18 Best universities for Political Economy in South Africa

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in South Africa ranked based on their research performance in Political Economy. A graph of 84.3K citations received by 7.96K academic papers made by 18 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.

1. University of the Witwatersrand

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Political Economy

#1 in Africa

#102 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Founded: 1922

2. University of Johannesburg

South Africa | Johannesburg

For Political Economy

#2 in Africa

#117 in the World

Enrollment: 49,910
Founded: 2005

3. University of Cape Town

South Africa | Cape Town

For Political Economy

#3 in Africa

#150 in the World

Founded: 1874

4. University of KwaZulu-Natal

South Africa | Durban

For Political Economy

#4 in Africa

#190 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Founded: 2004

5. University of Stellenbosch

South Africa | Stellenbosch

For Political Economy

#5 in Africa

#212 in the World

Founded: 1918

6. University of Pretoria

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Economy

#6 in Africa

#222 in the World

Enrollment: 48,174
Founded: 1908

7. University of South Africa

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Economy

#7 in Africa

#249 in the World

Enrollment: 420,000
Founded: 1873

8. University of the Western Cape

South Africa | Bellville

For Political Economy

#8 in Africa

#337 in the World

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

9. University of the Free State

South Africa | Bloemfontein

For Political Economy

#9 in Africa

#364 in the World

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

10. Rhodes University

South Africa | Makhanda

For Political Economy

#12 in Africa

#392 in the World

Enrollment: 8,200
Founded: 1904

11. North-West University

South Africa | Potchefstroom

For Political Economy

#18 in Africa

#565 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Founded: 2004

12. University of Limpopo

South Africa | Mankweng

For Political Economy

#26 in Africa

#793 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1959

13. University of Zululand

South Africa | Kwadlangezwa

For Political Economy

#27 in Africa

#809 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Founded: 1960

14. University of Fort Hare

South Africa | Alice

For Political Economy

#31 in Africa

#853 in the World

Enrollment: 11,074
Founded: 1916

15. Nelson Mandela University

South Africa | Port Elizabeth

For Political Economy

#32 in Africa

#859 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Founded: 2005

16. Durban University of Technology

South Africa | Durban

For Political Economy

#41 in Africa

#1029 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Founded: 2002

17. Tshwane University of Technology

South Africa | Pretoria

For Political Economy

#55 in Africa

#1235 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Founded: 2003

18. University of Venda

South Africa | Thohoyandou

For Political Economy

#64 in Africa

#1306 in the World

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Founded: 1982

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

Economics subfields in South Africa

Actuarial Science9

Agricultural Economics16

Development Studies24

Econometrics and Mathematical Economics21

Environmental Economics15

Finance24

International Economics13

International Relations and Diplomacy13

International Trade17

Investment Banking and Stock trading18