Squeezed at home, priced out abroad: SA families can pivot to universities in Mauritius, UAE...

With South Africa’s premier universities oversubscribed and the cost of popular overseas destinations like the UK, US, Australia, and Canada soaring, families could pivot to highly competitive, cost-effective global alternatives. Sable International’s Brent Morris told BizNews in an interview that Mauritius, the UAE, and Malaysia now offer highly attractive degrees, rivalling the total costs of studying at some local South African institutions, such as Stellenbosch. This option is particularly attractive for students pursuing highly sought-after, niche courses such as medicine, psychology, and engineering. Morris said some of these emerging educational hubs hosted fully accredited branch campuses of world-class British and Australian universities, allowing students to earn identical international degrees closer to home. High school leavers and parents seeking more information can attend Sable’s upcoming Study Abroad Expo. The expo, featuring representatives from 30 international universities, will be held on 7 September in Johannesburg, 8 September in Durban, and 9 September in Stellenbosch. - Linda van Tilburg