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Why we study in South Africa.
Students from across the world rank South Africa and its universities highly as a study destination. A dozen years into democracy, the country has become the most popular place to study on the continent and is one of the Top 20 host nations for American students.Many factors drive patterns of global student mobility, which has grown rapidly to become a visible outcome of the internationalisation of higher education and a reflection of ‘globalisation’.
By 2003 there were 2.1 million international students attending higher education institutions worldwide. By 2025 their numbers are forecast to reach 7.2 million.The benefits of study abroad are considerable, to students and to countries. For destination countries, the fees and living costs paid by foreign students are a form of foreign investment, and those who are charged fees higher than local students help to fund higher education.
There are also advantages to home countries if students return as well qualified citizens with knowledge of and links to other countries, and may have picked up another language.International students have enhanced South African campuses with their different cultures and experiences, and by adding new dimensions to teaching and learning.
South Africa benefits from the financial investments that foreign students make, and from the international relations and links forged during their studies. The internationalisation of education is viewed as a valuable means of advancing communication and respect among people of different cultures, of developing scholarship, and of strengthening South Africa’s global position.
According to research by the British Council, student drive-factors include geographic region, historical connections between countries, language, the perceived quality of a country’s education and its accessibility, affordability and the ‘employability’ of qualifications obtained. Interestingly, growing numbers of students are opting to study in developing world countries.
South Africa is close geographically to many sub-Saharan African countries, uses English as the primary language of instruction, charges lower fees than developed nations and has a lower cost of living. It also boasts a large higher education sector that is accessible and offers internationally recognised qualifications.The number of foreign students at South Africa’s 23 public universities grew from 12,600 in 1994 to nearly 54,000 in 2006, according to provisional Department of Education statistics.
About a quarter of international students are postgraduates.In 2006, two-thirds of foreign students were from Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries, 16% were from the rest of Africa and 14% were from the rest of the world. (There was no accurate information on 3% of international students).While the number of international students soared from 1994, it is now growing slowly but steadily.
South Africa might be settling into an ‘ideal’ proportion of foreign students, it might be attaining the limits of its potential to attract or accommodate these students, or foreign enrolments might be being constrained by the Government’s limiting of sector-wide student numbers.
Region |
1994 |
1997 |
2000 |
2003 |
2006 |
Southern Africa |
6,209 |
7,822 |
21,318 |
36,207 |
35,880 |
Rest of Africa |
1,521 |
2,079 |
4,263 |
6,664 |
8,609 |
Rest of the world |
4,827 |
5,268 |
5,568 |
7,108 |
7,637 |
No info |
|
|
14,228 |
1,447 |
1,560 |
Totals |
12,557 |
15,169 |
45,377 |
51,426 |
53,686 |
Source: Department of Education. These figures are provisional.
Note: Statistics on international students have improved over the years, and so the latest figures are the most accurate. The numbers in the category 'no information' have declined markedly.
Most international students are from neighbouring states where English is quite commonly spoken. Zimbabwe is the major ‘source’ country, sending 18% of all international students, followed by Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.Proportionately, the biggest growth in international student numbers in recent years has been from non-SADC African countries, as South Africa’s reputation as a quality higher education provider has spread northwards: non-SADC African numbers nearly doubled in the past five years. Europe is the biggest ‘rest of world’ supplier, followed by Asia and North America.
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