Business schools have proliferated in Africa in recent times, offering professional courses and certifications that promise cutting-edge skills in management, marketing, corporate governance, human resources, IT, and media, among a plethora of other highly in-demand skills. Some of these business schools focus on niche courses that stands them out, thus, leveraging on such educational package to attract new prospects.
These business schools exist in many countries in Africa, including Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. Nigeria for instance has over 20 business schools. Some of these business schools are affiliated or an offshoot of established universities, in the country. While South Africa has over 24 business schools, scattered across its many provinces. In terms of ranking by global educational institutions, South Africa appears to have more highly ranked business schools in Africa, compared to Nigeria. With the multiplicity of business schools across Africa, people desiring to attend a business school in many instances, are sometimes at a loss, on which of these multitudes of schools to choose from.
Choosing a school is never an easy task. If you are one of those thinking of attending a business school in Africa, in your quest to accelerate your career, start new jobs or new career paths or learn new skills. We believe our 10 Top Business Schools in Africa, will serve as a good guide.
The top 10 best business schools in Africa profiled here, offer full-time MBA or various business- related courses, international opportunities as well as undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D. programs including part-time, distance learning, and online opportunities. Fees differ in many instances, as do opportunities that come with studying in a particular school rather than another.
1.Lagos Business School, Lagos, Nigeria
Available rankings performed by various intuitions in the past, rate Lagos Business School as unarguably the top of the list of best business schools in Africa. LBS obviously, has a closet-full of accreditations and certifications by relevant institutions across the globe such as The Association of MBAs (AMBA), the first business school in West, East, and Central Africa, regions to be so accredited. It is also the first institution in West Africa to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB);
In terms of membership of reputable management institutions, LBS also comes top. It is a Member of the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a member of the Global Business Schools Network (GBSN), as well a member of Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).
According to LBS’s literature, the business school has been ranked year after year, since 2007 by the Financial Times of London, among the top global providers of open enrolment executive education, and in custom executive education since 2015. Again, LBS is listed among the top 50 global business schools on The Economist magazine’s 2018 Executive MBA ranking. Starting from 2018 to 2021, four years in a roll, LBS has emerged as CEO Magazine Tier One Global MBA Ranking, as well as Tier One Rest of the World Global MBA Ranking, making LBS the best Business School in Africa in 2021. Recently also, two teams from the Lagos Business School MBA program emerged winners at the Global Business School Network (GBSN) Africa Business Concept Challenge. Find MBA and The African Exponent, a reputable online newspaper, have both rated LBS the number one business school in Africa. LBS was established as a not-for-profit school and operates on the principles of Opus Dei.
- Courses: Full Time MBA, Modular MBA, Executive MBA, Mod Exec. MBA
Tuition Fee: 6,027,912 NGN – 8,400,000 NGN per session
[Depending on course choice]
- Online Study: Not available
- Scholarship: Available but limited
- Accommodation: Not available
- Internship/Corporate
Placement: Available
- Location: Lekki – Epe Expressway, Ajah, Lagos, Nigeria
- Website: www.lbs.edu.ng
- Accreditations/Awards/ Membership: AMBA, AACSB, GBSN, PRME, Tier One Global MBA Ranking, Tier One Rest of the World Global MBA Ranking
- 2.Gordon School of Business Science – South Africa
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), is an affiliate of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, which offers very innovative on-demand business courses. GIBS offers an executive course, entrepreneurship course, short courses, master classes, and company-specific courses, that rivals that of any university in Africa. GIBS offers DBA/Ph.D., MPhil with specialization in International Business, MPhil with specialization in Corporate Strategy, MPhil with specialization in Change Leadership, MPhil with specialization in Evidence-Based Management, MBA, PGDip GM, PDBA (Part-time), PDBA (Full-time) and AdvDip GM.
GIBS is ranked as the number two top business school in Africa, for its innovative business courses, fees, online learning option, among many others. A peep into its website reveals an academic institution with a purpose- driven vision, with innovation at its core: “Underpinning our approach is our commitment to life-long learning, a dedication to high-quality and innovative teaching methods, the pursuit of ethical and sustainable values, and a forward-looking view of business and its role in the world. Access to both local and international faculty ensures that your GIBS experience is globally relevant, and opens doors to prized global networks.”
GIBS believes that businesses are currently grappling with the following issues:
- Adapting to a technology-driven future.
- Leveraging off big data.
- Creating shared value.
- Being a good corporate citizen in the broader society.
- Keeping consumers at the core of the strategy.
- Driving effective transformation, inclusion, and diversity.
- Navigating uncertainty.
- Embedding core competencies.
- Recruiting and retaining top talent.
- Reputation management.
It hopes to address these challenges confronting the African continent, through the production of journal articles, conference papers, case studies, thought leadership articles, and white papers, to help businesses engage with the latest thinking.
- Courses: Ph.D., MBA, PGDip, AdvDip
- Tuition Fee: R 348 933
- Online Study: Available
- Scholarship: Available
- Accommodation: Available
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Available
- Location: 26 Melville Rd, Illovo, Johannesburg, 2196
- Website: https://www.gibs.co.za
- Accreditations/Awards/Membership:
AMBA SABSA PRME CEEMAN AACSB
- 3. The American University in Cairo (AUC) Cairo, Egypt
The American University in Cairo, Egypt, describes itself as a leading English-language, American- accredited institution of higher education and center of intellectual, social and cultural life, of the Arab world. The university prides itself on its state-of-the-art facility for advanced research, innovative teaching, lifelong learning, and civic engagement. And it is chartered and accredited in the United States, as well as Egypt
AUC’s strategic pillars are hinged on:
- Quality of Education
- Internationalization
- AUC Experience
- Institutional Effectiveness
- Innovation
AUC offers undergraduate, graduate, and International Programs. The school offers scholarship programs as well, which it believes ‘attracts gifted young men and women, regardless of their financial circumstances, to the University and provides them with an education that empowers them to create positive change in Egypt and the world.’ It has achieved the “triple crown” accreditation from AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
- Courses: MBA, MA, EMBA, M.Eng, MPH, CEMS, LL.M, MPA, MPP, M.Sc, Ph.D., Dual Degree.
- Tuition Fee: $30,870
- Online Study: Not available
- Scholarship: Available (support grants)
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Not available
- Location: 113 Kasr El Aini Street, P.O. Box 2511, 11511, Cairo, Egypt
Website: https://www.aucegypt.edu.
- Accreditations/Awards/Membership: AACSB AMBA EQUIS
- 4. Strathmore Business School Nairobi, Kenya
Strathmore Business School (SBS), has taken the responsibility of influencing the leadership of public and private sectors in the continent. This we believe is our overarching mission at SBS; Service to Society, through the development of international executive business management and leadership programs. Strathmore Business School Nairobi, offers Doctorate, Executive MBA, Masters, and MBA for Healthcare, Undergraduate programs. Strathmore Business School is reputed as the first Business School in Africa to have received the internationally-recognized Triple Crown Accreditation, and thus have a high learning standard of global repute.
- Programs: Doctorate, Executive MBA, Masters, MBA for Healthcare, Undergraduate
- Tuition Fee: Kshs. 1, 038, 760 – Kshs. 1,890,900 [MBA]
- Online Study: Available
- Installment Payment: Available
- Scholarship: Available [Limited]
- Accommodation: Not stated
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Not stated
- Location: Ole Sangale Road, Nairobi, 00200, Kenya
- Website: sbs.strathmore.ed
- Accreditations/Awards/Membership: NASPAA, AIM, GBSN
- 5. Henley Business School – South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
Unlike many other business schools that offer a linear experience that force-feeds theory to students, Henley Business School offers a holistic learning system.
By blending theory with practice, our holistic learning system means you can look forward to a business education that provides you with insightful business acumen, the ability to both master yourself and lead and manage others, and exceptionally relevant and practical theory that is tried and trusted, in practice in your own workplace.
Our customized solutions provide bespoke learning interventions that deliver tangible results, and we are proud of our successful associations with a wealth of blue-chip companies in South Africa, across the continent and throughout the world, including 3M, SAB Miller, Liberty, Food Lovers Market, Bidvest, SA Reserve Bank, Aegon, Barclays, Canon, Ford, IBM, KPMG, Microsoft, RBS Insurance, Shell, Vodafone and Zurich Insurance Group
•Courses: Undergraduate, Post-graduate, Short courses
- Tuition Fee: 285,500 ZAR
- Online Study: Available
- Scholarship: Available
- Internship/Corporate
Placement: Available
- Location: Kirstenhof Office Park, Block A 1 Witkoppen Road Paulshof2191 Johannesburg South Africa
- Website: https://www. henleysa.ac.za
- Accreditations/Awards/ Membership: CHE, AMBA(UK), EQUIS(Europe), and AACSB(American)
- 6.University of Cape Town (UCT) – Graduate School of Business, Cape Town, South Africa
The Graduate School of Business of University of Cape Town South Africa prides itself as a distinctly African business school with a global reach.’ It believes that its programs’ equip leaders for fast-growing emerging markets and critical global challenges.’ The school offers its MBA students as `much as 41 different global exchange programs, which will offer them ‘a truly global experience that goes far beyond the Africa continent.’ As is expected of any top-rated business school, the school focuses on applying academic theory to the real business world
- Courses: MBA, Executive MBA, Ph.D., PGDIP, CEMS, Customised Programmes, Online Courses
- Tuition Fee: R 271 640 – R 514 300
- Online Study: Available
- Scholarship: Not available
- Accommodation: Available
- Internship/Corporate Placement:
- Location: Cape Town Breakwater
Campus
- Website: https://www.gsb.uct. ac.za/
- Accreditations/Awards/ Membership: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS
- 7. University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB), Bellville, South Africa
Stellenbosch University boasts of 100 years of academic excellence and celebrates its centenary anniversary in 2018. USB, which is part of Stellenbosch University, is recognized globally as the strongest research university in Africa. Stellenbosch has many interesting credentials tucked under its belt which include:
1. Link with Stellenbosch University: USB is the top-ranked research university in Africa.
2. Partnerships with some 80 business schools across all continents: Partnerships that deliver opportunities for joint research, conferences, exchange studies, and lectures.
3. International memberships: USB’s memberships of various organizations in the international and African business school environment are based on collaboration and support.
4. A truly interracial and international school: students from over 40 different countries. Stellenbosch has an interesting mission statement, which is: ‘through knowledge advancement and transformative learning, we develop responsible leaders who positively impact society.’
- Courses: Ph.D., MBA, PGDip
- Tuition Fee: R293 380 – R373 190
- Online Study: Available (blended)
- Scholarship: Loan (South Africans only)
- Accommodation: Not available
- Internship/Corporate Placement:
Available
- Location: Carl Cronje Dr, Bellville, Cape Town, 7530, South Africa
- Website: https://www.usb.ac.za/usb
•Acc reditations/Awards/ Membership: AABS, AACSB, ABIS, AMBA, CEEMAN, EFMD, EDAMBA, EMBA, GBSN, GRLI, GRLI’s GDI, PRME, SABSA
- 8. ESCA Ecole de Management, Casablanca, Morocco
For several years ESCA Ecole de Management is ranked the first Business School in Morocco and French-speaking Africa, by Eduniversal and Jeune Afrique. It is also a reference in higher education of management, in North Africa, and in the Mediterranean region. Founded in 1992, it has a network of more than 3800 laureates and trains 1100 students, executives and managers every year in its study programs and through its continuing education department.
- Courses: MBA
- Tuition Fee: 135,000 AED
- Online Study: Not available
- Scholarship: Not available
- Student Exchange: Available
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Not available
- Location: 7, rue Abou Youssef El Kindy, BD Moulay Youssef, Casablanca, 20070, Morocco
- Website: https://www.esca.ma
Accreditations/Awards/ Membership: AACSB, Jeune Afrique magazine Ranking, Eduniversal Ranking 4 Palmes Of Excellence – Top Business School with Significant International Influence
- 9. The University of the Witwatersrand – Wits Business School (WBS), Johannesburg, South Africa
Wits Business School operates with the aim of ‘delivering leaders who can shape the future of Africa.’ The school offers a variety of postgraduate academic programs and executive education programs, as well as weekly public seminars. WBS also designs tailor-made, in-company programs, partnering with client organizations to develop management capacity. With a full suite of programs on offer, WBS delivers innovative, transformative, and immersive learning experiences using generative thinking methodologies.
Wits offer MBA Post Graduate Diploma programs, in various fields including,
- Courses: PDM, PDBA, MBA, MM
- Tuition Fee: R92 150 – R251 010
Online Study: Available
- Scholarship: Not available
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Study tour
- Location: 2 St David’s Place, Parktown, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Website: https://www.wbs.ac.za
•Accreditations/Awards/ Membership: GMAC, UNICON, GBSN, SABSA, PIM, EFMD, AACSB
- 10. Milpark Education: Milpark Business School, Cape Town, South Africa
Milpark Business School delivers an education that empowers and equips current and future leaders, to pursue ethical and sustainable business practices informed by the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), in an evolving local, Continental, and global milieu. Milpark Education prides itself on its distance and online learning strategies and had received AMBA accreditation in 2018. Milpark deploys virtual learning mechanisms that make it possible for students to study for full qualifications from any location.
- Courses: DBA, PGDBA, MBA
- Online Study: Available
- Scholarship: Loan
- Accommodation: Not specified
- Internship/Corporate Placement: Not available
- Location: 2nd Floor Sunclare Building, Cnr Protea & Dreyer Rds, Claremont, 7708 Cape Town, South-Africa
- Website: https://www.milpark.ac.za
- Accreditations/Awards/Membership: AMBA
