Harnessing Africa’s higher education potential: Insights and imperatives from the QS Africa Forum

The current landscape of African higher education  

African universities are positioned in an environment shaped by both promise and challenge. A youth demographic surge meets a context of expanded access, growing public and private investment, and new forms of international partnership. However, challenges persist: limited funding, unrelenting digital divides, regional inequalities, and pressing questions about graduate employability.  

Despite efforts to increase access, only 9% of school-leavers in sub-Saharan Africa are currently accessing tertiary education, further away from global averages. Today only 19 sub-Saharan universities are represented in the QS World University Rankings. The landscape is heterogeneous with elite research universities coexisting alongside dynamic new colleges, polytechnics, and skill-based institutions, many striving to engage to address local and regional priorities.

The employability debate: Are traditional degrees still relevant?

A centrepiece of the forum was the lively debate: “Traditional university degrees no longer prepare Africa’s youth for real jobs.” The graduate unemployment rate exceeds 30% in key countries, and more than half of the employers indicated that graduates are “not job ready.” The panelists in the favour of the motion pointed towards outdated curricula and a lack of practical and entrepreneurial training including professional fields. They argued that today’s economy demands agile, multidisciplinary skillsets and Africa’s universities must rethink the urgent reinvent of the degree structure.  

Opponents argued that the degrees remain essential for economic mobility, critical thinking, and foundational knowledge even as the curriculum evolves. They cited UNESCO data showing university graduates in Africa earns on an average three times more than those with only secondary education. While acknowledging the curriculum reform, blended learning and greater learning relevance, they cautioned against abandoning traditional degree entirely, advocating for incremental, context-sensitive adaptation rather than wholesale rejection.

Technology, digital transformation, and future skills

Across multiple panels, panelists explored how digital transformation is changing African higher education. While COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online, blended, and open distance learning models, yet challenges remain internet penetration is uneven, infrastructure constraints, and training for both faculty and students on digital platforms. Partners like IBM and Microsoft have collaborated with universities in these areas to support capacity building and upskilling.  

Innovative approaches such as Mount Kenya University’s ODEL (Online Distance & E-Learning) platform, demonstrate scalable solutions in bridging infrastructure and access disparities. Micro-credentials and short-term courses are gaining traction, especially for working professionals and lifelong learners, facilitating modular, stackable learning pathways.  

Moreover, attention is being paid to ensure that digital expansion is both accessible and equitable, addressing the needs of rural communities and marginalised groups. However, digital transformation is not only about technology but also about regulatory reform and pedagogical innovation. Examples were shared of various universities developing homegrown AI language models attuned for African contexts as well as international collaborative programs that foster both local relevance and global competence.  

Aligning universities with industry and innovation

The need to better align higher education with the realities of Africa’s labour markets was the recurrent theme. Industry-university partnerships, internships, joint research parks, and entrepreneurship hubs are proliferating, however there is a recognised need for more systemic, scalable collaboration. The experience of IIT Madras setting up their campus in Zanzibar and creating research and entrepreneurial partnerships was also cited as an example.  

Panelists emphasised several strategies:

• Embedding industry practitioners in curriculum delivery and design of applied programs.  
• Establishing business incubators, research parks, and technology transfer offices on campus to catalyse the commercialisation of research and innovation.  
• Creating platforms for continuous dialogue among academic, industry, government, and students, allowing educational offerings to remain agile and responsive.  
• Leveraging policy incentives for industry-driven upskilling and R&D collaboration.  

At the core, there was agreement that African universities must go “beyond the classroom” to prepare student to solve real-world challenges, develop entrepreneurial mindsets, and nurture innovation as a core institutional value.

Inclusion, gender, and equity

Access for under-represented groups – women, rural populations, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged remains both a challenge and a moral imperative. Institutional innovation includes affirmative action, targeted scholarships, and ‘blended learning’ for women balancing work, family, and study commitments. Digital technologies are providing new opportunities for rural learners to access higher education remotely.  

It was stressed, however, that equity is not solely achieved through student-focused interventions; diversity among faculty and leadership, decolonisation, and inclusive governance are equally important. Speakers also called for investment in mentorship, visible role models, and culture change within institutions to challenge persistent bias while promoting leadership pathways for women and other marginalised groups.

Building continental and global partnerships

Forum discussion emphasised that Africa’s transformation requires both intra-continental and global collaboration. Initiatives such as research consortia, staff exchanges, and the development of international program development often supported by organisations like QS are critical in enhancing institutional capacity, research impact, and student mobility.  

Moreover, speakers urged more pan-African partnerships, citing the need to move the dependence on North-South models towards knowledge exchange across African institutions themselves. The experience of cross-campus collaboration, joint degree programs, and collective procurement of digital resources were highlighted as promising developments.  

Digital platforms are lowering the barriers to intra-African collaboration, enabling joint research, shared teaching, and resource pooling across geographical and institutional divides.  

The QS Africa Forum concluded with a resounding message: Africa’s future will be shaped by its universities if they can start to lead.  

Five main imperatives emerged:  

• Curriculum reform that is responsive to industry needs and technological change while retaining foundational knowledge.  
• Investment in digital infrastructure and digital skills to make education accessible and future ready.
• Foster real-world entrepreneurial learning opportunities through academic partnerships with industry.  
• Equity and inclusion in student access, faculty leadership, and institutional governance.  
• Deepen continental and global partnerships to expand capacity, relevance, and reach.  

Underlying all these priorities is a clear need: to act. This means not just catching up with global peers but also taking the lead. Africa’s universities must become creators of knowledge, instead of just consumers. They should emerge as active shapers of the global educational, technological, and developmental landscape.  

The QS Africa Forum made one thing clear: this was more than a conversation - it was a call to action. With strong leadership, targeted investment, and a willingness to embrace change, African universities can drive meaningful progress and equip the next generation to shape the future of the continent and beyond.