Top 8 Cheapest Universities in South Africa for International Students

If you are looking to study abroad and don’t want to break the bank doing that, here are the cheapest universities in South Africa for international students. These South African universities are known to offer quality academics to residents and non-residents of South Africa at a cheap rate. Let’s go on to learn about these universities and what they charge international students per year.

While studying abroad may have its perks such as learning a new language and culture it can be very expensive. A lot of people whose dream is to study abroad are unable to achieve that dream due to the cost involved. Firstly, as an international student, you pay a lot more in tuition compared to the citizens of that country and secondly, there is the cost of obtaining a visa plus flight fares.

However, there are ways you can cut down on the cost of studying abroad by applying for scholarships for international students and/or applying for low-tuition universities and/or going to one of the universities that offer scholarships to international students. These are ways to go to save more money while getting the same value.

To cut costs international students always look for cheap universities abroad that would offer the same value as some other very popular universities that may have them chop off their heads with tuition fees.

In this article, I present you with options of the cheapest universities in South Africa for international students. This is one sure way for prospective international students to study abroad without piling up huge student loans or breaking the bank to get an education.

Studying in South Africa, is undoubtedly, an experience that you will not forget in a hurry. The nation is rich in African culture and history, home to wonderful cuisines, and houses reputable institutions offering qualifications that are widely recognized and accepted. There are fashion schools and flight schools in South Africa and if you’d rather study from your country, there are online colleges in South Africa offering online degree programs that you can enroll in from the comfort of your home.

Another amazing thing about studying in South Africa is the ease; you don’t have to go through a lot of stress getting their study requirements.

Speaking about the cheapest universities in South Africa, Rhodes University stands out at the top with its tuition fee of R23,500 for tuition and R28,000 for residence – this cost is for international students. There are many more low-tuition universities in South Africa which I have compiled below for you.

Cheapest Universities in South Africa for International Students
( Low tuition Universities in South Africa )

  • Rhodes University
  • North-West University
  • University of Cape Town
  • The University of Venda (UNIVEN)
  • Stellenbosch University
  • The University of Fort Hare
  • Red & Yellow – Creative School of Business
  • Central University of Technology

1. Rhodes University

This university is one of the oldest universities in Africa! It was established in 1904. Today, it has over seven thousand students. There are six faculties at Rhodes University: – Pharmacy; – Education; – Science; – Law; – Commerce; – Humanities.

As I said earlier, Rhodes is the cheapest university in South Africa and despite its low tuition fee charge, it is one of the best universities in South Africa. If you are planning to study in South Africa anytime soon, then Rhodes is one of the universities you should be looking at.

Tuition for international students at Rhodes University is R23,500 for tuition and R28,000 for residence. A valid study visa is required to enter South Africa in order to enroll in Rhodes University.

2. North-West University

North-West University is a public research university with campuses in Potchefstroom, Mahikeng, and Vanderbijlpark in South Africa. As one of the cheapest universities in South Africa for international students, the tuition fee at North-West University is estimated to be as low as R31,000 ($2313) to R47,000 ($3507) for undergraduate programs.

The North-West University application is just about R500 ($37) and as it is done everywhere, this fee is nonrefundable once paid and it is only paid once during admission application. You will also need to pay residence fees to stay in the university; this is a countrywide requirement and every international student pays this fee in their host country except in special cases.

In addition, you will need to budget around R17,630 ($1315) for a standard room and R18,280 ($1364) for a single room.

3. University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town is also a public research university and the oldest university in South Africa that is still in operation. Talking about cheap universities in South Africa for international students, the University of Cape Town offers studies in English to accommodate international students and has different extracurricular activities that help international students adapt to studying in South Africa.

International students at Cape Town University will spend up to $14,223 per semester this covers tuition, meals, accommodation, books & stationery, transportation, spending money, living costs, and medical aid. The actual tuition fee is $7,800.

4. The University of Venda (UNIVEN)

Out of 88 universities ranked in South Africa, UNIVEN takes the 11th spot as the best in the nation. The school is organized into four (4) faculties namely: Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture; Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law; Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education as well as Faculty of Health Sciences.

Through these faculties, UNIVEN offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs to residents and non-residents. If you are looking to study abroad in South Africa, you may want to consider UNIVEN, aside from its academic quality, it is also the cheapest university in South Africa for international students with tuition fees ranging from 23,200 ZAR to 60,400 ZAR.

5. Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University is a public research university in Stellenbosch and opens its doors to welcome international students. It is also among the low-tuition universities in South Africa with a tuition fee of about 43,380 ZAR.

6. The University of Fort Hare

The University of Fort Hare is a public university in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa with a solid academic reputation, particularly in the fields of agriculture, humanities, social science, and natural science.

The University of Fort Hare is one of the low-tuition universities in South Africa for international students. The international tuition fee ranges from 18,700 ZAR to 44,400 ZAR.

7. Red & Yellow – Creative School of Business

This school is especially for creatives and those who want to pursue careers in business, management, and related fields. The school also offers online courses that you can enroll in from the comfort of your home without the need to come to South Africa.

Red and Yellow Creative School of Business is one of the low-tuition schools in South Africa for international students with tuition at 31,167 ZAR. As a business school, it boosts its students’ creative thinking and brilliant ideas, allowing them to become future innovators and changemakers in society.

8. Central University of Technology

With tuition for international students ranging from 25,000 ZAR to 108,750 ZAR, Central University of Technology in Bloemfontein in the Free State province of South Africa is one of the low-tuition universities in South Africa for international students.

If your potential lies in the technology side and you are looking for a cheap, yet good school, to develop that potential, you may want to consider Central University of Technology.

Conclusion

These cheap universities in South Africa for international students listed here are the best I have for now. If you are interested in any of them, the admission application process is as follows;

Applicants or candidates have the choice of either applying through the Internet or admission agencies. For those interested in applying through the Internet, the following steps should be adhered to:

  • Applicants should visit the web portal of the university they have chosen and request an online application form.
  • Applicants should fill out the form with the right information and upload the necessary documents
  • Once done with the form, applicants should send it to the admission department of the university or send it to the address stated on the form
  • Once the applicant’s form has been considered he or she will be sent an offer by airmail or Email
  • After applicants have received the offer they should ask for a visa pack from the school so they can start processing their visa
  • At this point, you are ready for your enrollment.

You can visit our homepage to join our telegram group if you need our help on any of the steps.

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7 comments

  1. If I can not be reached through email then I kindly ask to be contacted directly on 0622762092

    1. International students have a fair chance in these schools compared to others. True or False?

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