How much an MBA degree will cost you in South Africa - R200k separates two local business schools
You'll pay between R186,000 and R406,000 to add those three letters to your LinkedIn bio. Which is a lot - until you learn that it's R1 million less than what you'll pay abroad.
Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees are among the most popular post-graduate options in most countries - and South Africa is no different.
There are now at least a dozen business schools in South Africa that sell various MBA courses, either full or part-time, online or in-person, and usually over two years. Some are purely local courses, and others offer hugely expensive international field trips.
Vastly different prices
MBAs in South Africa come in at vastly different prices and with varying levels of global recognition. R200,000 separates the most expensive MBA from the cheapest. And in 2024, you’ll pay anything from R194,000 to over R400,000 for the same degree.
At the top end of the table is the University of Pretoria’s GIBs, which now charges at least R400,000 for its MBA course. Close behind it is long-term competitor Henley Business School, which charges R385,000.
Just three MBAs cost less than R200,000 - IIE MSA (formerly Monash South Africa, which seemingly offered a huge discount over the last year), Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA), and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Not all MBAs are equal
Still, most will tell you that not all MBAs are equal, and you mostly get what you pay for - at least in perceived worth. It’s important to look for global accreditation if you’re looking to take your career international. And global rankings and recognition for local MBAs vary from almost non-existent to fairly competitive.
But considering that a top-ranked MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business costs at least R1.4 million, you may be willing to settle for one from UCT, placed 45th, for about R1 million less.
How MBA costs in South Africa compare
Comparing rankings is complex and controversial, so I’ll cop out of that. But comparing expenses is slightly easier, although likely comes with some anomalies caused by outdated fee schedules and unhelpful admissions offices.
Still, I’ve rounded up the costs of 12 MBAs in South Africa, and to help avoid further procrastination, I’ve also included all the price increases from 2023 - which vary from no increase to as much as R47,000 more. There’s no time like the present.