19 Best universities for Creative Writing in South Africa

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in South Africa ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 29.9K citations received by 7.25K academic papers made by 19 universities in South 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 | Cape Town

For Creative Writing

#1 in Africa

#143 in the World

Founded: 1874

2. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#2 in Africa

#148 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

3. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#3 in Africa

#154 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1873

4. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Creative Writing

#4 in Africa

#170 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Creative Writing

#5 in Africa

#183 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Creative Writing

#6 in Africa

#188 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

7. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Creative Writing

#7 in Africa

#250 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Enrollment: 26,439
Male:Female: 42:58
Founded: 2004

8. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Creative Writing

#8 in Africa

#323 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

9. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Creative Writing

#9 in Africa

#359 in the World

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

10. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Creative Writing

#10 in Africa

#408 in the World

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

11. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Creative Writing

#11 in Africa

#434 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

12. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Creative Writing

#12 in Africa

#621 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

13. Cape Peninsula University of Technology

South Africa | Cape Town

For Creative Writing

#16 in Africa

#877 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Founded: 2005

14. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Creative Writing

#19 in Africa

#951 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

15. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Creative Writing

#24 in Africa

#1143 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

16. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Creative Writing

#25 in Africa

#1161 in the World

Founded: 1916

17. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Creative Writing

#28 in Africa

#1235 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

18. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Creative Writing

#31 in Africa

#1277 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Enrollment: 10,213
Founded: 2002

19. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Creative Writing

#39 in Africa

#1362 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

The best cities to study Creative Writing in South Africa based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Stellenbosch.

Art & Design subfields in South Africa