Africa has grown progressively to become a business hub and den attracting investors across the world, it’s crystal clear that the continent is ripe for diverse business opportunities. No one understands this better than the numerous African entrepreneurs starting every day and playing their roles to change the narrative of the continent.
But come to think of think, what will the business world in Africa be like without a Centre of business knowledge and a breeding ground for entrepreneurs? Business schools play a significant role in nurturing future business leaders and working with companies to help them take advantage of emerging opportunities and solve problems.
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The following are the top 10 best business schools in Africa
1. Gordon Institute of Business Science – South Africa
The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) is an affiliate of the University of Pretoria. It is the best business school in Africa according to the Financial Times- the UK’s leading financial publication. The school has featured on the publication’s annual listing of leading business schools in the world for 7 years consecutively. The 2020 rankings placed the Gordon Institute of Business Science within the top 50 business schools in the world, making it not only the best in South Africa but on the whole African continent.
The school was established in 2000 and offers a wide collection of courses for individuals and cooperate organizations with courses such as internationally accredited MBA programs, a Post-graduate Diploma in Business Administration, a Doctorate in Business Administration, and a wide range of academic and executive courses.
Read: 10 Reasons Why You Should Study Business Administration
2. Wits Business School – South Africa
Wits Business School has featured in many international rankings consecutively as one of the best business schools in the world. It has ranked closely with the best of the best in top world rankings such as the Times Higher Education and the BRICS & Emerging Economies top world 100 rankings.
The school was first established in 1968 and is based in Africa’s economic hub Johannesburg. The school offers a wide collection of executive and business courses including a Senior Executive Program run in affiliation with Harvard Business School. It also runs MBA and other Master’s business degree courses.
3. The University of Dar es Salaam Business School – Tanzania
This is one of Africa’s top-rated business schools. It is located on the main campus of The University of Dar es Salaam- the oldest public university in Tanzania. The University was established in 1961 as an affiliate of the University of London. In 2008, the University of Dar es Salaam transformed its faculty of Commerce Management to what is known today as the University of Dar es Salaam Business School.
The quality of undergraduate and postgraduate programs offered in the schools earns it global recognition as one of the best business schools in Africa. The institute runs four departments General Management, Marketing, Finance, and Accounting.
4. Lagos Business School – Nigeria
The Lagos Business School was first established in 1991. It started as a small institution in Lagos Nigeria as the Centre for Professional Communications. At the time of its inception, it offered only Business management courses relevant to the Nigerian business setting. However, the school has grown to provide academic programs and executive business management programs relevant not only to Nigeria or Africa but to the World at large. In 2003 it added the full-time MBA program with the sole aim of developing professionals with practical management knowledge to the global business world.
Ever since its establishment the business school has crafted a solid reputation based on its quality of programs, its ability to recruit professional staff, and lectures. Since 2007 till date the Lagos Business School has gained global recognition as one of the leading business schools in West Africa.
5. American University in Cairo School of Business – Egypt
First known as the School of Business Economics and Communications, the American University in Cairo School of Business got its new name in 2009 to create an academic Centre that nurtures future innovative business leaders and entrepreneurs.
In late 2013, the business school became the first institute in North Africa to feature on the Financial Times list of Top Business Schools in the world. The institute has gained global recognition and attracts business leaders across the globe. The business school made the prestigious list again in 2020- a clear sign of its strengthening position in the global business world.
Even though education in North Africa has been disrupted by the Arab uprising that swept through that region between 2021 to 2012, the American University in Cairo School of Business is one of the leading Egyptian institutions that managed to make significant progress. The school offers amazing courses to both individual and corporate organizations.
Read: 10 Things You Can Do With A Degree In Business Administration
6. Makerere University Business School – Uganda
The school was established in 1960 as the Nakawa College of Business Studies, offering business and management programs. However, in 1997, the college merged with the Makerere University’s Faculty of Commerce to what is known today as the Makerere University Business School.
The school is well known for its business and management teaching and research, this explains why it is recognized as the benchmark and icon institution for Business and Management education in East Africa. Its faculties include the Faculty of Computing and Business Science as well as the Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Management. The school also houses the Faculty of Marketing and Hospitality Management- the best in the continent.
7. Strathmore Business School – Kenya
Strathmore Business School is one of the best business schools in Africa, all thanks to its solid academic and professional prestige. The institution is one of the most highly sought-after business schools on the continent. The school excels in areas beyond academia, it influences Leadership and business in Kenya’s private and public sectors.
The school contributes immensely to the development of small and medium-scale enterprises in Kenya. It features a wide range of business management and leadership programs.
Launched in 2005, the school offers MBA and postgraduate business degree courses as well as executive education degrees.
8. University of Ghana Business School – Ghana
The University of Ghana Business School is one of the highly-ranked business schools in the West African region. It was first established as the Department of Commerce at the Kumasi College of Technology (now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology). The school offers a wide range of undergraduate, master’s, postgraduate, and PhD programs under various academic departments including the Department of Operations and Management Information Systems, the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Accounting.
To enhance its academic prowess, the school collaborates with other top business schools in Africa, Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa in areas of research development, academic programs, case studies, and faculty exchanges. Some of its affiliate universities include the University of Cape Town (South Africa), Hanabat National University (Korea), Queens University-School of Policy Studies (Canada), and the University of Reading (UK).
9. HEM Business School – Morocco
You cannot talk about the top Business schools in Africa without mentioning Morocco’s HEM [Institute des Hautes études de Management] Business School. It was founded in 1988 and is the largest private-owned business school in the African continent. It attracts students from all African countries.
The school offers various MBA, postgraduate, and master’s degree programs with a specialty in Business Finance, Industrial Management, Accounting Control Audit, and Marketing. HEM has attracted a host of investors from across the world. Its biggest investors include the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank affiliate.
10. The United States International University-Africa Business School – Kenya
The United States International University-Africa Business School – Kenya is one of the best business schools in Africa. It attracts students from all countries across the continent. The school is the oldest-owned private university in Kenya. It offers MBA and various master’s level degrees including Master in Business Administration and Executive Master of Business Administration.
The school prides itself on having a robust network of high-profile alumni including Vimal Shah, CEO of Bisco Africa, a multinational consumer goods giant based in Kenya.
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Why Attend a Business School?
1. Solve business problems
One of the top benefits of attending a business school is that it positions you to be a problem solver in the business world. Apart from the prestige that comes from acquiring an MBA degree, you’ll also learn how to solve business problems you will face daily. You will develop a skillset and enhance your technical knowledge in your field of expertise. You will also become more result-driven to achieve worthwhile goals that will set you at the highest peak of your career.
Read: Avoid These Business Blunders: 8 Common Pitfalls For Success
2. Higher earning potential
The stats are crystal clear. Going to a business school can increase your earning potential progressively. In the US for instance, the average starting salary of a new MBA employee is $105,000, and that’s without other bonuses and packages. The financial benefits are unlimited.
3. Expand your network
When you join a business school or enroll in any MBA program you will be spending most of your days with other passionate and dedicated business leaders who may end up being your business partners, employers, competitors, accountants, suppliers, etc. They, in turn, will have their network of valuable business partners whom you’ll also have access to. A business school is one of the best places to build your network and have access to valuable individuals
4. Reach a higher level of business
Finally, an MBA degree has become the norm for advancement in the business and fiancé industry. In most advanced countries, it is almost impossible to become a CEO or CFO without an MBA. It is the ticket to top management roles in IT, commerce, manufacturing, production, and pharmaceuticals. An MBA after your name means you’re a strategist.
Here we have them, the 10 best business schools in Africa. Feel free to enroll in any of them
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