Stellenbosch University is one of the universities in the country favoured by international students. (Stellenbosch University/Facebook)
• A total of 20 942 students from Africa and abroad are studying at 15 of South Africa`s 26 universities.
• The University of Johannesburg has 4 148 international students, including 1 614 from Zimbabwe.
• Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dr Mimmy Gondwe said international students enjoy studying in SA because it`s home to some of the top-ranked universities in the world.
French student Kamay de Souza, 20, can confidently string together a simple sentence in Afrikaans after being taught the language for barely two weeks at Stellenbosch University (SU).
De Souza, who is planning to study isiXhosa next semester, is among 354 mostly `occasional` French students who are attending exchange and faculty-led programmes at SU.
Universities, including the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), said this week that their institutions were increasingly becoming popular study destinations for international students because of their academic and research excellence.
A random survey by News24 has found that a total of 20 942 students from Africa and abroad are studying at 15 of the 26 universities that provided figures.

Zimbabwean students make up the bulk of those from the continent, with 4 163 registered at six universities, including 1 614 at UJ, 849 at University of Pretoria (UP), 741 at SU, 582 at Wits and 355 at North-West University (NWU).
Seven other universities that participated in the survey indicated that most of their students from the continent were also from Zimbabwe.

Students from abroad, who were studying at the 15 universities that provided figures, hailed from Asia, US, India, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Pakistan, France and South Korea.

UJ had 119 students from Asia, 57 from Europe and 23 from the US; UP had 58 from Germany, 37 from US and 35 from the Netherlands; Wits had 37 from India, 23 from US and 16 from Pakistan; and NWU had 20 from India, 8 from South Korea and six from US.
UCT told News24 that it had 731 students from US, Germany and India.
Yun Young Ahn, 28, from South Korea, who completed her fine arts degree and master`s degree at UCT, said she learnt a lot about the local art scene `but also how the African art scene looks like globally`.
`UCT has been a great institution to study at as the resources are amazing, especially in the fine arts campus. I enjoyed my experience and I learnt so much and have grown so much.`

Lidya Babore, 21, from Ethiopia, who is enrolled for a BA in humanities at UJ, said she decided to study in South Africa because she wanted to do international law which is not offered in her home country.
`I am in love with UJ because it has allowed me to have opportunities that I never thought I would have. It has allowed me to come out of my shell because of the leadership positions they have given me.`
De Souza, who is a registered student at the Sciences Po University in Paris, said he chose to do his third-year studies in South Africa because English is widely spoken, and the cost of living is cheaper.
He is studying political science, history, international relations, anthropology and Afrikaans at SU.
`I was interested to learn Afrikaans so that I could learn a little bit more about the Afrikaans culture. I am very excited to be in South Africa where the people are much friendlier than in Europe.`
However, he said local wines were not as good as the French wines, adding: `I was glad to discover some new flavours.`
SU spokesperson Martin Viljoen said that students studying non-degree courses included

those from the Skema Business School in Paris and student mobility partnerships with 31 German universities.
SU also catered for study abroad and faculty-led programmes from universities in the US, including Northwestern University in Chicago, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of Georgia.
`Feedback from many of our international students is that they view Stellenbosch as a premier study destination based on the beautiful town and surroundings.`
He said French students study various modules in the faculty of economic and management sciences and that 75% took postgraduate modules.
`They [French students] are extremely positive about the experience.`
Most of the German postgraduate students at SU are enrolled for the Master of Laws programme.
He said applications from German students enrolled at universities in Germany who wanted to study at SU were `high and places for SU are limited and competitive`.
`Apart from academic quality [specific consideration from German students], the environment and the trust in the support that SU provides are among the reasons for them opting to study at Stellenbosch.`
UP spokesperson Rikus Delport said that over half of their international students come from various African countries, `reflecting our strong African identity and commitment to the continent`s rich diversity in people, cultures, biodiversity, and environments`.
Wits spokesperson Buhle Zuma said the university `enjoys many partnerships with institutions across Africa and is the co-founder of the African Research Universities Alliance`.
Zuma added:
The university is cosmopolitan and embraces different people, cultures, and recognises that diverse ideas are crucial in producing students and scholars that can make a meaningful contribution to the world and society, for good.
NWU spokesperson Louis Jacobs said international students were one of their priorities and that their target for 2025 is 1 693 foreign students. A total of 1 307 were enrolled this year.
`We are conducting direct student recruitment through embassies as well as schools in other countries. For our next intake, we have targeted 20 countries in Africa and abroad.`
Rhodes University said in a statement that 8% of its student body comprised international students.
`This year, the Eritrean government sponsored a group of students, which was a first. Historically, undergraduate international students predominantly study in the humanities faculty and postgraduates in the science faculty.`
Vaal University of Technology (VUT) spokesperson Dumile Mlambo said the university reserved 10% of its total enrolment space for international students.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education Dr Mimmy Gondwe said international students `love and relish` studying in South Africa because it has `a very rich and inspiring history`.
`Our diverse cultural offering also appeals to foreign students from Europe and North America. More importantly, I also believe international students enjoy studying in our country because we are home to some of the top-ranked universities in the world.`
She said Wits, UJ, UCT, SU and UP had, year in and year out, made it into the global rankings of the top universities in the world.
`Some of our institutions of higher learning are home to some of the world-renowned academics on the continent and the world and this also attracts foreign scholars.` V.5533

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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