Best Universities for Creative Writing in Africa

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Africa ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 76.3K citations received by 14.1K academic papers made by 50 universities in Africa was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. University of Cape Town

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Cape Town

For Creative Writing

#1 in South Africa

#128 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of Pretoria

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#2 in South Africa

#142 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

3. University of South Africa

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#3 in South Africa

#147 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

4. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Creative Writing

#4 in South Africa

#165 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Creative Writing

#5 in South Africa

#182 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Durban

For Creative Writing

#6 in South Africa

#215 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

7. North-West University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Creative Writing

#7 in South Africa

#249 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

8. University of Johannesburg

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Creative Writing

#8 in South Africa

#322 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

9. University of the Free State

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Creative Writing

#9 in South Africa

#376 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 25%
Enrollment: 37,000
Founded: 1904

10. University of the Western Cape

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Bellville

For Creative Writing

#10 in South Africa

#387 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 24,754
Founded: 1959

11. Rhodes University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Makhanda

For Creative Writing

#11 in South Africa

#457 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Creative Writing

#12 in South Africa

#668 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

13. University of Ibadan

Nigeria | Ibadan

For Creative Writing

#755 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 41,269
Founded: 1948

14. University of Ghana

For Creative Writing

#1 in Ghana

#833 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 67,914
Male:Female: 51:49
Founded: 1948

15. University of Nigeria

Nigeria | Nsukka

For Creative Writing

#848 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Founded: 1960

16. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

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South Africa | Cape Town

For Creative Writing

#13 in South Africa

#857 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Enrollment: 35,047
Founded: 2005

17. Obafemi Awolowo University

For Creative Writing

#893 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Enrollment: 32,480
Founded: 1962

18. University of Botswana

Botswana | Gaborone

For Creative Writing

#1 in Botswana

#932 in the World

Founded: 1964

19. Ain Shams University

For Creative Writing

#1 in Egypt

#976 in the World

Enrollment: 220,000
Founded: 1950

20. University of Zululand

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Creative Writing

#14 in South Africa

#1019 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

21. Makerere University

Uganda | Kampala

For Creative Writing

#1 in Uganda

#1097 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1922

22. University of Fort Hare

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South Africa | Alice

For Creative Writing

#15 in South Africa

#1106 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

23. American University in Cairo

Egypt | New Cairo

For Creative Writing

#2 in Egypt

#1129 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Enrollment: 6,857
Founded: 1919

24. University of Ilorin

Nigeria | Ilorin

For Creative Writing

#1131 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 1975

25. University of Calabar

Nigeria | Calabar

For Creative Writing

#1147 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 40,645
Founded: 1975

26. Cairo University

For Creative Writing

#3 in Egypt

#1195 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Enrollment: 207,853
Founded: 1908

27. University of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe | Harare

For Creative Writing

#1224 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Enrollment: 20,399
Founded: 1955

28. Pedagogical University

Mozambique Flag

Mozambique | Maputo

For Creative Writing

#1 in Mozambique

#1251 in the World

Founded: 1985

29. University of Malawi

For Creative Writing

#1 in Malawi

#1278 in the World

Founded: 1964

30. University of Cape Coast

Ghana | Cape Coast

For Creative Writing

#2 in Ghana

#1288 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1962

31. University of Limpopo

South Africa Flag

South Africa | Mankweng

For Creative Writing

#16 in South Africa

#1318 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

32. Addis Ababa University

Ethiopia | Addis Ababa

For Creative Writing

#1 in Ethiopia

#1330 in the World

Founded: 1950

33. University of Lagos

Nigeria | Lagos

For Creative Writing

#1358 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 48,680
Founded: 1962

34. University of Venda

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South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Creative Writing

#17 in South Africa

#1363 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

35. Durban University of Technology

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South Africa | Durban

For Creative Writing

#18 in South Africa

#1378 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

36. University of Nairobi

Kenya | Nairobi

For Creative Writing

#1 in Kenya

#1391 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Enrollment: 50,000
Founded: 1970

37. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

For Creative Writing

#3 in Ghana

#1404 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Enrollment: 85,000
Founded: 1951

38. Midlands State University

Zimbabwe | Gweru

For Creative Writing

#1423 in the World

Enrollment: 22,000
Founded: 2000

39. University of Zambia

Zambia | Lusaka

For Creative Writing

#1 in Zambia

#1425 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1965

40. University of Education, Winneba

Ghana | Winneba

For Creative Writing

#4 in Ghana

#1459 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Founded: 1992

41. Tshwane University of Technology

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South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#19 in South Africa

#1470 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

42. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University

For Creative Writing

#1 in Morocco

#1500 in the World

Enrollment: 98,720
Male:Female: 54:46

43. Nnamdi Azikiwe University

For Creative Writing

#1553 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1991

44. University of Port Harcourt

Nigeria | Port Harcourt

For Creative Writing

#1554 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Founded: 1975

45. Federal University, Oye-Ekiti

Nigeria | Oye-Ekiti

For Creative Writing

#1572 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Enrollment: 20,000
Founded: 2011

46. Helwan University

For Creative Writing

#4 in Egypt

#1573 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1975

47. Kenyatta University

Kenya | Nairobi

For Creative Writing

#2 in Kenya

#1582 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Founded: 1985

48. Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti

Nigeria | Ado Ekiti

For Creative Writing

#10 in Nigeria

#1594 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1982

49. University of Dar es Salaam

Tanzania | Dar es Salaam

For Creative Writing

#1 in Tanzania

#1597 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 24,000
Founded: 1970

50. Moi University

Kenya | Eldoret

For Creative Writing

#3 in Kenya

#1604 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Founded: 1984