South African university ranked best in Africa

South Africa's University of Cape Town climbed 23 places in global rankings and maintained its position as number one in Africa, according to this year's World University Rankings published by Times Higher Education on Wednesday.

The university rose from the 183 position of last year to 160, this year. A total of 1 799 institutions were assessed in 13 performance indicators which include citations, research, and teaching.

The University of Cape Town's Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng welcomed the rankings.

"As a university in the Global South, we are particularly pleased to retain our standing internationally while at the same time prioritizing and serving the critical needs of the Global South and the people living here, priorities which are not usually recognized in global rankings," said Phakeng.

The University of Cape Town performed well in citations or research influence which measures the number of times a piece of research is cited. The University of Cape Town was ranked number 172 in the whole world within this area. The university also performed well in the area of research, its volume, income, and reputation.

The University of Cape Town has been ranked the best in Africa in major international university rankings this year, which include Center for World University Rankings, Quacquarelli Symonds, World University Rankings, and Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of World Universities.