- University of Pretoria – UP annual report 2024, pg 83
- University of the Witwatersrand – Wits facts and figures 2025
- University of Venda – Univen annual report 2023, pg 59
- Vaal University of Technology – VUT PowerHEDA dashboard 2025
