UNISA Headquarters

About UNISA Headquarters

The University of South Africa, or UNISA as it is commonly known, is a distance education university with the main campus and headquarters in Pretoria. You cannot miss the gigantic, mind-blowingly ugly buildings.

With over 200 000 students enrolled, it is highly regarded and is one of the largest universities on the planet.

Founded in 1873, UNISA was initially an examining agency for Oxford and Cambridge universities as well as something of a ‘mother ship’ to other establishing universities in South Africa.

In 1946 it became a distance education university, offering certificate, diploma and degree courses up to doctoral level. It was able to remain interracial during the years of apartheid largely because it was a distance education university.

Famous students and professors include:
Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa
Desmond Tutu, South African cleric and political activist
Robert Mugabe, current president of Zimbabwe
Ahmed Kathrada, South African politician and anti-apartheid activist
Tokyo Sexwale, South African businessman and former politician, anti-apartheid activist, and political prisoner
Walter Battiss, South African abstract painter and creator of the quirky 'Fook Island' concept, UNISA Professor of Fine Art.