The University of South Africa is a distance education university, with headquarters in Pretoria, South Africa. With approximately 130,000 enrolled, it qualifies it as one of the World's mega universities.

Founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good Hope , the University of South Africa (or Unisa as it is commonly known) spent most of its early history as an examing agency for Oxford and Cambridge universities and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. In 1946 it was given a new role as a distance education university and today it offers certificate, diploma and degree courses up to doctoral level.

In January 2004 Unisa merged with Technikon RSA and the distance education component of Vista University (VUDEC). The combined institution is still known as the University of South Africa (Unisa). It is now organised by college and by school.

• College of Economic and Management Sciences
• College of Human Sciences
• College of Law
• College of Science, Engineering and Technology
• College of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences
• Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL)

Notable alumni

• Nelson Mandela
• Robert Mugabe
• Chenjerai Hove
• Sindiwe Magona
• Kaiser Matanzima
• Kenneth Mopeli
• Cyril Ramaphosa
• Tokyo Sexwale
• Danny Jordaan
• Ahmed Kathrada
• Bulelani Ngcuka
• Mamphela Ramphele

See also

• List of universities in South Africa

References

• The University of South Africa website

UniSA can also refer to the University of South Australia.