AFRICA’S TOP BUSINESS SCHOOL

Setting the pace for business education in Africa for more than 50 years

The UCT Graduate School of Business is the business school of the University of Cape Town, South Africa's oldest university. It was established in 1964 and forms part of UCT’s Faculty of Commerce.

Our Leadership

  1. 1966 - 1972

    DR BOB BOLAND
    FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE GSB

    “I came to Cape Town in August 1965 with the dream of developing a multi-racial Harvard Business School in Africa.”

  2. 1976 - 1986

    JOHN SIMPSON
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “The GSB was financially sound but academically a little shaky. We had to address this by providing more opportunities for research and by developing the ethos of the GSB as a seat of learning.”

  3. 1986 - 1996

    Kate Jowell
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “Companies now have to face issues of far broader concern than fair wages and grievance procedures.”

  4. 1996 - 2006

    NICK SEGAL
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “As is so often the case, we in South Africa have the opportunity to pioneer new approaches that bridge the developed and developing worlds.”

  5. 2006 - 2016

    Walter Baets
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “There is a desperate need for a new way of thinking, a new way of doing and a new way of being in business.”

  6. 2017 - 2018

    Mills Soko
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “I am obsessed with ensuring that as Africa’s leading business school we not only stay at the top of the game, but we also remain relevant to the social, political, economic and business contexts in which we operate."

  7. 2020 -

    DR CATHERINE DUGGAN
    UCT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS DIRECTOR

    “There really is no other business school as well positioned as the UCT GSB to understand the challenges, build new narratives and drive positive change – not just in Africa but in the world.”

Our vision

As the authority in business research and education in Africa, we will provide aspiring leaders with the relevant knowledge, skills and competencies to lead change in Africa and beyond.
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Our Mission

To contribute to the success of individuals and organisations through research-informed teaching, practice and thought leadership that creatively respond to the complex and pressing economic and social challenges of our world today.
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Our Values

  • We are passionate about learning, innovation and creativity. We recognise the legacies of our past, both positive and negative, while looking forward to an equitable and inclusive future based on respect for the value of diversity.
  • We are committed to Africa, and to South Africa’s future in our continent and in the world.
  • We accept the responsibility to act ethically and with professional integrity.
  • We nurture thought leadership, recognising and respecting diversity in points of view and the contribution that we can, and should, make to public intellectual life.

Campus and Locations

A world-class destination

Breakwater Campus Cape Town
Breakwater Campus, Cape Town

A unique campus in a unique city.

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Conference Centre
Conference Centre

A state-of-the art academic conference centre is situated on campus in the heart of Cape Town’s business district.

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GSB Johannesburg
GSB Johannesburg

A tailor-made training facility in the heart of Africa’s top business district.

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Solution Space Philippi
Solution Space Philippi

Our satellite hub in the community of Philippi offers engagement beyond traditional university spaces.

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OUR CREDENTIALS

We are one of only around 100 business schools in the world, and only three in Africa, to be accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EQUIS), the Association of MBAs (AMBA), and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

International Connections

We are part of an international community that continuously strives to improve and advance business education and research.