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QS Best Student Cities ranking: 78th

The largest city in South Africa with over nine million people, Johannesburg (or Jo’burg) is the country’s economic and commercial hub, with a prominent skyline and mining trade.

Although not one of South Africa’s three capitals, Johannesburg is the seat of the Constitutional Court. It’s considered one of the greenest cities in the world, with extensive parks and gardens and an estimated six million trees.

Stunning natural scenery can be found just outside the city, including nature reserves such as Lion Park and Krugersdorp. 50km northwest of the city, you’ll find the Cradle of Humankind, a paleoanthropological complex of limestone caves with a large number of hominin fossils, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Like the rest of the country, Johannesburg is still coming to terms with a complicated past, while looking optimistically to the future. It offers lots to see and do, with great restaurants, bars and clubs, theater, music, galleries and museums, and a large collection of public art.

The city would be a good choice for sun-lovers, enjoying a generally temperate and pleasant climate throughout the year.

Johannesburg achieves a high score for affordability, ranked among the 10 best cities in the world, reflecting its fairly low tuition fees and living costs.

The city’s higher education system is well-developed, with a range of private and public universities, including the University of the Witwatersrand, one of the most prestigious in the country, ranked fourth in South Africa.

Although South Africa has 11 official languages, the language of instruction at its universities is usually English.

Internationally ranked universities in Johannesburg

More about Johannesburg

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.